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Precision Castparts Corp.

Precision Castparts Corp., or PCC, produces nickel-based superalloy, titanium, stainless steel and aluminum castings for aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines. PCC has three facilities in the Portland area – Large Parts Campus, Small Parts Business Operations and Deer Creek Campus.  

  • PCC Large Parts Campus is located in Milwaukie at 4600 SE Harney Dr. The campus is located in both Multnomah and Clackamas counties. An alternative address is 5001 SE Johnson Creek Blvd.
  • PCC Small Parts Business Operations is located in Clackamas at 12240 SE 84 Ave.
  • PCC Deer Creek Campus is located in Milwaukie at 13350 SE Johnson Rd.

DEQ regulates all three facilities through its air quality permitting program and industrial stormwater permitting program. DEQ has called both the Large Parts Campus and Small Parts Business Operations locations into its health risk-based air toxics program, Cleaner Air Oregon. The Large Parts Campus is also in DEQ's Environmental Cleanup program.

More information and documents

Updates


Water quality and enforcement

DEQ issued a pre-enforcement notice to PCC for water pollution violations, which likely caused the deaths of fish and other aquatic animals at Johnson Creek in September 2026. Chemicals, primarily sodium hydroxide, from the facility's air pollution control equipment potentially entered the creek through its stormwater system between Sept. 17 and 19, 2026.

 DEQ identified two Class I violations of environmental law, the most serious classification, for causing pollution to waters of the state and discharging waste that violated state water quality standards and created conditions harmful to fish and aquatic life. Potential consequences may include orders to pay civil penalties and perform corrective actions. While the pre-enforcement notice informed PCC that DEQ has formally begun the enforcement process, it is not a final agency action.

​Cleanup
PCC submitted a Reconnaissance-Level Groundwater Sampling Work Plan to DEQ for the Large Parts Campus. The work plan describes the means and methods that will be used to evaluate the potential presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater at the site.  The groundwater sampling is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.​

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Water quality

On Sept. 18, DEQ received a report from the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services of foamy water and dead fish in Johnson Creek near Southeast Johnson Creek Boulevard and Southeast 45th Avenue. DEQ and partner agencies investigated that day and confirmed dead fish, lamprey and crayfish along approximately two miles of the creek. DEQ returned on Sept. 21 and 22 to collect water, sediment and fish samples to help investigate the cause.

On Sept. 28, Precision Castparts reported that wastewater from its air scrubber system had entered its stormwater system, which discharges to Johnson Creek. In a follow-up report, the company identified Sept. 17-19 as the period when the discharge potentially occurred.​​

Cleanup

DEQ sent PCC a letter requesting additional information for the Large Parts Campus, including any historical uses of PFAS at the facility and a plan to incorporate PFAS and volatile organic compounds (VOC) sampling into the routine fall groundwater sampling event in 2026.​​

Cleanup

DEQ met with PCC to discuss potential downgradient investigation locations at the Large Parts Campus to further evaluate extent of volatile organic compound groundwater plume that is present below Johnson Creek and also the area cross-gradient of the property (below the lowest temporary groundwater sample previously collected). DEQ anticipates a Downgradient Groundwater Investigation Addendum to be submitted by the end of 2026. Sampling is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2027.​​

Cleanup

The Environmental Quality Commission adopted rules on Sept. 12, 2025, adding six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the state's list of hazardous substances. PCC was identified as a Tier 1 priority site that may have used PFAS historically at its facilities. Learn more about how DEQ's Environmental Cleanup program is addressing PFAS in Oregon​.

Air quality

DEQ issued a modification to the Large Parts Campus' Air Contaminant Discharge Permit for construction and operation of a new emergency generator engine to supply power to the scrubber system in the event of a power outage.​

Cleanup

PCC submitted a first quarter 2025 Progress Report for the Large Parts Campus, which summarized the completion of the downgradient groundwater monitoring that was completed in accordance with the Downgradient Groundwater Delineation Work Plan.​​

Cleanup

DEQ provided final approval for the Downgradient Groundwater Delineation Work Plan for the Large Parts Campus that was originally submitted in May 2023. The updated work plan included minor plan modifications that were necessary to address access limitations and local permitting requirements.​​

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Cleanup

DEQ approved PCCs North Slope Soil Sampling Report for the Large Parts Campus. This work was performed to characterize the nature and extent of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the sloped area north of the Large Parts Campus, identify any remaining sources of PCBs north of the facility and inform the remedial investigation for the site.​​

Cleanup

PCC prepared a Downgradient Groundwater Delineation Work Plan for the Large Parts Campus, which described the additional downgradient groundwater investigation that would be conducted to delineate the volatile organic compounds groundwater plume in this area. The work plan included collection of groundwater grab samples from soil borings co-located with surface water samples at select locations to evaluate whether groundwater discharges to surface water in any area along the groundwater flow path. ​​

Cleaner Air Oregon updates

DEQ called PCC Large Parts Campus into the Cleaner Air Oregon program to conduct an air emission risk assessment in October 2019. The facility is in the process of completing their emissions inventory. DEQ is reviewing information from PCC and is collaborating with the facility to source test several pollution control devices in place at critical processes at the facility to ensure they adequately reduce pollution in the air. Go to the PCC Large Parts Campus' Cleaner Air Oregon webpage to view recent documents and stay up-to-date on the facility's status.

