Ecology News

Avista Corp Spokane Service Center cleanup site

Proposed removal from the Hazardous Sites List

Comment period Feb. 13 – March 15, 2023, 11:59 p.m.

We propose removing this site from the Hazardous Sites List because the site has been cleaned up. We invite your comment on the proposal.

The Hazardous Sites List includes all contaminated sites that have had their hazard ranked relative to other known contaminated sites in Washington. Sites are ranked on a scale of one to five, with one presenting the highest risk. This site, located at 1411 E. Mission Avenue in Spokane, was ranked a five, due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum in soil and groundwater.

Some contaminated soil was excavated and taken to a landfill. The rest that couldn’t be removed without damaging buildings or utilities was capped with a protective liner, and a drainage system was installed to direct rain and snowmelt away. An environmental covenant was filed to document the remaining soil contamination. ​Avista sampled five groundwater monitoring wells quarterly from 2019 to 2021, and all samples met water quality standards. 

Learn more

About the Hazardous Sites List

A site may be removed from the Hazardous Sites List only if the site is cleaned up to the standards set in Washington’s cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act. In some cases, long-term monitoring and periodic reviews may be required to ensure the cleanup is adequate to protect the public and the environment. We hold a public comment period for any site we propose to remove from this list.

Comment online

Comment by mail

Ted Uecker
4601 N. Monroe St.
Spokane, WA 99205

Questions

Ted Uecker Site Manager
ted.uecker@ecy.wa.gov
509-342-5564

Hello Spokane County nonprofits, 

I’m writing because I manage a grant fund for the Washington Department of Ecology that is gearing up to launch a request for applications. Nonprofit organizations like yours are invited to apply for up to $60,000 a year for two years. New applicants are a priority for this funding, and I hope applicants from the Spokane area will apply. 

These Public Participation Grants fund a variety of environmental projects that:

  • reduce waste and pollution.
  • increase recycling, green business, and composting.
  • engage the public in formal cleanup decisions.

I will be in Spokane from February 14th – 16th and welcome the opportunity to meet together. I will present on this and two other waste management opportunities and share general grant writing strategies. The meeting can be a two-way conversation, meaning that I want to learn about your organization’s mission and current projects and explore whether you might apply for a Public Participation Grant. Please email to let me know if you can come to either of the following events:

Tuesday, February 14th

Time: 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Location: Ecology’s Eastern Regional Office
Address: 4601 N. Monroe St. Spokane, WA 99205-1295
Parking is available

Thursday, February 16th

Time: 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Location: Spokane Central Library
Address: 906 W. MAIN AVE, Classroom B

If these times do not work for you, I will also hold webinars in a few weeks. Please find the application announcement attached and please don’t hesitate to ask any questions or forward this invitation to other nonprofits and community environmentalists in your network.

With warm regards,

Faith Wimberley (she/her)
Public Participation Grant Manager
Washington State Department of Ecology
425-275-7285