boomsnub/airco

7608 NORTHEAST 47TH STREET

The Boomsnub/Airco site covers approximately 49 acres in a light industrial and residential area of Vancouver, Washington. Boomsnub, a 0.75 acre former metal plating facility, and Airco (known as BOC Gases), an 11 acre active compressed gas manufacturing plant, have been combined into one site because contamination from the two facilities resulted in a commingled ground-water plume covering 37 acres that is contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and chromium. The soils at the Boomsnub site became contaminated with chromium as a result of improper handling and disposal of the waste from metal plating operations during the facility's operations from 1967 to June 1994. In late 1989, a water line break released 300,000 gallons of water which likely contributed to the release of chromium to the ground water. In 1991, the State of Washington conducted an investigation of the Boomsnub site which showed the presence of VOCs in the ground-water monitoring wells. The VOCs detected in the groundwater, however, do not appear to be associated with Boomsnub's operations. BOC Gases has been in operation at its location since 1964, manufacturing compressed gas products, including liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, and liquid argon. BOC Gases is the source of the VOC contamination. The contaminated ground-water plume overlies the Troutdale aquifer, a regional drinking water source. Clark Public Utilities' wells, which are at risk from the chromium and VOC plume, provide drinking water to more than 60,000 people.

Hazardous Ranking Score

0 / 100

A score of 28.5 or higher qualifies a site for the Superfund National Priority List.

Regional Contact

Region 10
Phone: (800) 424-4372

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Timeline

Discovery
Site Inspection
Preliminary Assessment
Final Listing On NPL
Removal

Contaminants & Health Effects

      Carcinogen
      Endocrine Disrupter
      Neurotoxic
      Sensitiser
      Reproductive Toxin
      Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic
      VOC
      Mutagen

        Census

        White
        African American
        Asian
        American Indian and Alaska Native
        Native Hawaiian
        Other

        7,565

        People living
        within a 1 mile radius

        $55,443

        Average Income

        2,671

        Occupied homes

        Potentially Responsible Parties

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