Hamilton/Labree Roads Ground Water Contamination

Overview

The Hamilton/Labree Roads Ground Water Contamination site sits in Chehalis, Washington. PCE, short for tetrachloroethene, a chemical used in dry cleaning and metal degreasing, was spilled and dumped into Berwick Creek and buried in containers at a local Livestock Market. The contamination was discovered in late 1993 and early 1994 when PCE turned up in six of eighteen sampled drinking-water wells. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in July 2000, making it eligible for federal Superfund cleanup funding.

Eight contaminants of concern have been identified at the site. They include cis-1,2-dichloroethene and dichloromethane in groundwater, and tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene in groundwater, soil, and sediment. The greatest health risk comes from drinking contaminated groundwater. Short-term exposure pathways are being controlled, but there is not yet enough data to fully assess whether human exposure is under control across the entire site. Groundwater contamination is still migrating and has not been contained to its original area.

The site is split into three operable units. For the first unit, the Hamilton Road Impact Area, EPA finished remedial action in September 2024. That cleanup involved rerouting Berwick Creek around contaminated areas, heating contaminated soil and sediment in place to drive out PCE, treating groundwater through bioremediation, and putting institutional controls in place to limit land use. For the second unit, covering the Breen Property and a downgradient area, investigation is ongoing and a final cleanup decision is expected between March and May 2028. Earlier response actions across the site included removing buried drums and containers, supplying bottled water to affected residents, and extending the municipal water system to the area.

Two businesses currently operate on site, employing seven people and generating about $1.08 million in annual sales. Zoning restrictions and institutional controls keep land use compatible with cleanup levels and limit exposure to remaining contamination. A locked fence surrounds active cleanup areas to protect people from electrical hazards and chemicals. Monitoring of groundwater, surface water, soil, sediment, and air continues to confirm that contamination does not spread to nearby private wells and that the cleanup is working. EPA completed a Five Year Review in June 2025, the first such review for the site. Once cleanup of the first unit is fully finished, Berwick Creek will be restored with native plants.

Community members can get involved by joining the site mailing list. Contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator to be added. Site documents, including the July 2025 Five Year Review Report and a Community Involvement Plan from October 2021, are available at the Chehalis Timberland Library at 400 N. Market Blvd. and at the EPA Region 10 Superfund Record Center in Seattle.