Pacific Car & Foundry Co.

Overview

Pacific Car & Foundry Co. is a former heavy manufacturing facility in Renton, Washington, that produced rail cars and military vehicles starting in 1907. EPA placed it on the National Priorities List in February 1990. Physical cleanup construction finished in August 1996, but the site remains on the list because not all cleanup goals have been achieved.

The site has 21 confirmed contaminants of concern. These include arsenic, lead, chromium, nickel, copper, and zinc found in soil, sediment, groundwater, and surface water. Benzene and vinyl chloride appear in groundwater. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are present in soil and sediment. Petroleum hydrocarbons, including diesel and gasoline, were also found in soil.

Cleanup work removed underground storage tanks, PCB-containing electrical equipment, and contaminated soil. Workers used bioremediation to treat petroleum-contaminated soil, stabilized metals in place, and excavated heavily contaminated areas. Institutional controls such as deed notices are in effect, and long-term groundwater monitoring continues. The 2021 Periodic Review found that arsenic exceeds hot spot action levels in some groundwater wells and that vinyl chloride cleanup levels have not been met in all compliance wells. Surface water standards for copper, hexavalent chromium, lead, and zinc have not been consistently met at stormwater sampling locations. The remedy protects human health from soil exposure but is not fully protective for groundwater and surface water at this time. EPA's performance measures list human exposure as under control and contaminated groundwater as stabilized within its original area, while also noting the site is not yet ready for full anticipated reuse. These two assessments reflect different measures of progress rather than a direct contradiction.

The Washington Department of Ecology oversees the site under an agreement with EPA. The site is currently active for industrial use. A truck plant has operated on the north portion since 1993, and as of December 2024, one on-site business employed 500 people and generated an estimated $313,991,000 in annual sales revenue.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA Remedial Project Manager. The Community Involvement Coordinator is also available as a point of contact.