WALLA WALLA, Wash.- UPDATE. OCTOBER 16. Representatives from the Department of Ecology, the City of Walla Walla, Walla Walla Fire Department, Clean Harbors and Aspect Consulting met on Monday, October 16 to discuss the ongoing response to a gasoline leak under the Whitman Hotel.
According to a press release on the cleanup efforts, the City of Walla Walla’s main priority is reopening 2nd Avenue to traffic as soon as possible, hopefully sometime later this week.
The monitoring of Mill Creek is also ongoing and so far no signs of any contamination have been detected.
Contaminated groundwater continues to be pumped from monitoring wells according to the City of Walla Walla, with filtered water continuously being discharged into the wastewater treatment system.
OCTOBER 13. Drilling at new sites as part of the ongoing cleanup after a gas leak under the Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla will likely cause more road closures.
According to the latest update from the City, temporary closures to streets in the area, including Rose Street may be necessary.
Contaminated groundwater continues to be pumped out and discharged into Walla Walla’s wastewater treatment system.
OCTOBER 11, 7:09 p.m. According to the latest update from the City of Walla Walla, the Marcus Whitman Hotel will reopen Oct. 12.
Clean Harbors has continued to recover contaminated groundwater.
According to the City of Walla Walla, around 15 gallons of filtered water is being discharged at the Walla Walla wastewater treatment system.
A statement was released by the Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center’s PR firm,
“Thank you to our guests, our team members, and the local community for your patience and understanding during this time. We would also like to thank the City of Walla Walla, the Walla Walla Fire Department, Clean Harbors, and the Department of Ecology for your partnership as we worked to ensure the health and safety of our community.”
UPDATE OCTOBER 10, 6:24 p.m. According to the latest update from the City of Walla Walla, The Post Office has reopened
Pumping operations are continuing at two of the monitoring wells.
According to the city of Walla Walla, the incident management team is currently planning next steps to open the Marcus Whitman Hotel.
A temporary ventilation system will be used in the basement of the Post Office to ensure safe conditions.
UPDATE. OCTOBER 6 8:00 p.m. According to the latest update from the City of Walla Walla, the Walla Walla Post Office will reopen.
The Walla Walla Post Office is scheduled to reopen Tuesday, oct. 10 at 8:00 a.m.
Retail operations will resume from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. And 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
According to the information provided by USPS, “Customer and employee safety is the top priority of the Postal Service. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank our customers for their patience and understanding during the closure.”
OCTOBER 6 1:00 p.m. Up to 25 gallons of filtered water has been approved for discharge into the wastewater system according to the latest update on the gas leak situation under the Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla.
In total 1,900 gallons were discharged on October 5 according to the City. Clean Harbors is expected to continue filtering water through a six-stage system on October 6.
According to the Washington Department of Ecology Clean Harbors pumped about 2,000 gallons of contaminated water from two monitoring wells on October 5, and approximately 3,000 gallons from the sumps in the 106 building and the Marcus Whitman Hotel.
OCTOBER 5. According to the latest update from The City of Walla Walla, water testing results have come back.
On Wednesday, the Department of Ecology received the results of water testing samples. The water was processed through a filtering system and came back as “non-detect for BTX” according to the City of Walla Walla.
This result means that no traces of gasoline contamination were found. Water will now be sent to the Wastewater Treatment Plant with approval from the Walla Walla public works staff.
Clean Harbors continues to pump from two of the monitoring wells.
According to the City of Walla Walla, 3,000 gallons a day have been pumped from the Marcus Whitman Hotel and the building located at 106 North 2nd Avenue.
The City of Walla Walla is advising that the pumping operations may require closures of small sections of Rose Street and 2nd Avenue.
The closures will likely not be announced by the city. According to the City of Walla Walla, the closures will be temporary.
The Marcus Whitman Hotel is planning to reopen to guests on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
The Walla Walla post office will continue to operate out of its temporary location in West Richland.
UPDATE. October 4. According to the latest update from the City of Walla Walla the incident response is transitioning from a safety response to environmental investigation and cleanup.
Clean Harbors crews are now introducing fresh air into the basement of the Marcus Whitman Hotel with additional equipment and the basement has been sealed off from the rest of the building.
The City of Walla Walla Building Official has issued a conditional certificate of occupancy that allows the Whitman to be occupied as long as current conditions are maintained.
According to Walla Walla’s latest updates hotel staff are currently working on a timetable for reopening
Samples from the water pumped out of the basement of the hotel are continuously being tested for contamination. When tests show no contamination the water will be disposed of at the Walla Walla Wastewater Treatment Plant.
September 29. Fingerprint analysis of the gasoline samples from the recent gas leak under the Marcus Whitman Hotel have been received by the Department of Ecology.
The DOE is now working with the involved parties to determine the next steps in the cleanup process according to an update from the City of Walla Walla.
The response team is currently discussing methods for recovering and containing the gas.
According to the City of Walla Walla an active carbon filtration system is expected to be operational by September 30 to treat impacted water that has been recovered.
No traces of unsafe particles or conditions have been detected in the area around the Whitman Hotel.
