HANSVILLE — The state Department of Ecology has a plan for cleaning up a portion of the contaminated Hansville General Store site, in case a full cleanup isn’t possible.

Ecology released the interim work plan for the site Monday and will take public comments from July 2 through Aug. 2.

The $1.1. million cleanup project, scheduled for September, is one of several vying for a slice of federal stimulus funds being offered through the Environmental Protection Agency. Ecology spokesman Larry Altose said his department won’t find out if the project is in line for funding until later this summer.

The project would excavate soil contaminated by gasoline and diesel fuel from the Hansville store property and several adjacent parcels on Twin Spits Road. The fuel seeped out of storage tanks buried on the Hansville store property. Ecology took on the burden of removing the contamination under an agreement signed with store property owners Joanne and Gary Erickson in 1992. It removed the tanks in 1994 but has not had the money clean up the contaminated soil.

Altose said the interim plan released this week will allow Ecology to complete part of the cleanup if the work is not fully funded or the agency doesn’t receive permission to work on some of the properties.

A partial cleanup would focus on the most contaminated area, near the existing Hansville Grocery and Provisions Co. building. A bio-remediation technique that uses naturally occurring bacteria to break down diesel fuel would be employed beneath the store itself.

If money was still available, Ecology would continue the cleanup under Twin Spits Road and onto other properties, including the Hansville Community Church grounds.

The department is still seeking permission from surrounding property owners and Kitsap County to continue work beyond the store property.

Comments and questions can be directed to site manager Mark Adams, Washington Department of Ecology, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue, WA 98008, mada461@ecy.wa.gov or (425) 649-7107.