Dep. of Ecology plans cleanup at Seattle’s Gas Works Park

Gas Works Park at the north end of Lake Union was the former site of its namesake gas manufacturing plant, which caused considerable environmental damage to the area. Now the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) is looking into cleaning that contamination up.

In a public meeting Wednesday, the DOE is looking to get community feedback on the ongoing cleanup efforts at Gas Works Park.

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The plant was constructed in 1907 and operated until 1956, providing fuel for the growing population of Seattle, which contaminated the soil and groundwater around the lake’s edge.

Contaminants present are from former upland industrial operations and include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic, nickel, carbazole, and dibenzofuran

Previous cleanup work was done in 1971 and 2020 in the park itself, but now more work remains to be done on the shoreline and the water. Current proposals look to remove contaminated shoreline soil, treat the groundwater, and increase monitoring along the edge of the water.

The City of Seattle estimates that the project will cost around $74 million for the work. Around half of that is eligible for reimbursement by the state through the DOE’s remedial action grant program.

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The public meeting is hosted virtually at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, and experts will answer community questions about the project. The public comment process for the project will end July 20, and an action plan is expected to be finalized by the fall.

Construction on the project will begin sometime in 2027.