Public comment period open for former K Ply site

Published 4:10 pm Monday, May 18, 2026

PORT ANGELES — The state Department of Ecology has opened a public comment period on a review of cleanup work at the former K Ply mill site on Port Angeles Harbor.

The cleanup is mostly working, but diesel contamination in groundwater is still higher than state standards, according to a news release.

The site, at 439 Marine Drive in Port Angeles, operated as a lumber and plywood mill from 1926 to 2011. A major cleanup in 2016 removed more than 50,000 tons of contaminated soil and included groundwater treatment and monitoring.

Because some pollution was left behind, the Department of Ecology reviews the site about every five years to make sure the cleanup continues protecting people and the environment.

The latest review found diesel contamination underground was not decreasing as quickly as expected and may not meet cleanup goals by the end of 2026, which had been the original target.

The Port of Port Angeles, which owns the property, will continue testing groundwater twice a year while the Department of Ecology decides whether more cleanup work is needed.

Comments can be submitted online at go.ecology.wa.gov/comment28. The comment period closes at 11:59 p.m. June 15.

More information and the draft review are available at the Department of Ecology’s K Ply cleanup webpage at https://tinyurl.com/mr8bek55.

Questions can be addressed by email at connie.groven@ecy.wa.gov.