FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Highlights:
- Forterra purchased 30-acre Kittitas County mine site in 2020 with Washington Department of Commerce funding to help clean and restore land for public use.
- The EPA selected Forterra for a nearly $1.8 million cleanup grant in 2024 and formally awarded the grant in Spring this year.
- Roslyn is a small community undergoing the impacts of regional growth, and this land remediation will restore green space and development options for the community.
May 12, 2025. Roslyn, WA — Forterra has secured a $1.78 million Brownfields Cleanup Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up the contaminated Roslyn Number 4 Mine. This grant will help transform the historic 30-acre mine site into a vibrant community resource, paving the way for economic development and environmental restoration in Roslyn, Washington.
Forterra CEO and President Michelle Connor emphasized the long-term vision behind the project. “We bought this property with the aspiration of providing community benefits. The property can serve many needs, but to evaluate or pursue any of those, the site must be cleaned up so it’s safe for people and safe for nature,” Connor said.
The Roslyn Number 4 Mine operated from the 1880s until a tragic explosion closed it in 1909. The Roslyn Foundry continued operating on the site until 1963, leaving the land polluted with hazardous heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons. The contamination rendered the site unusable for decades. Forterra will use the grant funding to remove these environmental hazards, allowing the land to be repurposed for community and economic benefit.
Forterra has worked with the community and leaders in the Kittitas County town of Roslyn to support long-term planning and environmental restoration through cleanup of the old coal mine, which Forterra purchased in 2020 with funding from the Washington Department of Commerce.
The EPA selected Forterra for the cleanup grant in June 2024, and it formally awarded the grant this April. In addition to this federal support, Forterra also secured two state grants for cleanup planning and development planning. Remediation and redevelopment of the mine site have the potential to provide clean, safe green space and support broader community goals.
Roslyn has reinvented itself from a mining town into a small community experiencing increased tourism and development pressure, which has placed strain on local infrastructure and natural resources.
Forterra remains committed to turning environmental liabilities into assets that serve current and future generations. The Roslyn Number 4 Mine project reflects the organization’s mission to create resilient, thriving communities across the Pacific Northwest.
MEDIA CONTACT
Sean Thoennes
Forterra
(407) 929-4349
sthoennes@forterra.org
ABOUT FORTERRA
Forterra is a Washington state nonprofit that drives land-based solutions to support a healthy environment and resilient communities for all. In its 35 years, Forterra has helped conserve more than 275,000 acres of geographically diverse lands and places at risk. The land trust’s work stretches from the estuaries and forests of Washington’s coastline to the farmlands and river canyons of Yakima, reaching more than 100 counties, cities, and towns. Visit www.Forterra.org.
