The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be doing shoreline maintenance through spring 2024.

Tacoma, WA: The surreal setting of Dune Peninsula Park draws thousands of visitors who find tranquility in prairie grasses blowing in the breeze, sun glimmering off the deep blue of Puget Sound and the sound of water lapping against the shore.

The 11-acre park area, which inspired the 1965 best-selling, environmental sci-fi novel “Dune” and is connected to Point Defiance Park, is a tale of recovery and transformation. It’s also one of protection.

August 14, 2023: Temporary barricades mark off the area undergoing maintenance.

That’s why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is starting work to repair an existing cap built in 2000 to prevent heavy metals from the former Asarco smelter from affecting local communities, wildlife, and water.

“Dune Peninsula quickly earned a place in the heart of Tacoma and we want to do everything possible to care for the park, its surroundings and those who spend time there,” said Joe Brady, Parks Tacoma’ Deputy Director of Regional Parks and Attractions. “We’re grateful for the EPA’s shared commitment in protecting this space not only for the people who love it, but also for the wildlife and sea life that make their homes here.”

Dune Peninsula was built on the ruins of a lead-and-copper smelter that was designated as a Superfund site in 1987 and has since received millions of dollars of investment in cleanup. During construction in 2017, Parks Tacoma and EPA discovered the cap had suffered shoreline damage stemming from storms and earthquakes, which led to the maintenance currently underway.

EPA, in coordination with the US Army Corps of Engineers, will repair the existing cap by keying five feet of rocks along the shoreline to prohibit heavy metals from leaching into the water.

Work will extend from near the Dune Peninsula Echo Dome to the tip of the peninsula. It will be done from a barge in the water during low tides, ensuring minimal disruption to park visitors.

The repair effort will increase the cap thickness to its original design and help prevent erosion of the cap in the future.

Because of the history of this site, Parks Tacoma has the opportunity to receive a federal investment and EPA support ensuring that the shoreline environment is safe. Tidal action means the shoreline is ever changing and this work responds to the dynamic environment in which Dune is situated.

Learn more about Dune Peninsula Park: Dune Peninsula at Pt Defiance Park – Parks Tacoma 

Read the FAQ about this project

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Media Contact:

Stacia Glenn, Public Information Officer/Parks Tacoma
[email protected], (253) 345-0948 

Kristine Koch, Remedial Project Manager/EPA
Koc[email protected], (206) 553-6705