The Washington Department of Ecology opened its public comment period through March 10 concerning the NuStar Annex Terminal cleanup site. The property, 5420 N.W. Fruit Valley Road, was used for petroleum storage and handling since 1957, and in 2001, then-owner Cenex discovered contaminated soil. That same year, the Department of Ecology was made aware of a gas spill from an underground storage tank. Current operator, NuStar, will potentially be held liable and responsible for cleanup of the site. Cleanup will involve removing the contaminated soil, performing groundwater removal, treating the soil and establishing a management plan. Comments can be submitted through tcp.ecology.commentinput.com/?id=sCWet.

The Department of Ecology ranked the property as having a second-rank risk level out of five, the first indicating the greatest risk to humans and the environment. Pollutants have been contained below the site’s surface and decreased since its original discovery, according to the state department. However, some are still deemed hazardous and must be removed under state law. For a list of detected pollutants and the chemicals’ respective definitions, as well as investigation and action plan documents, visit apps.ecology.wa.gov/cleanupsearch/site/568. Printed materials will be available during the comment period at the Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St.