The Boomsnub/Airco site covers 50 acres in Vancouver, Washington. A chrome plating operation called Boomsnub Corporation ran there from 1967 to 1994 and left chromium and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the soil and groundwater through illegal disposal practices. Messer, an industrial gas producer, operates an adjacent facility that is also part of the site. EPA added the site to its National Priorities List (NPL) in April 1995 and issued a cleanup decision in 2000. The site is divided into three operable units covering Boomsnub soils, Messer soils, and sitewide groundwater.
Contaminants at the site include VOCs such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and vinyl chloride, as well as heavy metals including chromium, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and nickel. Several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as benzo[a]pyrene, were also found in soil. These contaminants affect both soil and groundwater and pose risks to human health and the environment.
Cleanup actions have included two EPA removal actions that pulled out tons of chromium-contaminated soil, plus a groundwater extraction and treatment system that ran for about 30 years. In-situ groundwater treatment, meaning treatment applied directly in the ground rather than at a surface plant, began in 2018. The contamination plume has shrunk from more than a mile in length to less than half a mile. Human exposure across the site is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. However, physical construction of the remedy is not yet complete, and EPA does not yet have enough data to confirm that contaminated groundwater migration has stabilized. Plans to remove the treatment plant and additional chromium-contaminated soil are expected within three to five years. A new groundwater remedial investigation for the northern part of the site is scheduled to begin in August 2025.
The site has also been partially redeveloped. In 2011 and 2012, the City of Vancouver built the 20-acre Luke Jensen Sports Park on part of the property, which includes Little League fields, batting cages, and a walking trail. Commercial businesses and residential development also operate within the site boundaries. EPA completed its fifth five-year review in May 2023 to confirm that cleanup actions continue to protect public health. The next five-year review is estimated for May through July 2028.
Community members can get involved by following EPA's ongoing groundwater investigation in the Hazel Dell area, which began in December 2025 to study a VOC plume called the Northern Plume. This investigation includes installing monitoring wells, sampling existing wells, and collecting soil gas samples to determine if contamination could evaporate upward into nearby buildings. For questions about the site, contact the Remedial Project Manager. Site records are also available at the Fort Vancouver Regional Library at 901 C Street, Vancouver, WA 98660.
