By Luisa Loi
La Conner Community News
Crews remediating the Whitmarsh Landfill site in Anacortes have excavated what appears to be oil-contaminated soil and material producing a strong odor that, some residents have reported, is making them sick.
The landfill is located on March Point Drive in Anacortes, bordering the northwest corner of the Swinomish Reservation.
Since March, Skagit County and Strider Construction have been excavating and preparing to place a permanent cover over the landfill — which was identified as a source of pollution into Padilla Bay — to keep decades of debris and contaminants away from people and the environment.
Thursday, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community announced on Facebook that it was looking into reports of a strong smell and individuals experiencing irritated eyes, sore throat, nausea and headaches.
The Tribe has been working with the county and the Washington State Department of Ecology to gather more information, but as of Friday, it’s unclear what substances are in the air and whether they pose any health risks.
Previous sample tests collected from the 15-acre landfill showed low levels of pesticides, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (or PCBs), total petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds.
Project Manager and Skagit County Solid Waste Division Manager Margo Gillaspy said the smell varies in intensity depending on the material being excavated, the wind direction and the temperature of the air.
In an email, she wrote that the results from the oily samples should arrive early next week. The excavated material is being covered every night, and nearby residents at the Trading Post have been provided with air purifying filters, with air sampling conducted at those residences, she wrote.
Workers have been wearing photoionization detector meters to measure the volatile organic compounds in the air, which she said have not triggered any alarms as of Friday.
“Due to test pits that have been done previously on the site, we do anticipate this to be a localized problem, and should not be an issue during the entire project,” she wrote. “We hope to be out of this material in 2 weeks.”
When the odor is present, the Tribe advises community members to limit time spent outdoors; use air purifiers with activated charcoal filters, if available; pay attention to any symptoms and seek medical attention if they are severe or get worse.
For health questions, contact Swinomish Public Health Officer Stacey Anderson at 360-770-2086, or Public Health Manager Megan Roorda at 360-391-8580. For environmental questions, contact Environmental Compliance Manager Catey Ritchie at 360-708-2103.
For more information about the Whitmarsh project, visit skagitcounty.net/whitmarsh, or contact Margo Gillaspy at margog@co.skagit.wa.us. Residents may also scan a QR code displayed on the fence of the project.
Luisa Loi is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