On March 1, 2022, DEQ called PCC Small Parts Business Operations into the Cleaner Air Oregon program. The facility was required to complete and submit an air toxics emissions inventory for DEQ review within 90 days.

​Air quality permit updates

  • PCC Large Parts Campus: DEQ is in the process of reviewing this air quality permit. DEQ requested additional information from the facility about its emissions and control devices. 
  • PCC Small Parts: DEQ is in the process of reviewing this air quality permit. DEQ requested additional information from the facility about its emissions and control devices. 
  • PCC Deer Creek: DEQ is in the process of reviewing this air quality permit. DEQ requested additional information from the facility about its emissions and control devices.

Cleanup

Work to address contamination at the PCC Large Parts campus is continuing to progress. PCC is preparing a data gaps work plan, to identify additional data needed to support selection of an interim cleanup action at the property. This should be ready in summer 2022.

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​DEQ held a virtual informational meeting on March 18, 2020. DEQ and the Oregon Health Authority provided a presentation on the following topics regarding PCC Large Parts Campus​:

  • Public health assessment (Oregon Health Authority)
  • Results from the ambient air toxics monitor that was located at SE 45th & SE Harney (DEQ)
  • Status of the facility's permit (DEQ)
  • Cleaner Air Oregon (DEQ)​

​​​DEQ held an informational meeting on Sept. 18, 2019. DEQ and the City of Portland provided information about progress in soil and water cleanup at the site. DEQ and the City's presentations are available below as well as a fact sheet describing the cleanup process.

​​​​Source Control Assessment
Catch basin sediment samples provide information on the types of contaminants that are getting into the stormwater system. DEQ received the Catch Basin Sampling Work Plan that will be implemented during the forthcoming rainy season to evaluate catch basin sediments and provide additional information to evaluate whether the source control measures on the property are effective. 

​​​Air monitoring

DEQ conducted monitoring for a full set of air pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbonyls, particulate matter, and heavy metals at a monitoring site at SE 45th and Harney from June 2016 to December 2017. DEQ is preparing a report on the air toxics data set and aims to finalize it in summer 2019.

Air permits

DEQ is currently working on air quality permits for PCC’s Large Parts Campus, Small Parts Business Operations, and Deer Creek Campus. Because of the complexity of these permits, the renewal process will take some time, and there is not currently a timeframe for anticipated public notice.

​​​​Sediment sampling
The approach for sediment sampling activities to be performed to support the Remedial Investigation/Risk Assessment Evaluations were summarized in a technical memorandum in June 2017. This was based on the Johnson Creek Sediment Sampling Work Plan was submitted in September 2016 and the sediment sampling occurred in October 2017.The Johnson Creek Sediment Sampling Data Report was submitted to DEQ in August 2018. See documents below:
 

​​​​Water Quality
Additional groundwater wells were installed to further characterize the extent of the groundwater plume. The additional groundwater monitoring wells were installed between the site boundary and Johnson Creek. See documents below: 
Air Quality
DEQ installed three air monitors around Precision Castparts to collect information about heavy metal pollutants between April and October 2016. The first set of data from air monitors placed near Precision Castparts in spring 2016 showed levels of heavy metals nickel, hexavalent chromium and arsenic above annual benchmarks.

One of the monitoring sites, at SE 45th and Harney, was converted to a full air toxics monitoring site in June 2016 to collect data about other pollutants—volatile organic compounds, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, carbonyls, and particulate matter—in addition to heavy metals.

​​​​Air Quality
Indoor air testing was conducted in accordance with the DEQ-approved Indoor Air Evaluation Work Plan for the site. An indoor Air Evaluation Technical Memorandum was submitted following the indoor air monitoring activities and was approved by DEQ in September 2016. See documents below:

Cleanup
PCC began discussions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to determine the next steps for the Toxic Substance Control Act polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) source control at the Large Parts Campus. PCC subsequently submitted an interim cleanup plan to EPA and began the on-site cleanup actions at several areas of the property where site improvements will be completed, including but not limited to Area A (Switchgear and Urea Area), and Area B West and East (Chiller Tower), and the Titanium Building Boneyard. See documents below:




Contact

Air Quality: David Graiver
503-229-5690

Environmental Cleanup: Heidi Nelson, 503-229-6802

Communications and Outreach: Michael Loch, 503-737-9435