Source: http://www.kirotv.com, November 9, 2015
By: Nick McGurk
For nearly 100 years, a copper smelter in north Tacoma spewed pollution into the air until it stopped operating in 1985.
The ASARCO smelter in Tacoma was demolished in 1993.
But dangerous chemicals like arsenic and lead are still in the topsoil, affecting about 1,000 square miles from Olympia to South Seattle.
And the cleanup work continues.
“It makes you wonder what is in my yard. Is it gonna affect us long term? Is it gonna cause cancer? Is it gonna cause birth defects?” said Wendy Reynolds, who lives next to a home that is being remediated.
On Monday, KIRO 7 was there as a contractor worked on behalf of the Department of Ecology to remove 18 inches of soil from around a Tacoma home. The soil will be replaced.
There are roughly 1,000 more projects to complete.
The arsenic and lead in the soil is so widespread that Jeremy Bush with Tacoma-Pierce County Health says it won’t ever totally be removed.
“Even if your property is cleaned up, your neighbor’s might not be. If you’ve got kids playing out in the yard, your neighborhood might not still be considered safe,” said Bush.
Bush says an important message is to wash your hands, and your pets, after being outside. And wipe your feet when you get indoors.
“If you’re in soils with arsenic over a long period of time, there’s a chance of increased cancer, heart disease,” said Bush.
The Department of Ecology says $94 million from a bankruptcy settlement with ASARCO is helping to pay for the cleanup.
That bankruptcy didn’t happen until 2009, which is why some of this cleanup has taken so long, according to the Department of Ecology.