Ridgefield, Ecology reach legal settlement over Park Laundry

The Washington Department of Ecology and the city of Ridgefield are entering a legal settlement requiring the city to purchase a contaminated parcel and lead its cleanup efforts.

Park Laundry operated at the corner of North Main Avenue and Simons Street between about 1965 and 1977. Cleaning solvents were released into the environment, where microbes changed them into hazardous chemicals known as volatile chlorinated solvents, according to Ecology.

The former laundry building was eventually demolished, and the parcels to its north and south became parking lots. However, portions of the former building site and north parcel still contain concentrations of volatile chlorinated solvents in soil and groundwater.

Ecology’s draft cleanup plan proposes soil excavation and groundwater treatment to reduce contaminants, which the city of Ridgefield is responsible for, as well as outlines post-cleanup monitoring procedures. Ridgefield will return the site to its original grade and cover the surface with gravel or asphalt.

The city will file an environmental covenant with Clark County, which may limit land use and outline future development requirements. Ecology will assess the site’s condition every five years when a covenant is in place.