Alondra Villanueva ESS 315 Gas Works Park Alondra Villanueva ESS 315

Site description Gas works park is a 20 acre park located at 2101 n northlake way. Industrial facilities were developed on the site in 1903 and gasification began in 1906

Seattle Gas Light Company – est. 1906 Seattle Gas Light Company opened a gas works plant in 1906 in a location called brown’s point in 1906 The original process of getting energy was to pass steam over superheated coal to produce a cheaper and cleaner hydrogen gas This process required large amounts of fresh water so brown’s point was an ideal location right by lake union

Seattle Gas Light Company – est. 1930s Approximately 30 years after the original establishment of the seattle gas light company, a new gasification process was developed that used crude oil because of its cheaper price than coal In 1906, seattle gas company ceased operations when natural gas became available A tar refinery also operated on the site, refining materials obtained as a by-product of the gas manufacturing process and producing coal tar-based products

Aftermath of Seattle Gas Company After years of water and air pollution filling the environment, the plant closed in 1956 to much relief of nearby residents of wallingford In 1962, the facility was sold to the city of seattle Studies done by the washington state department of ecology and the epa documented sediment contamination in lake union High levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCS), and elevated concentrations of arsenic, copper, lead, zinc, and other metals The property was transferred to the city in 1973 and by the mid-70s, most of the old equipment was removed, park landforms were created, and by-products of the original gas plant were covered with soil

Contaminants Contamination includes: Industrial and commericla activities on the uplands In-water and over-water operations that have caused or resulted in spills and leaks Shoreline extension Storm water discharges Wastewater disposal Other discharges to lake HIGH LEVELS OF: POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) POLYCHLORINATED BYPHENYLS (PCBS) ARSENIC LEAD CHARCOAL COAL-TAR PITCH MERCURY AND OTHER METALS

Gas Works Park A master plan of the park included experimental methods of bioremediation of the site Industrial waste deposits were as thick as nine feet spread across the park over vashon till of glacial origin Unpredictable ground water tables caused layers of oil-filmed water to perch within two feet of ground surface Bioremediation was done by allowing water and air into the soil along with sewage sludge and sawdust, and then sewage sludge, biomass, leaflitter, and free fly ash from a cement factory for the acidic areas Hills keep stormwater flowing, while in valleys where water is allowed to permeate, the process lifts hydrocarbons into active bacterial bio-zone. In this way rainwater engages in the process of cleansing the soil, resulting in a system that constantly revives itself

Gas Works Park (CONT.) The most polluted soil and construction rubble was placed in a large pile to form the base of the Great Mound or Kite Hill, then capped with 18 inches of hard-packed clay This hill helped rainwater flow faster, avoiding the permeation of clay and the disturbed material Topography of rolling hills and valleys were created with the purpose of breaking down pollutants GAS WORKS PARK UNDERWENT AN ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP IN 2000 AND 2001 – TWO FEET OF CLEAN TOPSOIL WAS PLACED OVER A PROTECTIVE BARRIER AND A GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED AND OPERATED FROM 2001 TO 2006

Recent Work in Gas Works Park (FALL/WINTER 2016) ADDITIONAL GROUNDWATER INVESTIGATION WORK TO TAKE PLACE DURING PLAY AREA RENOVATIONS PUGET SOUND ENERGY IS DOING ADDITIONAL INVESTATIONS OF THE CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER TO TELL WHERE THE ARSENIC IS IMPACTING GROUNDWATER UNDER PLAY AREA ELEVATED CONCENTRATIONS OF ARSENIC WERE DETECTED IN SOIL AND GROUNDWATER SAMPLES COLLECTED BENEATH PLAY AREA DURING 2013 SUPPLEMENTAL UPAND INVESTIGATION (NOTE: ARSENIC IS A CONCERN FOR GROUNDWATER BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE PARK, THERE IS NO RISK FOR PARK USERS COMING INTO CONTACT WITH ARSENIC IN-WATER CLEANUP OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN LATE 2018

WORK CITED http://www.lakeunionhistory.org/Gasworks_History.html https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/gsp/Sitepage.aspx?csid=2876 https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/gsp/DocViewer.ashx?did=1550 https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/0303014.pdf Way, T. (2013). Landscapes of industrial excess: A thick sections approach to Gas Works Park. Journal of Landscape Architecture,8(1), 28-39. https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/gsp/SitePageImageHandler.ashx?id=1714 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Gas_Works_pano_01.jpg/100 0px-Gas_Works_pano_01.jpg