SEPTEMBHER 28 11:17 p.m. The Washington Department of Ecology is continuing to monitor the gasoline investigation.
According to the City of Walla Walla,, Three monitoring wells have been drilled around the source for potential extraction points.
Approximately 20,000 gallons of gasoline and groundwater have been recovered from the basement of the Marcus Whitman hotel.
SEPTEMBER 26 11:05 p.m. According to the City of Walla Walla, the source of the gasoline contamination has been determined.
The Washington Department of Ecology placed Red Tags or a Delivery Prohibition Notice on the underground storage tank belonging to the Chevron Station located on East Rose Street in Walla Walla.
Tightness testing was conducted by Northwest Tank on the lines and tanks for all gas types at the Chevron and Circle K on North 2nd Avenue.
initial tests showed that lines passed the precision tests, However, based on the contamination in the area the Department of Ecology required that Chevron empty all tanks within 24 hours.
A site check will then be conducted within 30 days.
According to the city of Walla Walla the owner of the Chevron has been very cooperative with the investigation.
The Walla Walla Fire Department has given control of the incident to the Department of Ecology as the source has finally been determined.
UPDATE: September 25, 3:12 p.m. According to the City of Walla Walla, the gasoline investigation is still ongoing.
According to the City of Walla Walla, over the weekend GeoEngineers and the Washington State Department of Ecology and Clean Harbors drilled wells along 2nd Avenue and Rose Street.
Wells were also drilled near the Walla Walla Post Office, and the building at 106 North 2nd Avenue.
According to the City of Walla Walla, six monitoring wells were drilled.
Readings at two of the wells showed significant levels of contamination.
According to the city of Walla Walla, preliminary tests showed that the gasoline was not from a decommissioned storage tank in the area.
Finger Print analysis is now being done on the samples collected to determine the specific chemical makeup of the gasoline.
Fingerprint analysis is also being done on samples collected from gasoline tanks at the Chevron and Circle K stations.
According to the City of Walla Walla, results from the tests should be available on Thursday, September 28.
Testing at the Circle K and Chevron stations will be done on Tuesday, September 26.
According to the City of Walla Walla, the tests done on the samples taken from the monitoring wells and gasoline tanks should identify the source of the gasoline.
After the source is identified, teams will begin cleaning up the contaminated areas and ending the contamination.
The City of Walla Walla continues to provide updates on the City website.
UPDATE: September 24 – The City of Walla Walla updated its road closure map as it continues drilling operations.
The Walla Walla Fire Department has reopened Rose Street and 2nd Street from Rose to Main.
Contaminants continue to accumulate in the basement of 106 North Second Avenue which the Clean Harbor crew continues to pump out.
UPDATE: September 23 – In an update from the City of Walla Walla, drilling operations resumed today to determine the boundaries of the underground gasoline plume.
New road closures have been put in place by the Walla Walla Fire Department. The full map can be seen below.
WWFD is continuing to monitor the air quality and has not detected any changes.
UPDATE: September 22 – Samples of gasoline from storage tanks near the Whitman Hotel have been delivered to a lab in Portland for forensic analysis.
The testing will determine the chemical makeup of the gas and potentially aid in determining its origin according to a daily update on the ongoing situation from the City of Walla Walla.
Two more wells were dug on September 21 and more wells and hole testing will be ongoing throughout the weekend.
According to the Walla Walla 3/4″ holes will be drilled through the sidewalk to detect and measure volatile organic compounds.
Ventilation and pumping procedures at the Whitman are also ongoing and air quality and ground water continues to be tested, with no evidence of any further contamination according to the City.
UPDATE September 21 – Two inspection wells were drilled on Wednesday, September 20 and crews are now working to line them with sand, clay and concrete, as testing and cleanup efforts continue following a gas leak under the Whitman Hotel on September 14.
Once the wells are lined they will be used to collect samples of groundwater for continued analysis according to the City of Walla Walla.
Up to four more wells are expected to be dug and surveyed to determine the direction the groundwater is flowing in and to ultimately determine the source of the gas leak.
According to the city pumping operations from the two sumps in the basement of the Whitman Hotel are ongoing as they continue to collect water.
Samples from nearby gas stations are being taken to Portland for “fingerprint analysis” according to the City, which can determine its chemical makeup and origin.
The Walla Walla Fire Department continues to monitor air quality and the surrounding buildings and the EPA and Clean Harbors continue to monitor and observe the situation and detection efforts.
UPDATE: September 20 Walla Walla Fire Department officials have set up an incident action plan following a gasoline leak into the basement of the Whitman Hotel on September 14.
According to the City of Walla Walla the purpose of the action plan is to identify the source of the gasoline and to ensure the Marcus Whitman Hotel is safe for reoccupation.
Clean Harbors and Department of Ecology staff are performing drilling to depths of up to 25 feet to determine the extent of the gasoline leak and the City of Walla Walla will continue to provide updates on the situation online.
WWFD continues to perform regular testing of all the buildings in the area — both north and south of Rose Street. According to the City the continued testing has not detected the presence of high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or LELs (lower explosive limits) in any new areas.
