Settlement Reached in 11-Year Toxic Landfill Dispute

By Daniel Hawn

Published on December 28, 2006

Unsafe concentrations of vinyl chloride and other toxic chemicals were found to flow through tribal land purchased from the state.

The Hansville Landfill, which was closed down and sealed off in the early 1990s, was built on three acres of sandy soil southeast of the reservation in 1962. It was operated by the county. Over time, chemicals seeped through the soil and into the reservation’s creeks and streams.

About 300 acres have been contaminated.

The county is paying the tribe $1.53 million of the settlement in order to resolve a potential claim the tribe planned to file. The tribe indicated it plans to use these funds to help pay off a $4.3 million loan it took out in 2004 to purchase 390 acres of land from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

A state investigation is now underway to assess how agencies can best clean up the site and address the toxic chemicals.

There have been no signs of contamination of nearby Port Gamble Bay.

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