Tacoma Smelter Plume: Work begins Monday to clean up contamination and improve drainage at Vassault Park

By Diana Smith, Public Involvement Coordinator, Toxics Cleanup Program

On Monday, Ecology’s Soil Safety Program will begin construction work to replace contaminated soils at the playfields at Tacoma’s Vassault Park. The former Asarco Tacoma smelter contaminated 1,000 square miles with arsenic and lead from its smokestack.

Metro Parks Tacoma will coordinate drainage improvements during the cleanup work. Doing these needed improvements during cleanup work is more cost-effective.

Construction schedule and closed areas

On Monday, June 30, our contractor will begin putting up fencing and moving equipment to the park. Work will run through mid-October.

The playfields will remain closed until summer of 2015 to protect the new grass and allow time for it to grow.

The tennis courts and playground will remain open throughout the project.

Want more information?

• Fact sheet for Vassault Park neighbors
• May 19 neighborhood meeting presentation

Questions about the cleanup?

• Contact Ecology project manager John Zinza at (360) 407-6249 or John.Zinza@ecy.wa.gov.
• Contact Metro Parks project manager Roger Stanton at (253) 305-1082 or RogerS@tacomaparks.com.

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