The Marcus Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla was evacuated Thursday, Sept. 14 after the Walla Walla Fire Department received reports of “volatile chemical” odors.
UPDATE: September 17, 7:45 p.m. According to a press release from the City of Walla Walla, with help from the Department of Ecology, Clean Harbors were able to complete two successful pumping operations, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Containment material was removed from the sump and vault found in the Hotel’s basement. There were no notable spikes in volatile organic compounds in the area.
According to the press release, pumping operations could resume tomorrow, September 18, following a stakeholders meeting.
Walla Walla Fire Department reported no adverse readings as they continued to monitor the areas.
UPDATE: September 17, 1:25 p.m. According to a press release from the City of Walla Walla, Clean Harbors Environmental Services discovered what appears to be pure gasoline in a 10 foot-deep sump found in the Marcus Whiteman Hotel basement.
It is suspected that the apparent gasoline came from a 10,000 gallon tank of regular unleaded fuel belonging to the Chevron gas station across the street at 7 E. Rose St.
There is no pipeline connection between the gas station equipment and the hotel.
According to the press release, there is no indication that this substance has entered Walla Walla’s waterways of underground utility infrastructure.
During Saturday night, September 16, the gasoline from the suspected tank was pumped out into a separate tank at the Chevron location. Once the suspected tank is empty, it will be tightness tested by a contractor to identify any leaks.
A timeline for this testing has not been determined.
Clean Harbor crews are preparing to pump the suspected gasoline out of the hotel’s basement. Pneumatic pumping equipment will be used to eliminate the possibility of the fuel igniting.
The apparent gasoline will be transferred to IBC totes and then transported to a frac truck parked on 2nd Avenue adjacent to the hotel.
This operation has a safety plan established. During the extraction, air-quality monitors in the hotel and on the street will be working to detect concentration of volatile organic compounds. If monitors detect hazardous levels, alarms will sound and crews will immediately halt their operation.
A Walla Walla Fire Department crew and the Washington State Department of Ecology are on scene to provide additional assistance if needed.
Crews will monitor the what happens in the basement’s sump as the material is extracted and determine the next course of action based on what they find. There is no estimated timeline for this pumping operation.
According to the press release, there is no immediate threat to the community.
2nd Avenue between Cherry and Rose street is closed to vehicles and pedestrians along with Sumach Street between Rose and Colville Street.
Customers wishing to access the Post Office can use the sidewalk on the south side of Sumach Street.
Those who don’t need access to the Post Office or the Chevron store are asked to avoid the area.
September 16 11:50 a.m. Street and sidewalk closures were reduced by the Walla Walla Fire Department as responders continue to ventilate the hotel’s basement.
The City of Walla Walla said nearby businesses and residents are in no danger and businesses can operate with no restrictions.
The source of the gasoline contamination is still under investigation.
September 15 5:04 p.m. According to the City of Walla Walla, ventilation of the Marcus Whitman basement has cleared most of the gasoline-like smell.
The Department of Ecology is still working to investigate the area around the hotel to find the source and reason for the smell.
According to the City of Walla Walla there is no immediate danger to businesses in the area.
to exercise extreme caution the DOE investigation is still ongoing. The WWFD has placed the hotel and immediate surrounding area under level 1 evacuation notices.
The streets around the hotel remain closed to vehicles while the investigation continues.
September 15 10:00 a.m. Ventilation of the Marcus Whitman basement is ongoing after a chemical odor was detected on the night of September 14.
According to the City of Walla Walla the situation is being monitored by Clean Harbor and readings of compound levels in the air have not increased overnight.
City crews and utilities are checking all underground utilities in the area and the State Department of Ecology is expected to arrive on Friday, September 15 and formulate a plan for identifying the odor according to the City.
The streets around the hotel remain closed and residents are being asked to avoid the area. The Chevron convenience store at 7 E. Rose St. is open, but the gas pumps are turned off.
The City of Walla Walla will continue to provide updates on the situation on its website.
10:00 p.m. According to the city of Walla Walla, crews will remain on scene overnight to search for the source of the smell.
An update is anticipated around 9:00 a.m. on Friday September 15.
8:11 p.m. According to Brendon Koch, City of Walla Walla Communications manager, North second Avenue and North 3rd avenue between West Cherry Street and West Main Street are closed.
7:35 p.m. According to the City of Walla Walla, crews from the Washington State Department of Ecology and Clean Harbor are on site.
The DOE has confirmed initial reads causing unsafe conditions.
The source has been narrowed down, but not yet determined.
However, the DOE has confirmed that the source of the smell is not propane of natural gas.
A cleanup company contracted by the Marcus Whitman hotel is currently working to ventilate the basement.
ORIGINAL COVERAGE:
According to the City of Walla Walla an evacuation is underway at the Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center.
The Walla Walla Fire Department received reports that the basement of the Marcus Whitman Hotel had a chemical odors.
Readings indicate potentially unsafe conditions in the basement.
A source of the smell has not been located.
WWFD is working with the department of ecology to provide assistance.
The building is currently being evacuated in an exercise of caution.
Crews are asking the public to avoid the area if possible.
