For Immediate Release:
Feb. 10, 2010 For More Information:
Carolyn Casey, Port of Bellingham: 360-676-2500
Port of Bellingham Commissioners Discuss Environmental Cleanup in Olympia
Annual Port's Day Event Brings Ports Together to Promote Job Creation
[Bellingham, Wash.] The Port of Bellingham's Board of Commissioners met with all of the elected officials from the 40th District and 42nd District to explain the importance of local environmental cleanup funding.
Taking part in the Washington Public Port Association's annual Port's Day, the Bellingham Commissioners spent a full day in Olympia last week. Their primary purpose was to talk with legislators about the state's Model Toxic Control Act (MTCA) cleanup fund. This fund was created through a voter-approved measure more than 20 years ago that taxes hazardous substances - primarily oil imports - and uses the money to pay for environmental cleanup projects, both directly and through grants to local governments.
The state Department of Ecology has pledged to provide grants to pay for up to 50 percent of the Whatcom Waterway and other Bellingham Bay cleanup projects in partnership with the Port of Bellingham.
"We believe it is essential to keep our state legislators aware of our waterfront redevelopment and job creation projects," said Commission President Jim Jorgensen. "We made sure that they know our highest priority is ensuring that the state continues to provide the waterfront cleanup funding it has promised. That funding is essential to ensure that we can perform a thorough cleanup of the Whatcom Waterway."
During the cleanup planning phases of the Whatcom Waterway and Bellingham Bay cleanup projects, the Port has received the 50 percent funding from Ecology. In the next several years, the Port anticipates beginning the actual in-water cleanup efforts and this will require a much greater amount of Ecology funding in the next two biennium budgets.
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