Thea Foss Waterway Superfund Cleanup

Client: City of Tacoma

Twenty-five years of support with negotiations, facilitation, remediation, and long-term monitoring of a portion of the Commencement Bay Nearshore / Tideflats Superfund Site.

Overview of Floyd|Snider Contributions

Environmental consultant to City of Tacoma for over 25 years

Environmental compliance oversight and documentation throughout construction

Strategy, Environmental Master Plan, and community involvement for cleanup and redevelopment vision

Implemented 15 years of comprehensive monitoring of the success of the sediment remedial action

Supporting the City to delist the Site from the Superfund program

Project Summary

The Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood Waterways make up one of seven Operable Units within the Commencement Bay / Nearshore Tideflats Superfund Site.

The Site was one of the first complex sediment “mega-sites” to be listed under Superfund, in 1982. In the early 1990s, the City of Tacoma proactively took responsibility for managing and accelerating the cleanup process, in order to support comprehensive revitalization of the City’s waterfront. With continual focus on that vision, the City completed site characterization, remedial design, and implemented a remedy for the waterways that integrated sediment cleanup with waterfront property redevelopment, marina redevelopment, construction of public parks and esplanade, and development of multiple habitat restoration sites. The remedial action was completed in 2005. After 15 years of comprehensive monitoring, the City is now working with the USEPA on delisting the site from the Superfund program, and downtown Tacoma is thriving.

The Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood Waterways make up one of seven Operable Units within the Commencement Bay / Nearshore Tideflats Superfund Site. The Site was one of the first complex sediment “mega-sites” to be listed under Superfund, in 1982. In the early 1990s, the City of Tacoma proactively took responsibility for managing and accelerating the cleanup process, in order to support comprehensive revitalization of the City’s waterfront. With continual focus on that vision, the City completed site characterization, remedial design, and implemented a remedy for the waterways that integrated sediment cleanup with waterfront property redevelopment, marina redevelopment, construction of public parks and esplanade, and development of multiple habitat restoration sites. The remedial action was completed in 2005. After 15 years of comprehensive monitoring, the City is now working with the USEPA on delisting the site from the Superfund program, and downtown Tacoma is thriving.

Our Approach

Floyd|Snider has continuously supported the City on the project for over 25 years.

Kate Snider was an original author of the City’s overall strategy and Environmental Master Plan for the project, including negotiations with Ecology and USEPA on upland property cleanup and source control associated with the sediment cleanup. Kate additionally facilitated community and stakeholder involvement regarding the overall approach. The City then hired Floyd|Snider to manage environmental compliance and documentation during construction of the sediment remedy, implemented in 2004 to 2005. From 2005 through 2020, Floyd|Snider has been the City’s lead consultant for all required monitoring of the stability of the remedial action, biological recolonization, sediment chemistry, and adaptive management. Floyd|Snider is supporting the City in the delisting process with USEPA. Floyd|Snider is incredibly proud to have been an integral part of this amazing success story.

Project Milestones:

1994. Environmental Master Plan, Agreed Order for Remedial Design
2005. Remedial action completion
2015. Completion of 10-year comprehensive monitoring, initiation of long-term monitoring plan
2020. Initiation of Superfund delisting process

Floyd|Snider has continuously supported the City on the project for over 25 years. Kate Snider was an original author of the City’s overall strategy and Environmental Master Plan for the project, including negotiations with Ecology and USEPA on upland property cleanup and source control associated with the sediment cleanup. Kate additionally facilitated community and stakeholder involvement regarding the overall approach. The City then hired Floyd|Snider to manage environmental compliance and documentation during construction of the sediment remedy, implemented in 2004 to 2005. From 2005 through 2020, Floyd|Snider has been the City’s lead consultant for all required monitoring of the stability of the remedial action, biological recolonization, sediment chemistry, and adaptive management. Floyd|Snider is supporting the City in the delisting process with USEPA. Floyd|Snider is incredibly proud to have been an integral part of this amazing success story.

Project Milestones:

Project Team

Floyd|Snider

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