Lower Duwamish Waterway

NPL Site
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Seattle, WA

According to the EPA Superfund Enterprise Management System, Lower Duwamish Waterway in Seattle, WA is listed with NPL status NPL Site. Its Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is 50.00. The public extract catalogs 49 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
50.00
Deleted from NPL
No

Contaminants

Contaminant Media
1,2,4-TRICHLOROBENZENE Sediment
1,2-DICHLOROBENZENE Sediment
1,2-DIHYDROACENAPHTHYLENE Sediment
1,4-DICHLOROBENZENE Sediment
2,4-DIMETHYLPHENOL Sediment
2-METHYLNAPHTHALENE Sediment
4-METHYLPHENOL (P-CRESOL) Sediment
9H-FLUORENE Sediment
ANTHRACENE Sediment
ARSENIC Fish Tissue
ARSENIC Sediment
BENZO(B)FLUORANTHENE Sediment
BENZO(GHI)PERYLENE Sediment
BENZO(K)FLUORANTHENE Sediment
BENZO[A]ANTHRACENE Sediment
BENZO[A]PYRENE Sediment
BENZOIC ACID Sediment
BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL)PHTHALATE Sediment
BUTYL BENZYL PHTHALATE Sediment
CADMIUM Sediment
CARCINOGENIC POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (cPAH) Fish Tissue
CARCINOGENIC POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (cPAH) Sediment
CHLORINATED DIOXINS AND FURANS Fish Tissue
CHLORINATED DIOXINS AND FURANS Sediment
CHROMIUM Sediment
CHRYSENE Sediment
COPPER Sediment
DIBENZO(A,H)ANTHRACENE Sediment
DIBENZOFURAN Sediment
DIMETHYL PHTHALATE Sediment
FLUORANTHENE Sediment
HEXACHLOROBENZENE Sediment
INDENO(1,2,3-CD)PYRENE Sediment
LEAD Sediment
MERCURY Sediment
N,N-DIPHENYLNITROUS AMIDE Sediment
NAPHTHALENE Sediment
PENTACHLOROPHENOL Sediment
PHENANTHRENE Sediment
PHENOL Sediment
PHENYLMETHANOL Sediment
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) Fish Tissue
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) Sediment
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT (HPAHS) Sediment
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT (LPAHS) Sediment
PYRENE Sediment
SILVER Sediment
TOTAL BENZOFLUORANTHENES Sediment
ZINC Sediment

Location

City
Seattle
Coordinates
47.5101, -122.2929

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, Lower Duwamish Waterway ranks #20 by score (50.00).

Either side of it: Jackson Park Housing Complex (USNAVY) (50.00), Lockheed West Seattle (50.00), Makah Reservation Warmhouse Beach Dump (50.00), Midnite Mine (50.00)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site?
Lower Duwamish Waterway is one of the higher hazard-ranked Superfund sites EPA tracks in Washington (HRS 50.00, rank #20 of 69 scored sites in the state), located in Seattle, WA. Superfund sites are contaminated locations identified by the EPA for long-term cleanup under CERCLA; a higher HRS rank reflects the EPA's scoring model, not a certified danger level.
What does NPL listing mean for Lower Duwamish Waterway?
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 Lower Duwamish Waterway?
Lower Duwamish Waterway's Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is 50.00, placing it #20 of 69 Washington Superfund sites with a scored HRS evaluation -- among the higher-scored sites in the state. 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 Lower Duwamish Waterway site?
The EPA public Superfund extract catalogs 49 contaminants at Lower Duwamish Waterway, 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 Lower Duwamish Waterway?
Lower Duwamish Waterway 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