Superfund Site

Queen City Farms

Background

The 324-acre Queen City Farms site is located 2.5 miles north of Maple Valley, Washington adjacent to the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. The area surrounding the site is semi-rural. From 1955 to 1964 a three-acre area of the site was used for the disposal of industrial hazardous waste. Local industries transported the liquid waste in drums and tanker trucks and discharged them into three onsite ponds. When full, the wastes in the ponds were burned off to create additional capacity.

In 1979, the EPA began to investigate the residual waste, soil, and sediment and found significant concentrations of heavy metals, volatile organic carbon (VOCs), hydrocarbons, and PCBs. The ponds were the primary source of contamination of soil and groundwater at the site.

The most heavily contaminated soils and wastes at the site were excavated and disposed at a hazardous waste facility. Contaminated soils left on the site were consolidated in the area of the former ponds, surrounded by a barrier wall and capped. The capped area is regularly inspected and maintained.

Groundwater affected by the contamination is recovering by monitored natural processes. In 2015, a groundwater extraction and treatment system was constructed in the southeast portion of the site to supplement the natural groundwater recovery. Groundwater will continue to be monitored until groundwater cleanup levels are achieved.

The EPA history and status is found here: Superfund Queen City Farms

2018 Fifth Five Year EPA Review - Report on the current status

2018 Fifth Five Year EPA Review Figures and Maps - Appendix to EPA 2018 Report

Recently, the EPA de-listed the soils of QCF, but will still monitor the contaminated aquifers below. The owners are planning to “restore” the area to it’s original condition by filling in the lake area.

However, our group is concerned that they will fill it, with the expressed purpose to expand the compost facility, or even allow KCSWD to use it possibly for a WTE site. This, of course, is conjecture on our part. But, basically, why would they pay the costs to fill it in just to let it sit?

This is something we need to pay close attention to - watching for permits or other activities that might indicate what they truly intend to do with it. It is also extremely concerning that the aquifers below are still contaminated