Ecology updates gas release in downtown WW

WALLA WALLA – The Washington State Department of Ecology reports Stillwater Holdings, the owner of the Chevron gas station, 7 East Rose St., hired an environmental consultant and underground storage tank contractor to complete an investigation and develop a plan for cleanup, which Ecology will review.

Ecology reports testing and investigations conducted by those hired by Stillwater Holdings identified the regular gasoline underground storage tank as the source of the gasoline release. The state is working with the city of Walla Walla to remove the tank. Earlier this month, Ecology worked with Stillwater Holdings and its underground storage tank contractor to put the diesel and premium underground storage tanks, both identified not to be leaking, into use again.

Ecology’s Communications Manager Cheryl Ann Bishop explained that during an emergency response removal action, the quantity of gasoline removed is not measured since it is mixed with the groundwater. Therefore, Ecology’s current understanding regarding the volume of the release is incomplete.

Local state and federal agencies along with third-party contractors have deemed the area safe for residents and visitors. Bishop said with four monitoring wells on the site of the Chevron and nine wells along Rose Street and Second Street, plus all the other monitoring and testing conducted on Walla Walla’s municipal water and wastewater systems, including Mill Creek, there’s no evidence of contamination. Engineering controls have also been put in place to ensure the air, water, and soil in the area are continually monitored and pose no risk of future contamination.

MyCB photo via Dan Thesman

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Elkhorn Media Group

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