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 began to excavate portions of the existing levee and nearby upland areas. Significant environmental cleanup work was completed in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and more cleanup work is schedule for 2010.
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.
Click below for a summary of each year’s cleanup: 2006 2007 2008 2009
