Sea K Fish

Last Updated:  August 2023

Información en español


Interim Action work continues

2023: fact sheet | postcard | blog

Ecology held a public comment period from May 22 - July 5, 2023 to review an interim action (early partial cleanup) and associated documents for the Sea K Fish cleanup site at the Blaine Harbor. The Port of Bellingham (Port) operates Blaine Harbor and manages the Sea K Fish property under an agreement with the Department of Natural Resources. 

Under a legal agreement with Ecology, the Port is completing an early partial cleanup of the Site by removing petroleum-contaminated soil. 

Ecology did not receive any public comments on the following reviewable documents, so they are now final and the Port will continue work on the Interim Action:

• Interim Action Work Plan:  Plan for early partial cleanup actions to address contamination at the Site.
• State Environmental Policy Act-Determination of Non-Significance: Ecology determination that the cleanup work is not likely to harm the environment.

The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) is Washington’s environmental cleanup law. It provides requirements for contaminated site cleanup and sets standards that protect human health and the environment. Ecology enacts the MTCA and oversees cleanups. The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps (see graphic below) over a variable timeline.

• May 22 – July 5, 2023: 45-day public comment period.
• May 24, 2023: On-site walking tour (RE Sources-hosted) and online public meeting (Ecology-hosted).
• Summer 2023: Interim Action Work Plan finalized after addressing public comments received.
• 2023-2024: Port completes engineering design, permitting, and interim action.

The Port will continue work on the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study and draft Cleanup Action Plan. These cleanup steps will be available for public review and comment.

Current Sea K Fish cleanup site Public Participation Plan

This plan includes information for the public regarding opportunities to get involved in the cleanup process. The outreach activities and mechanisms presented reflect Ecology’s current plans for keeping the public informed and for receiving information and comments from the public.

Location and background
The Sea K Fish property is located at 225 and 205 Sigurdson Avenue in the Blaine Harbor industrial area in Blaine, WA. Portions of the property were contaminated by past petroleum storage and fish processing operations.

Blaine Harbor was originally created in the late 1930s by dredging the tideflats and using the dredged materials to create uplands. The harbor’s upland areas were expanded in the 1940s, 1950s, and again in 2001.

The State of Washington is the owner of the property located between the inner harbor line and outer harbor line in Blaine Harbor.  The Port manages this property according to the terms of a Port Management Agreement with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.  The Port has leased the property to different companies for commercial purposes. 

Contamination
In 2019 and 2021, the Port conducted environmental investigations which showed contamination in soil and groundwater that exceeded cleanup levels allowed under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA):

• Light non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL)
• Gasoline, diesel, and oil-range hydrocarbons
• Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene compounds (BTEX)
• Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs) 

En español

El Departamento de Ecología le invita a comentar sobre un reporte ambiental para el sitio que está contaminado Sea K Fish en Blaine. Si le gustaría recibir este documento en español, por favor llame a 425-324-5901 y espere que un intérprete se una a la llamada o envíe un correo electrónico a preguntas@ecy.wa.gov.

Traducciones de avisos públicos para los sitios de limpieza se preparan bajo solicitud.