Northwest Transformer

Overview

From 1958 to 1985, Northwest Transformer Service Company operated a 1.6-acre salvage yard in Whatcom County, Washington, storing and repairing electrical transformers and capacitors. Workers burned transformer casings and waste oils and drained oils into a seepage pit. Those practices left soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and solvents. The EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) on June 10, 1986, after an initial assessment in August 1984.

PCBs in soil were the contaminant driving cleanup decisions. EPA identified them as posing an unacceptable risk based on the amount present, the type of contamination, and the potential effects from direct contact. The primary exposure concern was people ingesting or touching contaminated soil.

Cleanup moved in two phases. An emergency removal in 1985 took out about 1,400 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated soil and debris, plus more than 6,500 gallons of PCB-contaminated liquid. The long-term remedy, constructed between September 1992 and March 1994, involved excavating and disposing of contaminated soil off-site, demolishing an on-site barn, placing clean soil cover, and putting institutional controls in place. The original 1989 remedy called for vitrification in place, but a 1991 amendment shifted the approach to off-site incineration and disposal, which is what was ultimately carried out.

The site was deleted from the NPL on September 28, 1999, after cleanup met state and federal standards allowing unrestricted use and unlimited exposure. No contaminants of concern have been detected in groundwater off-site or at the site's perimeter, and all on-site groundwater wells have met cleanup goals. Human exposure and groundwater migration are both confirmed under control. The site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in 2008, meaning all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been met. The most recent five-year review, conducted July 27, 1999, confirmed that protective conditions remain in place. EPA will continue monitoring to confirm that affected groundwater stays within the original area of contamination.

Community members interested in reuse of the property can connect with the EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program, which provides site-specific support to help communities identify and reach economic recovery goals for cleaned-up Superfund properties.