Georgia Pacific West Corporation Chlor Alkali Plant Cleanup

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: 8/15/02 - 9/16/02 ===================================================


Phase II Agreed Order to Conduct Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Proposed and Available for Public Review & Comment - Georgia Pacific Corp Chlor-Alkali Plant, Facility Site ID No. 14, located at 300 W. Laurel St., Bellingham, 98225, Whatcom County


Ecology and Georgia-Pacific Corporation are proposing a Phase II Agreed Order to conduct a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study at the Georgia Pacific Corp Chlor-Alkali Plant site.

Phase I of the cleanup involved closing, decommissioning, and demolishing the plant's processing machinery and building. The site is ranked a "5" on Ecology's Hazardous Sites List (a rank of "1" is the highest assessed risk compared to other sites on the list, and a "5" is the lowest).

From 1965 to 1999, Georgia-Pacific operated a chlor-alkali plant on the property that used mercury and brine to produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide (these products were used to bleach and pulp wood fiber). In the process, mercury leaked or spilled and contaminated the site site's soil, sediments, and ground water.


The purpose of a Remedial Investigation is to determine the nature and extent of the contamination. With this information, cleanup options are evaluated and presented in a Feasibility Study report.

In 1994, Georgia-Pacific completed an independent Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (without Ecology oversight or approval). The Phase II Agreed Order proposes Ecology review this report and Georgia-Pacific take the following actions:

Submit a soil and ground water sampling plan.

Submit a sampling plan of the Chemfix mercury sludge disposal area (Chemfix is a solidification/stabilization treatment process).


Develop sampling and testing protocol to determine if mercury could leach from the solidified sludge area.


Within six months of completion of the sampling programs and Ecology's approval of results, submit a Feasibility Study to Ecology.


Public Meeting: A public meeting to discuss the RI/FS will be held on September 5, 7:00 p.m., at Whatcom Community College, Heiner Auditorium, 237 W. Kellogg Road, Bellingham.

The proposed Agreed Order is available for review at the following locations:

Department of Ecology, Bellingham Field Office, 1204 Railroad, Suite 200, Bellingham

Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey, (360) 407-6916

Department of Ecology, Northwest Regional Office, 3190 160th Ave. SE, Bellevue



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