Skagit County Community Justice Center Brownfield Redevelopment Project

The Truck City Truck Stop in Mount Vernon, Washington, operated as a gas fueling station, truck scale, and truck wash from 1953 to 2015. Over the years, the truck stop’s operations contaminated the property, ultimately resulting in a brownfield designation. Despite the property’s condition, Skagit County saw an opportunity to redevelop the parcel and construct a new jail facility to replace its existing, overcrowded facility. In February 2015, Skagit County agreed to a Prospective Purchaser Consent Decree (PPCD) with the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) and became the formal owner of the property.

Tasked with investigating and remediating the site before construction of the new jail, now known as Skagit County’s Community Justice Center, Skagit County retained MFA to complete the property cleanup and advance brownfield redevelopment. MFA supported the County in securing a Remedial Action Grant from the Department of Ecology, which was essential for funding the necessary environmental cleanup. In addition, MFA partnered with legal and management teams from both Ecology and Skagit County to draft and finalize the Prospective Purchaser Consent Decree (PPCD), a key legal document governing the site’s cleanup and future use.

MFA managed all phases of the environmental characterization and cleanup work. This included the removal of fuel-containing underground storage tanks, coordinating the demolition of existing buildings with disposal of hazardous building materials, and conducting thorough site characterization and remedy implementation. MFA directed the remediation activities such as soil treatment, in situ enhanced aerobic biodegradation of groundwater, and on-site water treatment. To ensure long-term safety, MFA conducted quarterly groundwater monitoring and designed and installed a vapor barrier and venting system integrated with the foundation of the Community Justice Center, providing a comprehensive environmental solution for the site.

In May 2018, Ecology determined that the site met the requirements of the PPCD and that no further remedial action was necessary at the site. In July 2018, the Skagit County Community Justice Center Brownfield Redevelopment project was presented with the 2018 Governor’s Smart Communities Award in the Smart Projects category for being an exemplary intergovernmental partnership and a successful brownfield redevelopment project. MFA is honored to have been a part of this project.