KENMORE, Wash. -- For the last decade residents in Kenmore have noticed very little activity on a little spit of land along Lake Washington. It made the list of some of the state's most contaminated sites, but this former landfill is being turned into a state construction site with no clean-up plans.
For the last month Kenmore residents have watched work ramp up on the site that goes by two names: The Lake Pointe Development and the Kenmore Industrial Park. Long time residents remember by another name.
"It was the old The Bayside Disposal Dump." said Patrick O'Brien who lives on a hill overlooking the 45 acre site.
O'Brien and his neighbors were surprised to learn that the old dump is where the giant anchors will be built for the 520 Bridge replacement project. And they were even more surprised to hear, there would be no clean-up during the process.
Eleven years ago, State Ecology officials gave that the site its highest contamination rating or level one. That meant anyone hoping to develop it would have to clean up the dump site in the center of it.
"This project does not involve excavation into the former landfill," said Larry Altose with the Washington Department of Ecology.
In other words the workers are being allowed to dance around the contaminated pocket in the middle of the site, but what neighbors are worried about, is how that activity might disrupt the contaminated site.
The Department of Ecology pointed out Thursday that the current work at the site is classified as 'maintenance' not 'construction' and thus meets state law. They also said constant monitoring indicates the site should have never been rated 'level one' to begin with because no serious contamination has been discovered.
State Representative Gerald Pollet (D) supports the 520 project and making the anchors for it here, but not if it means cutting corners.
"I'm very concerned about our children for generations to come, if the (Dept. of Ecology) doesn't require the site to be cleaned up to the proper level," said Rep. Pollet.
The Department of Ecology says the site is ringed with test wells and the project will be shut down at the first sign of trouble.
"In spite of all the things we would expect to find, and we tested for hundreds of compounds like we would normally do to evaluate a former landfill and they weren't present," said Altose.
State workers say they'll get their first ground water tests at the site next month.
To add a comment, please register or login.