Site Description: Vermiculite NW, Inc. expansion plant, Spokane, WA

The former Vermiculite NW expansion plant site in Spokane, WA, comprises approximately 1.5 acres in an area with a mix of commercial and residential land uses. In general, housing is present directly to the north and south of the facility, with commercial properties situated to the east and west.

The nearest housing to the south of the plant is about 40 meters away. Houses to the north are situated on a steep, 25-foot-high bluff about 100 meters from the former plant. Historical aerial photographs show that little has changed since the 1950s with regard to land use in the area surrounding the former vermiculite expansion facility.

The site is currently owned by Spokane County, and a chain link fence around the perimeter restricts access. The building that housed the vermiculite expansion furnace was razed in the mid-1990s, and other warehouse buildings were demolished in November of 2002.

The only remaining building from the Vermiculite NW facility is a small structure once used as office space. This building has been recently vacated and sits outside the fenced area.

Courtesy of the Washington Department of Health