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Cleaning Up the Bay
Six Different Cleanup Sites There are six state-listed cleanup sites within the 220-acre New Whatcom redevelopment area. The Port and City have acquired most of the contaminated property and taken over the cleanup responsibility to help revitalize a stagnant waterfront economy. 
Site Name
| Historic Industrial Activities | Approximate Size
| Contaminants of Concern
|
Estimated Completion Date
| 1
| Cornwall Avenue Landfill | municipal landfill |
12 acres- upland and aquatic
| solid waste, landfill metals, PCBs | 2009 | | 2 | R.G. Haley | wood treatment |
6 acres- upland and aquatic
| PCBs | 2009 | 3 | GP Mill Site/Chlor-Alkali Plant |
pulping, paper, and timber operations
| 85 acres-upland |
mercury, mercury vapor, metals, petroleum
| 2012 | | 4 | Whatcom Waterway-includes ASB lagoon |
pulping operations, log rafting
| 200 acres-aquatic | mercury, phenols, woodwaste | 2013 | | 5 | Central Waterfront |
municipal landfill, boatyard, bulk fueling, rock crushing plant
| 55 acres-upland | | solid waste, petroleum, metals, landfill gases (methane) | 2009 | | 6 | I&J Waterway | fish processing |
15 acres-aquatic
| | phtlates, mercury, nickel | 2009 |
How will these Sites be Cleaned Up?
The Washington State Department of Ecology www.ecy.wa.gov determines what cleanup actions are required for each site. Ecology requires comprehensive environmental testing and the evaluation of multiple cleanup alternatives before making a cleanup decision. Any cleanup alternative Ecology considers must meet the following minimum requirements: (1) protect human health and the environment (2) comply with cleanup standards (3) comply with state and federal laws (4) provide long-term monitoring to ensure effectiveness.
Will All the Contamination be Removed?
Most of the contamination on Bellingham's waterfront is at low levels and can be safely managed in place. People often assume the best way to clean up contaminated property is by removing the contaminated soil or water, but that is not always true. Excavation can actually increase the level of exposure by uncovering or disturbing buried contamination. Ecology will evaluate a range of cleanup options for each site and choose cleanup actions which protect human health and the environment and are permanent to the maximum extent practical. Final cleanup typically includes a combination of appropriate cleanup actions including removal, treatment, containment and institutional controls.
How Much Will the Cleanup Cost & Who Pays?
The Port has taken the lead for cleaning up five of these sites (all but the privately owned R.G. Haley site) and has estimated the cleanup costs to be more than $85 million dollars to meet requirements for a mix of anticipated uses including businesses, homes, parks and institutions such as a campus extension of Western Washington University. State officials have told the Port to anticipate 50 percent matching money from the Model Toxic Control Act. The State will provide these grants with money it receives from a tax on hazardous substances (mostly oil). After the property is cleaned up to meet state standards, the Port will sell or lease the property for redevelopment by the private sector to recoup the Port’s expenses. What if Cleanup Costs are More than Expected?
The Port is protected against cleanup cost overruns on much the property by a 30-year environmental insurance policy through AIG. Working with consultants and state agencies, the Port estimated the cleanup costs for mixed use redevelopment of the Georgia Pacific facilities (not including the wastewater treatment lagoon) at $40.3 million dollars in 2004. The Port pre-paid half of the anticipated cleanup costs to AIG and this money is refunded as the cleanup progresses. The environmental Cost Cap policy provides 50% coverage for cost overruns up to $51,684,816, and 100% for cost overruns up to $77,000,000. These costs are periodically updated to reflect inflation and more detailed cleanup information.
How Can I Learn More about the Cleanup?
Visit Ecology's Bellingham Bay cleanup website at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/TCP/sites/blhm_bay/sites/bel_bay_sites.html Lucille McInerney, Department of Ecology Site Manager & Co-Manager of Bellingham Bay Pilot, (425) 649-7272 or Mike Stoner, Port of Bellingham Environmental Director & Co-Manager of Bellingham Bay Pilot, (360) 676-2500 or
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