UPDATED: People are asked to avoid the area in downtown Walla Walla
By Terry Murry on Thursday, September 14th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
Update 7 from Walla Walla (Sat. 9/16 11:07 a.m.)
The extent and source of the gasoline contamination of the ground adjacent to the Marcus Whitman Hotel are not known at this time. Investigation is ongoing.
Ventilation of the hotel basement continues successfully.
Walla Walla Fire Department has reduced the street and sidewalk closures to the section of 2nd Avenue between Rose and Cherry streets, and Sumach Street between 2nd and Colville.
There continues to be no immediate danger to residents or businesses. Businesses in the area may continue to operate as usual with no restrictions.
Update 6 from Walla Walla (Sat. 9/16 8:44 a.m.)
The Walla Walla Fire Department has reopened 3rd Avenue, Rose Street, Cherry Street, and 2nd Avenue between Rose and Main Street. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic is allowed in these areas.
We expect to be able to provide more information after an operational update later this morning.
The City will provide updates on the City website (https://www.wallawallawa.gov) as the situation changes.
Update #5 from city of Walla Walla (Fri., 9/15 at 4:58 p.m.):
Continued ventilation of the Marcus Whitman basement has virtually eliminated the buildup of gasoline-like odors that caused the evacuation. Clean Harbors has placed monitoring equipment on all levels of the hotel to detect potential contamination of the air.
A crew from the Washington State Department of Ecology is investigating in the area around the hotel to try to identify the source of the substance that caused the odors and determine how it’s affecting the area.
The hotel will remain closed until authorities can ensure it is safe for habitation. At this point, there is no estimated timeline for its reopening.
There is no immediate danger to businesses in the area, and they may continue to operate as usual with no restrictions. Businesses on 2nd Avenue between Rose Street and Main Street may be accessed via the sidewalk from Main.
Out of an abundance of caution while the DOE investigation is ongoing, the Walla Walla Fire Department has placed the commercial area directly around the hotel under a Level 1 Evacuation, meaning it would be wise for business owners to consider planning and/or packing, in the event an evacuation becomes necessary. WWFD crews delivered flyers to these businesses to update staff and inform them how they can sign up for area-specific alerts from the Walla Walla Emergency Management Citizen Alert system, by visiting bit.ly/3RmwC8m.
There also is no immediate danger to residential areas, and WWFD has not placed evacuation warnings on any residential areas.
The streets immediately around the hotel remain closed to vehicle traffic while the investigation continues. Streets crews put up No Parking signs to alleviate congestion from traffic due to the street closures. Parking is temporarily not allowed on Oak Street from 2nd Avenue to Colville Street, and on Colville from Oak to Cherry. These parking restrictions will remain in place until the closed streets are reopened.
The City will provide updates on the City website (https://www.wallawallawa.gov) as the situation changes.
Update # 4 from city of Walla Walla (Fri., 9/15 at 9:35 a.m.):
Ventilation of the Marcus Whitman basement is ongoing. Clean Harbor continues to be on site, monitoring the situation. Readings of compound levels in the air have remained stable since last night — they have not increased.
Department of Ecology crews are expected to arrive in the late morning and begin formulating a plan to locate the source of the odor. In the meantime, City crews and utility providers are doing locates of all underground utilities in the area around the hotel.
The Chevron store at 7 E. Rose St. is open for business, but the gas pumps are turned off and will remain off until further notice.
The streets around the hotel remain closed to traffic. The attached map shows the closures. To reduce congestion on the surrounding streets, it is recommended that motorists avoid the area.
The City will provide updates on the City website (https://www.wallawallawa.gov) as the situation changes.
The hotel management is assisting guests. The management secured accommodations for the guests at local hotels or worked with them to cancel their reservations, according to city of Walla Walla Communications Manager Brenden Koch.
Update #3 from city of Walla Walla (Thurs., 9/14 at 9 p.m.):
DOE and Clean Harbor crews are continuing to search for the source and makeup of the material.
This will be the final update today. We anticipate posting the next update around 9 a.m. on Friday.
Please continue to avoid the area.
Update #2 from city of Walla Walla (Thurs., 9/14 at 8:22 p.m.):
Ventilation efforts have allowed DOE crews to get better readings in the building, but the material generating the odor has not been positively identified.
DOE and Clean Harbor crews are beginning to enter manholes on 2nd Avenue and Rose Street to narrow down the source of the material.
The City will provide updates on the City website (https://www.wallawallawa.gov) as the situation changes.
Please continue to avoid the area.
Update #1 from the city of Walla Walla (Thurs., 9/14 at 7:35 p.m.):
Crews from the Washington State Department of Ecology and Clean Harbor are on site.
DOE has confirmed initial readings and is monitoring the situation. They have narrowed down the source enough to confirm it is not propane or natural gas.
Clean Harbor, a cleanup company contacted by the Marcus Whitman, is moving in to ventilate the building. Once the building is ventilated, crews will work to locate the source of the odors.
The City will provide updates on the City website (https://www.wallawallawa.gov) as the situation changes.
Please avoid the area at this time.
Posted earlier:
News release from the city of Walla Walla:
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Walla Walla Fire Department has received reports of odors of volatile chemicals in the basement of The Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center.
Readings indicate potentially unsafe conditions in the basement, and initial responders have been unable to locate a source.
WWFD has been in contact with the Department of Ecology, and DOE crews are responding to provide assistance. In the meantime, the building is being evacuated out of an abundance of caution. Please avoid the area at this time. Our reporter on the scene says a large portion of the downtown area has been closed off.
EMG photo by Dan Thesman
