Port leases land in Burbank to OXARC
By Griffin Beach on Friday, April 25th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Port of Walla Walla commissioners approved a lease agreement with OXARC LLC for 4.75 acres of land in the Burbank Industrial Park at their Thursday board meeting.
OXARC will use the property for a liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) tank farm. CO2 will be transported in by train and transferred to the tanks, which will then be dispersed to trucks for delivery.
At the Oct. 24 meeting last year the commissioners authorized the Port’s executive director Patrick Reay to execute a land lease option/right of first refusal with OXARC. This gave OXARC approximately two years to exercise an option to lease that land. On April 2 OXARC notified the commission that they were exercising that option.
The lease has an initial term of five years, followed by a five-year option. The initial term would go into effect on May 1, and terminate on April 30, 2030. If the option were to be exercised it would go into effect immediately upon expiration of the initial term.
Port Economic Development Director Paul Gerola said OXARC will make some improvements to the site and will remove their equipment once the lease is completed.
“I think it’s a good fit for the area,” Gerola said. “It’s a heavy industrial zone, and it meets the goals and policies of the Port’s comprehensive plan.”
