oeser co.

730 MARINE DRIVE

The Oeser Company, located in a mixed residential and industrial area of Bellingham, prepares and treats wood poles for utility companies. Most of the approximately 23.5 acre site is used to store treated and untreated logs. The wood-treating plant covers about three acres of the site. Creosote, which contains semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), has been used as a wood treating preservative in the past. Since the 1970's, oil containing pentachlorophenol (PCP) has been the primary wood treating agent. The terrain at the site is relatively flat, but south of the site the terrain drops 30 to 40 feet into a ravine drained by Little Squalicum Creek. The creek is fed by storm water discharges from several outfalls serving a mixed residential and industrial area, including the Oeser Company's facility, and by groundwater. Little Squalicum creek flows into Bellingham Bay, a popular commercial fishery and shellfish harvesting area. Fish and other aquatic species are generally not found in Little Squalicum Creek due, in part, to elevated levels of contaminants from a variety of sources. Migratory birds, including peregrine falcons and bald eagles, and other wildlife make their homes in the area. Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through federal actions.

Hazardous Ranking Score

69 / 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

Contact Region

Subscribe

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

        7,042

        People living
        within a 1 mile radius

        $49,794

        Average Income

        3,047

        Occupied homes

        Potentially Responsible Parties

        Similar Sites

        Add Story

        Stories

        No stories have been submitted for this site.