Port of Olympia: East Bay sediment testing identifies contamination

A Port of Olympia research team spent several months last year collecting 1100 sediment samples from over 100 locations in East Bay as part of the Port’s investigation to determine the extent of legacy contamination in Budd Inlet from historic industries on the Port Peninsula.

“The data tell us what contaminants are present and where they are concentrated. With this information our project team can develop a cleanup plan that is both effective and long-lasting,” said Port of Olympia Environmental Manager, Jonathon Wolf, who oversees the Budd Inlet Investigation.

Sediment samples were collected from different locations and depths to get a clear picture of sediment conditions:

• Surface samples – from the top layer of mud and debris,
• Intertidal samples – from areas exposed at low tide,
• Subsurface samples – from deeper layers below the surface.

According to the Port, the labs analyzed samples for a wide range of contaminants, including metals, dioxins and furans, PCBs, pesticides, and other chemicals.

The findings confirm that while surface contamination seems to have improved due to natural processes and ongoing efforts by the Port, contamination is still present in deeper areas of East Bay, specifically around Moxley Creek, the navigation channel and Swantown Marina & Boatworks.

Some of these locations will need active cleanup, while other areas may simply need to be monitored to ensure they recover naturally, the Port said.

“While some elevated levels of contamination were found, the majority of the areas tested do not pose a major threat to marine life or human health, and should recover naturally over time,” said Wolf. “These areas will be further clarified by our project team once we complete testing and analysis in other areas of Budd Inlet and develop a comprehensive cleanup plan.”

Sediment testing and analysis will continue in other areas of Budd Inlet through 2026. Once the sediment testing is complete, the project team will work with the Department of Ecology to develop a cleanup plan.

Based on the latest information, the likely cleanup actions will include:

• Dredging (removing contaminated sediment) in areas like Moxlie Creek, the navigation channel and the Marina & Boatworks area,
• Capping (placing clean material over contaminated sediment) natural recovery in areas where dredging isn’t needed,
• Exploring habitat restoration opportunities, such as at West Bay Park Lagoon.