Paradise Inn UST De-commissioning, Mt. Rainier National Park, Paradise, WA; Watts Construction for the National Park Service
During a planned re-design and construction of the Paradise Inn, the main lodge in Mt. Rainier National Park at Paradise, Washington, it was found that two underground storage tanks (USTs) and some related lines that supply heating oil to the facility were leaking. White Shield assisted Watts Construction and the National Park Service in overseeing the removal of the tanks and remediation of the project site. The regulatory agency responsible for this project was the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD). Evidence of impacted soil was found around the UST fill ports, and in the already excavated area underneath the Paradise Inn dining room. Odors of impacted soils were also reported by personnel on-site east of the north-south oriented portion of the inn, and demolition of a sump in the boiler room needed to be halted when it was found to be partially filled with free-liquid heating oil. Further removal of piping underneath the building was determined to increase the likelihood of unintended spillage, due to the many yards of intertwined supply pipes. TPCHD concluded that careful abandonment with the pipes being drained and capped was the most reasonable solution, and was left to National Park Service and Project Manager discretion. The tanks will be pumped and stabilized for transportation to the Kautz Creek storage area to be cut and cleaned before transportation out of the park.
