Fort Lewis Logistics Center covers 650 acres on Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington. The Army has used the site since 1917 for military operations including aircraft maintenance, weapons repair, and caustic paint stripping. Those activities contaminated soil, groundwater, surface water, and sludge with hazardous chemicals. The site holds final National Priorities List (NPL) status under the federal Superfund program and has not yet been deleted from the NPL.
Contaminants found at the site include metals such as arsenic, lead, chromium, mercury, and manganese, along with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and vinyl chloride. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo[a]pyrene were found in soil at the landfill area. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were confirmed in groundwater in 2016 and are still being evaluated. Contaminants affected soil, groundwater, and surface water across two main operable units and a third sitewide PFAS unit now underway.
Cleanup addressed three major areas. At the Solvent Refined Coal Pilot Project area, about 80,000 cubic yards of PAH-contaminated soil were excavated and treated by 1997. Landfill No. 4 used air sparging and gas extraction from 1996 to 2000 to remove chlorinated compounds. The East Gate Disposal Yard received groundwater pump-and-treat systems starting in 1995, and an additional system for the Sea Level Aquifer was completed in 2009. A 2007 EPA-approved study found that trichloroethylene vapor intrusion does not pose an unacceptable risk to residents in the Madison Family Housing Area. All three pump-and-treat systems remain operational, and the Army continues groundwater monitoring and treatment.
The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse on March 14, 2016. Physical construction was completed on September 23, 2015. Human exposure and groundwater migration are both listed as under control. A sitewide PFAS removal action is estimated to run from December 2025 through February 2028. The most recent five-year review was completed September 26, 2022, and the next is estimated between September and November 2027. The Logistics Center operates today as mainly an industrial facility with some limited commercial use.
Community members with questions can contact EPA Remedial Project Manager Patrick Hickey by phone or email. Beth Clemons serves as the Community Involvement Coordinator. Key documents are available online through the EPA, at the Environmental and Natural Resources Division office at Fort Lewis, and at the Pierce County Library's Lakewood Branch in Tacoma.
