Quendall Terminals sits on the southeastern shore of Lake Washington in Renton, Washington. It operated as a creosote manufacturing plant from around 1916 to 1969, then later served as an oil storage and log sorting facility. That history left behind dense, oily contamination across a 22-acre upland area and a 29-acre offshore section of the lake. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in April 2006.
The main contaminants are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, many of which cause cancer. Benzene, naphthalene, ethylbenzene, and xylene also contaminate soil and groundwater. Metals such as arsenic, chromium, and lead are present as well. A form of oily contamination called dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) sits in the ground and slowly leaches into groundwater, which then carries pollutants into the lake. Human exposure is not yet under control, and groundwater migration has not been stabilized.
EPA selected a final cleanup plan in July 2020. For the upland area, the plan calls for smoldering combustion to destroy contamination in place, in-situ solidification to lock contaminants in soil, and a protective soil cap. Estimated cost for upland work is $66 million. For the lake sediments, crews will dredge contaminated material, install an engineered sand cap, and use enhanced natural recovery in other areas, at an estimated cost of $40 million. Both estimates cover 100 years of monitoring. In September 2024, EPA signed an agreement with BNSF Railway Company, Puget Sound Energy, and the State of Washington to move into remedial design. BNSF appointed Shane DeGross and PSE appointed Suzanne Dolberg as project coordinators, with Arcadis serving as the supervising contractor. A remedial design kick-off meeting took place in late February 2025.
Before design began, a Pre-Remedial Design Study ran from 2020 through 2022, involving groundwater sampling, soil and sediment sampling, and a shoreline survey of Lake Washington. A treatability study for in-situ stabilization technology was finalized in September 2024 to help speed up design in areas where that method will be used. People and wildlife face risks from contact with contaminated soil and groundwater, from breathing indoor vapors, and from consuming food from contaminated water. Redevelopment plans for commercial and residential use have received local approval, though physical construction of cleanup work has not yet begun.
Community members can review site documents at the Renton Public Library at 100 Mill Avenue South, Renton, WA 98057, or call 425-226-6043. Key documents, including the Record of Decision and the Pre-Remedial Design Study report, are also available on EPA's Quendall Terminals website. For direct questions, contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.
