Mar 13, 2019

Bellingham WA: I & J Waterway Cleanup Documents and Comment Period

Harbor Seal photo credit CJ Dunham at Pixabay.com

Public comments will be accepted until March 20, 2019. Ian Fawley of the WA State Dept of Ecology wrote 3/12 that there have not been any public comments submitted yet and no requests for a public meeting. Please go to the project website for updated info on the cleanup http://bit.ly/Ecology-IJWaterway  per email message below. There was a well-attended 2/23 tour of the waterway led by a representative of the nonprofit Re-Sources.org - visit https://vimeo.com/320431732 to see a brief recap of the tour, and the description under the video also has the links to find further info.

----- Forwarded message ----
From: Fawley, Ian (ECY) <IFAW461@ecy.wa.gov>
Date: Thu, Feb 14, 2019, 9:58 AM
Subject: Ecology Notice: I & J Waterway Cleanup Documents and Comment Period Feb 19 – Mar 20, 2019
To: Fawley, Ian (ECY) <IFAW461@ecy.wa.gov>
Cc: McInerney, Lucy (ECY) <LPEB461@ecy.wa.gov>

Greetings,

You are receiving this email notice because you have expressed interest in the Department of Ecology's Bellingham Bay cleanup activities. 
The Department of Ecology invites you to review and comment on a cleanup action plan and associated documents for the I & J Waterway Cleanup Site on the Bellingham waterfront. The plan calls for removing and capping contaminated sediment, monitoring, and restricting uses.
The plan is part of a legal agreement, called an agreed order, between Ecology, the Port of Bellingham (Port), and Bornstein Seafoods (Bornstein). The agreed order requires the Port and Bornstein to design the sediment removal work described in the plan. The following documents are available for review and comment February 19 – March 20, 2019:

·         Cleanup Action Plan
·         Agreed Order
The contamination at the Site is from historic industrial activities and includes:
·      polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
·      phthalates
·      phenols
·      nickel
Other contaminants found at the Site:
·      dioxins and furans
·      polychlorinated biphenyls
·      mercury
The contaminant levels are potentially harmful and must be addressed under Washington's cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA).

Comments accepted:
February 19 – March 20, 2019
Ecology's I & J Waterway webpage:
·         Cleanup documents and review locations
·         Site details
·         Contact information
More information?
Attend a tour of the Site
RE Sources for Sustainable Communities will host a walking tour of the Site on:
·         Saturday, February 23 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
28 Bellwether Way, Bellingham, WA 98225
·         Ecology, Port, and Bornstein site managers will be available for questions.
·         For details visit http://www.re-sources.org/events.
Contact Ian Fawley, Ecology Outreach Specialist
Call 360-255-4382 or email: Ian.Fawley@ecy.wa.gov.
Request a Meeting
If ten or more persons request a public meeting about the Cleanup Action Plan, Ecology will provide notice and hold a meeting
Attached: 
FACTSHEET_I&J_Waterway_Final_February_2019

Best Regards,

Ian

Ian Fawley
Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist
Washington State Department of Ecology
Bellingham Field Office  |  Toxics Cleanup Program
Office: 360-255-4382  |  Cell:  425-324-5901  |  ian.fawley@ecy.wa.gov
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