Health Consultation: City of Montesano Vapor Instrusion Assessment Petroleum and Solvent Conaminated Soil and Groundwater. Montesano, Grays Harbor County, Washington

摘要

The Washington Department of Health (DOH) conducted this health consultation at the request of the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) (personal communication, e-mail message from Meg Bommarito, Ecology, to Barbara Trejo, DOH, dated December 15, 2008). The purpose of the health consultation is to assess whether petroleum and solvent contaminated soil and groundwater associated with three facilities (Whitneys Chevrolet, Tonys Short Stop Texaco, and the former Brumfield Twidwell property), in the downtown area of the City of Montesano, pose an indoor air health threat to the nearby community. When found in soil and shallow groundwater, volatile chemicals, like petroleum and solvents, evaporate. Those vapors move through the soil and can enter overlying buildings through cracks and other openings in the foundations. If indoor vapor concentrations are high enough, they can pose a health threat. DOH conducts health consultations in cooperation with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Background Whitneys Chevrolet, Tonys Short Stop Texaco, and the former Brumfield Twidwell properties are located within a three block area in downtown Montesano, Grays Harbor County. The area where these properties are located is bounded by Pioneer Avenue to the north, Wynoochee Avenue to the south, Church Street to the east, and 1st Avenue South to the west. Underground storage tanks (USTs) exist, or were used in the past, at these three properties and appear to be the current source of soil and groundwater contamination in the area. Ecology reports that other contaminant releases have occurred in the downtown area in the past. However, it appears that those other releases have been cleaned up or are in the process of being cleaned up.