Bremerton Gasworks

Overview

Bremerton Gasworks is a 2.8-acre former manufactured gas plant in Bremerton, Washington, sitting near Port Washington Narrows in Puget Sound. The U.S. EPA added it to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in May 2012. The site is currently in the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) phase, which began in May 2013 and was expected to wrap up in early 2025. This phase focuses on identifying the types and amounts of contamination and figuring out the best cleanup approach.

Contamination has been found in upland soils, groundwater, and nearby sediments. The main concerns are tars left over from the gas manufacturing process. Those tars contain volatile aromatic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can cause cancer. Heavy metals and benzene have also been detected. Contamination in upland soils reaches at least 30 feet below ground. Human exposure is not currently under control, and groundwater contamination has not been stabilized, meaning it continues to move through the site.

Cascade Natural Gas Corporation is carrying out the investigation under EPA direction. Earlier removal actions took place in 2010 and 2013, removing a tar-releasing pipe, contaminated sediments, and capping exposed materials. The site has been divided into operable units to organize the cleanup work. A final remedy has not yet been selected, and physical construction has not begun. Short-term exposure risks are being managed through active controls while the investigation continues.

To protect people in the area, including the Suquamish Tribe and others who fish for steelhead trout and chinook salmon in these waters, zoning restrictions and other institutional controls limit land uses such as residential development. Visitors should avoid or minimize time on the beach and upland areas, avoid direct contact with soils, sediments, or tarry materials, and not harvest or eat seafood near the site. As of December 2024, two on-site businesses were operating, employing six people and generating roughly $535,750 in annual sales.

Community members can stay informed by joining an EPA email list for updates on cleanup activities and public meetings. The EPA completed an initial Community Involvement Plan in April 2013, which documents how residents want to participate and what concerns they raised. Key documents are available at the Kitsap Regional Library in Bremerton at 1301 Sylvan Way. Online records can be searched at www.regulations.gov by typing "Bremerton Gasworks" into the search box. For questions or to join the mailing list, contact the EPA's community involvement staff through the Seattle office.