The Goldendale Aluminum Smelter has sat abandoned on the Columbia River’s banks since 2003. Now, developers want to build a massive new energy project there that could power a city the size of Seattle. Before they can build it, they must help clean up contaminants that have been sitting in the soil for decades.
The Goldendale Energy Storage Project, built by Rye Development, would consist of an upper and lower pool. Water pumped between the two pools could store about the amount of energy as the Bonneville Dam can produce.
Lawmakers have pushed to quickly build the energy storage project to meet the Northwest's growing energy demands, including an influx of data centers that rely on inexpensive power. In fact, planning for a new data center at the old smelter site is also underway, though it's unclear if the two projects are connected.
Removing decades-old contamination
As part of the energy project’s federal license, developers will help pay to get rid of soil and groundwater contamination at the site and provide additional staff and equipment. Washington regulators say that will fast-track the work.
“ This cleanup needs to happen regardless of what development happens on the site because there are contaminants left over,” said Emily Tasaka, a spokesperson for the Department of Ecology.
The department has come up with a draft plan for the area where the energy storage project will be built. People can provide written comments through June 16.
An online public hearing will take place on June 3. RSVPs are required.
“The idea is that as early as January of next year, they dispose of and excavate the waste,” Tasaka said.
That waste would be moved to a landfill that can handle these types of contaminants. No landfills in Washington state can accept this type of waste, she said. An out-of-state landfill hasn’t been named yet.
“(Project developers) would be responsible for excavating and disposing of hazardous waste from the former on-site landfill,” Tasaka said.
That’s not typically required, she said. The cleanup will be “more expansive” because of the extra resources provided by Rye Development.
Yakama Nation concerns
The former smelter is about a mile from a treaty fishing access site.
The Yakama Nation has fought the Goldendale Energy Storage Project, noting both the upper and lower pools could cause irreversible damage to cultural sites and sacred resources. According to the tribe, the energy project will continue to exploit their resources.
The tribe plans to review the cleanup plan and submit comments to the department.
This draft cleanup plan is only about the aluminum smelter cleanup, not the licensing or development of the energy storage project, Tasaka said.
The entire smelter cleanup will be divided into three parts, Tasaka said. The first part is the area where the Goldendale Energy Storage Project will build its lower pool. A second area is expected to be used by the company STACK Infrastructure, which is seeking to build a data center on the former smelter site. The state would need to clean up the final contaminated portion of the site, which is not slated for any development.
The department plans to hold a public comment period for the additional two sections at a later date. Those comment periods are expected later in 2026 and in 2027.
“Our number one priority is restoring the environment and removing toxic chemicals left over from the facility,” said Peter Lyon in a statement. Lyon manages Ecology’s industrial permitting program, which is responsible for regulating cleanup work at the site.
