Jefferson: 11 years of cleanup removes Indian Island Naval Magazine from EPA list

INDIAN ISLAND — The Environmental Protection Agency has removed the Indian Island Naval Magazine from the National Priorities List after 11 years of extensive cleanup.

The priorities list contains about 30 contaminated military sites in the Northwest region, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.

“What this means is that all the work has been done and all the environmental objectives have been met,” said Dan Opalski, director of environmental cleanup for the EPA’s Pacific Northwest region.

“When we delete a site, we’re done with it.”

Indian Island is the second Northwest Naval installation to be removed from the former “Superfund” list, which was created in 1980, Opalski said.

In 1995, the EPA also deleted Whidbey Island Naval Air Station from the priority list after environmental requirements were met there.

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