By The Nisqually Valley News staff
The almost cleaned-up Eatonville Landfill, a project that’s been in the works for decades, should look indistinguishable from the rest of the state park around it once cleanup crews remove the waste and contaminated soil, followed by re-establishing vegetation in the disturbed area, a news release from the Washington State Department of Ecology stated.
The land, owned by timber company Weyerhaeuser and formerly operated by the town of Eatonville as a city landfill, is located within the park boundaries of the Nisqually State Park. The park reopens sometime in 2026 and is Washington’s newest state park in more than 40 years, although the park is temporarily closed to complete some construction projects.
The wetland rests at the base of a slope on the south side of the landfill. From the 1950s to 1980, the town of Eatonville leased the land from Weyerhaeuser to dispose of city waste. The unlined and uncovered landfill accepted household waste, car parts, tires and appliances, according to the release.
Since the landfill was on a slope, large items fell into the wetland and got stuck. Cleanup crews have removed waste from the slope and the wetland.
While some of the wetland soil was impacted by petroleum products, the crews will leave the soil alone to naturally degrade. Doing this means the soil isn’t disturbed more than necessary and still acts as an effective environmental solution, the release stated.
The project’s $7.4 million cleanup funding for the landfill came from Ecology, due to the hazardous substance tax. This was a voter-approved tax authorized by the state’s environmental cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act, to pay for cleanups.
Planning how to clean up the landfill started in 2021, with debris excavation starting earlier this year. More than 30,000 cubic yards of waste, or about 40,000 tons, have been removed from the landfill with key collaboration coming from the Nisqually Indian Tribe, Eatonville, Washington State Parks, and Weyerhaeuser.
“These cleanup efforts will bring a wetland ecosystem that connects to the Mashel River back into balance, which is a large part of Ecology’s mission to preserve the environment for future generations,” Sam Meng, clean-up site manager at the Department of Ecology, said. “We’ve appreciated the efforts, leadership and contribution from the Nisqually Indian Tribe and cleanup parties to help make this vision a reality.”
Even though it’s been four years since Ecology’s role came into play during 2021, the agency considers the last few years of cleanup work and progress to be happening at record speed, the release stated.
The Nisqually Indian Tribe has been a powerful mover and supporter of the project, and the designated cleanup parties, Eatonville and Weyerhaeuser, were motivated to move quickly. The Tribe has treaty hunting, gathering and fishing rights in the Nisqually watershed.
“For generations, we have upheld our obligation to protect these waters for the benefit of all who depend on them – human and other-than-human alike,” Ken Choke, chairman of the Nisqually Tribe, said. “The cleanup of this long-polluted site marks a meaningful step forward. Together, we are restoring the land, protecting the river, and ensuring that salmon and future generations can thrive. This is what true partnership and environmental justice look like.”
Since 2020, the town of Eatonville has received $7,343,001 from Ecology to pay for its portion of the cost. According to the Ecology release, this includes funding to study the site, compare options for cleanup, prepare key documents and carry out Ecology’s Cleanup Action Plan.
Ecology is on the seventh step of the nine-step cleanup process, which state law dictates. The eighth step lasts 10 years and requires Ecology to monitor, maintain and review the site over time to make sure the cleanup worked, the release stated. This includes making sure the replanted native plants are growing correctly and that the groundwater and surface water is and stays clean. From there, Ecology gets the chance to remove the site from the Suspected and Contaminated Sites List in 2036 as long as the data shows the clean-up plan has worked.
