People in Northeast Tacoma, Fife and on the Tideflats might hear a boom this morning as Port of Tacoma contractors use light explosives on the former Kaiser Aluminum site on the east side of the Blair Waterway.
A licensed explosives technician is scheduled mid morning to detonate a charge to break off a two-inch steel pipe in a water well about 750 feet below the ground. This work is in preparation for decommissioning deep wells on the site that once provided water to the former aluminum plant.
Visitors will be kept away from the site for safety reasons.
History
Activity at Kaiser's Tacoma facility stopped in 2000 after more than 60 years. At full operation, the facility employed 350 and was capable of producing about 73,000 metric tons of aluminum annually.
The Port of Tacoma bought the aluminum smelter in 2003 from the Houston-based company. The sale included about 96 acres and related structures in the Tacoma Tideflats industrial area next to the Blair Waterway.
Under the terms of the sale, the Port took over responsibility for demolition and cleanup. Demolition and cleanup efforts since then have diverted more than 100 million pounds of waste from landfills through recycling and reuse.
The Port plans eventually to develop the site for marine terminal uses.
About the Port of Tacoma
The Port of Tacoma is an economic engine for South Puget Sound, with more than 43,000 family-wage jobs in Pierce County and 113,000 jobs across Washington state connected to Port activities. A major gateway to Asia and Alaska, the Port of Tacoma is among the largest container ports in North America. The Port is also a major center for bulk, breakbulk and project/heavy-lift cargoes, as well as automobiles and trucks.
Contact: Tara Mattina, Port of Tacoma, (253) 428-8674