DOE seeks local comments on Colfax fuel site report

Colfax residents today have received a printed report from the state Department of Ecology on the petroleum contamination site on north Main Street. The site has already been the location of prior containment projects including removal of former petroleum tanks.

The DOE report advises residents that the comment period on the Remedial Investigation Report will be open until the end of the month.

Copies of the report are available at the DOE office on N. Monroe in Spokane, the Whitman County Library and the DOE Toxics Cleanup website.

The site is along the east side of N. Main where petroleum leaks from previous fuel operations contaminated soil and ground water. It notes since interim cleanup was conducted by Time Oil and Cenex the petroleum contamination plumes under the sites have shrunk significantly. Only one ground water monitoring well continues to show signs of petroleum contamination within the site boundaries.

It notes no significant risks from contaminant-related vapors are at the site. Also, the contamination does not impact Colfax water sources which derive from deep basalt bedrock aquifers beneath the site.

The report lists three future alternatives with the first being maintaining the asphalt and concrete cap over the site and continued monitoring.

The second alternative proposes treatment of the soil with a vapor extraction system and the third alternative proposes removal of the contaminated soil.

The area is now officially identified as three sites, Time Oil, Cenex and Colfax Grange, which has recently become Four Star. All three favor the first option, maintaining the asphalt and concrete cap with monitoring.

Ecology will review comments and will determine which one will best meet regulatory requirements and protect human health and the environment.