Preparing for cleanup at Eastside Fire & Rescue in Issaquah

There is a proposal for early cleanup actions at the Issaquah headquarters of Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R), and we’d like to hear your thoughts about the plan. 

What are PFAS and why are they at EF&R Headquarters? PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a family of thousands of man-made chemicals, which don’t break down naturally and are linked to negative health impacts. They originate from a variety of different products, including aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), a type of foam that fire departments have used for decades to fight fires started by oil, gasoline, or other flammable liquids. 

AFFF was used for required training activities at EF&R Headquarters up until 2017, and it contaminated soil and groundwater with high levels of PFAS. A 2018 Washington law now prohibits fire departments from training with these foams, while existing stock can still legally be used to fight fires. We’ve created a program to help fire departments safely dispose of these foams, but we’re also working to clean up sites that are already polluted.

The EF&R Headquarters is part of the Eastside Fire & Rescue Headquarters and Issaquah Valley Elementary School (EF&R HQ IVES) cleanup site, which has impacted two drinking water systems, the City of Issaquah and the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District. Both have taken steps to make sure their water is safe to drink.

In 2021, at the EF&R Headquarters, a pilot test was performed to treat PFAS in groundwater. It involved injecting 12,000 pounds of colloidal activated carbon into the ground to form a Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB). As groundwater flows through the barrier, the carbon captures the PFAS, preventing it from leaving the area and causing more widespread groundwater contamination. The results were positive, showing significant declines in PFAS concentrations in groundwater that had moved through the PRB. 

The cleanup site is still being studied to fully understand the extent of PFAS contamination. However, the high concentrations of PFAS in the soil and groundwater at the EF&R Headquarters will be dealt with sooner rather than waiting until later. Therefore, we’re preparing an interim action or early partial cleanup to prevent the PFAS from causing more contamination to groundwater. Here’s the plan:

• Some soil will be excavated and disposed of at a landfill, while other soil will be mixed with activated carbon amendments. The carbon will act like a sponge and capture PFAS from the groundwater flowing through it.
• The existing Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) will be expanded—more colloidal activated carbon will be injected into the ground to catch PFAS in groundwater at the site.
• The groundwater will be checked regularly to make sure PFAS levels protect human health and the environment.

Public comment period 

To learn more about the actions we’re taking to reduce PFAS contamination, we encourage you to get involved. A 60-day public comment period for this site opens 12 a.m., Monday, Oct. 20, 2025 and closes 11:59 p.m., Monday, Dec. 22, 2025.

We invite you to review the following documents online or at the Issaquah Public Library:

Please provide your feedback and comment in one of three ways:

1. Comment online
2. Email a comment to Vance.Atkins@ecy.wa.gov
3. Mail a comment to: 

   Vance Atkins, Site Manager
   WA Department of Ecology
   PO Box 330316
   Shoreline, WA 98133-9716

Join our open house 

Drop in during a two-hour open house to speak with staff from the City of Issaquah, EF&R, and Ecology about this cleanup site. While no formal presentation is planned, handouts and visuals will be available, and conversations are welcome.

The open house is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. Join us:

• In-person: Eastside Fire & Rescue, 175 Newport Way NW, Issaquah
• Online: Visit our registration page