April 19, 2000
Officials from King County and Public Health -- Seattle & King County yesterday released preliminary findings showing elevated heavy metal levels in soil on Vashon and Maury islands, and on the coastline of mainland King County, between West Seattle and the southern King County line.
Although King County Executive Ron Sims and Public Health Director Dr. Alonzo Plough expressed concern about possible long-term, low-dose exposure to arsenic and lead, Plough said the conditions pose no immediate danger to humans.
"This is not a health emergency, like during an e.coli outbreak when there is an immediate need for public concern," Plough said. "These preliminary findings tell us that more intensive study should be pursued.
A final report detailing the extent of contamination on the Islands will be released in June. Meanwhile, Public Health will work with the state Departments of Health and Ecology, the EPA, University of Washington, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to plan a course of action, according to King County officials.
Mark Alstead, spokesperson for Public Health, said the agency's first concern is completing the study to determine what percentage of the lead and arsenic detected is organic or inorganic, caused by contamination. Public Health and its health agency partners also will begin immediate screening of children's play areas -- including school grounds, parks and day cares -- to identify potential risk areas.
"The primary health concern now is lead exposure to kids six years old and under," Alstead said. "We will also set up health stations to detect unusual disease clusters, such as cancer, in the area."
Island residents originally raised questions about soil contamination on the islands following a public meeting last year regarding elevated levels of inorganic metals at the Glacier (formerly Lone Star) Mining site. In response, Public Health created a work group comprised of community members and health care officials to design a study to determine the level of arsenic and lead contamination across all of Vashon and Maury Islands.
Health officials believe the contamination originated with the Asarco copper smelting operations in Ruston on the Ruston-Tacoma waterfront. In fact, the preliminary report shows that the highest concentrations of arsenic and lead are found in Maury Island and South Vashon Island, followed by the mainland and North Vashon Island -- which is consistent with earlier studies of fallout from the Asarco smelter plant. The smelter began operations in 1890 and was closed in 1985.
Cleanup of soil arsenic and lead fallout in the Ruston area, called the Tacoma-Ruston Federal Cleanup Site by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, is being conducted according to a site consent decree established in May 1995. However, the decree did not include Maury/Vashon Island or the mainland coastline of southern King County.
Alstead said whether an environmental cleanup will be required on the islands and mainland King County is up to the state Department of Ecology and the EPA.
