Frontier Hard Chrome, Inc. operated as a chrome plating facility on a half-acre lot in Vancouver, Washington. From 1958 to 1983, process wastewaters containing hexavalent chromium were discharged into an on-site dry well. The contamination spread through soil and groundwater, and a plume reached an industrial supply well about a quarter-mile away with chromium levels more than twice the federal drinking water standard. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in September 1983.
The main contaminants are chromium and its compounds, found in soil, groundwater, and buildings at the source area. Chromium was present as general chromium, chromium(III), and chromium(VI). Three volatile organic chemicals were also detected in groundwater: 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethene, and tetrachloroethene. Cleanup was organized into two main operable units, one covering soils and the source area, the other covering groundwater.
For the soils, EPA selected a remedy in 1987 and amended it in 2001. Workers excavated contaminated soil and applied a chemical reductant in 2003 that converted hexavalent chromium to the less harmful trivalent form. The groundwater remedy was similarly updated in 2001 and shifted to chemical reduction, a permeable reactive barrier for passive treatment, and monitored natural attenuation. Groundwater was monitored through 2016, and drinking water restrictions on contaminated groundwater stayed in place until cleanup levels were met.
On January 29, 2018, EPA signed a Final Close-Out Report confirming all cleanup objectives had been achieved. Human exposure is under control, groundwater migration is stabilized, and no unacceptable risks remain at the site. No further sampling, monitoring, or activity restrictions are required. EPA deleted the site from the National Priorities List on August 6, 2018. One business currently operates on the property, employing 30 people and generating about $3.79 million in annual sales.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA Remedial Project Manager. The Community Involvement Coordinator is also available through EPA. For state-related questions, contact the Washington Department of Ecology. Site records are available at the Vancouver Community Library or the EPA Region 10 Superfund Record Center in Seattle.
