Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats

NPL Site
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Pierce County, WA

According to the EPA Superfund Enterprise Management System, Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats in Pierce County, WA is listed with NPL status NPL Site. Its Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is 42.20. The public extract catalogs 89 contaminant records for this site. NPL listing is a cleanup-authority designation, not a measured health-risk score.

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Superfund National Priorities List inclusion (status and HRS score shown above) is the EPA's formal designation that a contaminated site qualifies for long-term federal cleanup authority under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). A federal-facility classification means the site is owned or operated by a federal agency, which routes cleanup responsibility differently than a privately owned site.

"Construction Complete" (status shown above) is an EPA milestone marking that the physical remedy work is finished, not that the site has exited EPA oversight; long-term monitoring can continue afterward. Deletion from the NPL is a separate, later step the EPA takes only once it determines every planned response action is finished.

NPL listing is a cleanup-authority designation in the EPA record, not a quantitative health-risk score. HRS scores of 28.50 or above qualify a site for the NPL under the EPA screening model (toxicity, pathways, waste quantity, and affected population factors). For current site conditions and official community notices, see the EPA Regional Superfund profile and the Washington environmental agency.

What is the cleanup status of this Superfund site?

NPL Status
NPL Site
Federal Facility
No
Construction Complete
No
HRS Score
42.20
Deleted from NPL
No

Contaminants

Contaminant Media
4-METHYLPHENOL (P-CRESOL) Sediment
ANILINE Groundwater
ANILINE Soil
ANILINE Surface Water
ANTIMONY Groundwater
ANTIMONY Soil
ANTIMONY Surface Water
ARSENIC Air
ARSENIC Buildings/Structures
ARSENIC Debris
ARSENIC Fish Tissue
ARSENIC Groundwater
ARSENIC Other
ARSENIC Sediment
ARSENIC Soil
ARSENIC Surface Water
BENZENE Groundwater
BENZENE Liquid Waste
BENZENE Soil
BERYLLIUM Groundwater
BERYLLIUM Surface Water
BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL)PHTHALATE Fish Tissue
BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL)PHTHALATE Sediment
CADMIUM Air
CADMIUM Buildings/Structures
CADMIUM Groundwater
CADMIUM Sediment
CADMIUM Soil
CADMIUM Surface Water
CHROMIUM Air
CHROMIUM Groundwater
CHROMIUM(VI) Groundwater
CHROMIUM(VI) Surface Water
COPPER Buildings/Structures
COPPER Groundwater
COPPER Sediment
COPPER Soil
COPPER Surface Water
HEXACHLORO-1,3-BUTADIENE Fish Tissue
HEXACHLORO-1,3-BUTADIENE Sediment
HEXACHLOROBENZENE Fish Tissue
HEXACHLOROBENZENE Sediment
LEAD Air
LEAD Buildings/Structures
LEAD Debris
LEAD Groundwater
LEAD Liquid Waste
LEAD Other
LEAD Sediment
LEAD Soil
LEAD Surface Water
MANGANESE Groundwater
MANGANESE Other
MANGANESE Surface Water
MERCURY Air
MERCURY Groundwater
MERCURY Sediment
MERCURY Soil
MERCURY Surface Water
MINERAL OILS Groundwater
MINERAL OILS Surface Water
N,N-DIPHENYLNITROUS AMIDE Groundwater
N,N-DIPHENYLNITROUS AMIDE Surface Water
NICKEL Air
NICKEL Groundwater
NICKEL Surface Water
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) Fish Tissue
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) Groundwater
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) Liquid Waste
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) Sediment
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) Soil
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) Groundwater
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) Liquid Waste
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) Sediment
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) Soil
SELENIUM Groundwater
SELENIUM Surface Water
SILVER Groundwater
SILVER Soil
SILVER Surface Water
TETRACHLOROETHENE Fish Tissue
TETRACHLOROETHENE Sediment
THALLIUM Soil
THALLIUM Surface Water
ZEARALENONE Buildings/Structures
ZINC Groundwater
ZINC Sediment
ZINC Soil
ZINC Surface Water

Location

City
Pierce County
Coordinates
47.2667, -122.4167

Other Superfund Sites in Washington

Site Name Status HRS Score
ALCOA (Vancouver Smelter) Deleted NPL Site 57.80
American Crossarm & Conduit Co. Deleted NPL Site 30.44
American Lake Gardens/McChord AFB NPL Site 28.90
Bangor Naval Submarine Base NPL Site 55.91
Bangor Ordnance Disposal (USNAVY) NPL Site 30.42
Bonneville Power Administration Ross Complex (USDOE) Deleted NPL Site 53.67
Boomsnub/Airco NPL Site 0.00
Bremerton Gasworks NPL Site 50.00
Centralia Municipal Landfill NPL Site 36.36
Colbert Landfill NPL Site 41.59

How does this site's HRS score compare in Washington?

Of the 69 Washington Superfund sites with a scored Hazard Ranking System (HRS) evaluation, Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats ranks #39 by score (42.20).

Either side of it: Pacific Car & Foundry Co. (42.33), McChord Air Force Base (Wash Rack/Treatment Area) (42.24), Colbert Landfill (41.59), Toftdahl Drums (40.22)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats Superfund site?
Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats is an active National Priorities List (NPL) Superfund site located in Pierce County, WA. It has a Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score of 42.20 (rank #39 of 69 scored Washington sites). Superfund sites are contaminated locations identified by the EPA for long-term cleanup under CERCLA.
What does NPL listing mean for Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats?
According to the EPA, National Priorities List (NPL) listing designates a site for long-term federal Superfund cleanup authority. It is a programmatic status in the Superfund Enterprise Management System, not a quantitative health-risk score for nearby residents. Construction-complete status is not marked in the EPA record for this site. Site-specific conditions and community guidance are published by EPA Regional Superfund offices and the relevant state environmental agency.
What is the HRS score for Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats?
Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats's Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is 42.20, placing it #39 of 69 Washington Superfund sites with a scored HRS evaluation. Sites with a score of 28.50 or greater qualify for the NPL; the model weighs contaminant toxicity, waste quantity, release likelihood, and affected population, and is not a community health diagnosis.
What contaminants are at the Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats site?
The EPA public Superfund extract catalogs 89 contaminants at Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats, documented through the remedial investigation process. Counts reflect listed records in that extract, not a complete inventory of every substance ever present.
What is the cleanup status of Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats?
Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats is currently NPL Site on the National Priorities List. The EPA Superfund cleanup process includes phases from preliminary assessment through post-construction completion.

NPL listing is a cleanup-authority designation in the EPA record, not a quantitative health-risk score. See Superfund Sites Explained for how the National Priorities List, Hazard Ranking System, and cleanup phases work.

Related

Data sourced from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro