Located in northeast King County, Skykomish supported maintenance and fueling operations for the BNSF Railway beginning in the 1890s. Then a bustling railroad town, trains stopped for refueling before making the long climb over Steven's Pass. In 1974, the railroad operations in Skykomish were significantly reduced, with the closure of the town's railway depot. Today, more than 20 trains pass through Skykomish each day along BNSF's main line, and Skykomish is the site for staging of snow removal equipment and other track maintenance operations.
Historic activities in Skykomish resulted in the release of oil and heavy metals into the environment, contaminating surface soils and groundwater. The contamination has spread under the town through the groundwater, and into the Skykomish River. For a number of years, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and BNSF Railway Company have been working with the Town of Skykomish to determine the most effective approach for cleaning up the contamination. In June 2006, work will begin to excavate portions of the existing levee and nearby upland areas. This work is the first step in implementing cleanup, and Ecology and BNSF are working on plans for cleaning up the remainder of the contaminated area.
In 2007, BNSF Railway and the Department of Ecology completed the first phase of a significant environmental cleanup in Skykomish. Beginning in June 2006, this Interim Action involved excavating and restoring sections of the Town’s flood control levee and nearby upland areas, and removing contaminated Skykomish River sediments.
Cleanup activities will continue to have a significant impact on the town and local community. The community is actively being consulted for their input on cleanup activities and is kept informed throughout the development and implementation of the cleanup plans. During cleanup, representatives from BNSF and Ecology will be available to receive and respond to comments and concerns from the community and the public.
