Response team to discuss monitoring/recovery phase in WW
By Dan Thesman on Monday, October 23rd, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
News release from city of Walla Walla
WALLA WALLA – Staff from Washington Department of Ecology, the City of Walla Walla, Walla Walla Fire Department, Clean Harbors, and Aspect Consulting held our weekly meeting today to review the ongoing response, including Ecology’s current Incident Action Plan covering the period of Oct. 23-30.
The team discussed the continuation of pumping operations; the collection of information about the extent of the plume and the ways it’s moving underground; and steps toward a transition from the ongoing emergency response to a monitoring/recovery phase. The parties involved will discuss these topics in more depth this week.
In the meantime, work continues to mitigate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the basement of the Marcus Whitman Hotel and 106 building as gasoline migrates by groundwater into the buildings’ sumps. Continuous air monitoring of the impacted areas in both buildings shows a reduction of VOCs by active ventilation.
Water and product removed from the sumps and the abandoned stormwater lift station southwest of the hotel is processed through the six-stage filtration system in the parking lot of the 106 building. Approximately 11,400 gallons of processed water had been discharged to Walla Walla’s wastewater treatment system as of Sunday.
This update is based on information provided by Washington Department of Ecology and City of Walla Walla. City staff will continue to provide these updates on the City website (https://www.wallawallawa.gov/gasoline) as we receive additional details.
Photo shows an active ventilation system mitigating volatile organic compounds in the basement of the Marcus Whitman Hotel.
