Thermal Desorption Soil Treatment at Astoria Plywood - Astoria, OR

This thermal desorption soil treatment project was located in Astoria, Oregon. Astoria Plywood operated from a 20-acre site at 409 23rd Street in Astoria from the early 1950s to 1991, producing finished plywood. The corporation declared bankruptcy in 1991, and its assets were auctioned off in January 1993. The on-site buildings were stripped and left partially demolished.

In September 1995, the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) conducted an investigation to determine the extent of soil, sediment and groundwater contamination at the site. The ODEQ decided on-site thermal desorption soil treatment was the best treatment option.

A removal action was conducted for the ODEQ at the site in late August 1996, excavating and treating (using low temperature thermal desorption) approximately 6,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sediment. The removal action also included the extraction and proper disposal of approximately 4,500 gallons of oil and diesel from the groundwater, and the off-site incineration of an additional 17 capacitors that were uncovered during the excavation. The removal action was completed in October 1996.

Project Performance

Following the Department of Environmental Quality's risk assessment, the site was developed into Mill Pond Village, a mixed retail and residential community. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality cited excellent work on the project. The ODEQ Project Manager wrote that the project was instrumental in the ODEQ obtaining an award from the City of Astoria for the cleanup.