Port Angeles Rayonier Mill Site

The Department of Ecology is overseeing cleanup of the Port Angeles Rayonier Mill site. Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) and Rayonier A.M. Properties LLC (RAMP) are the potentially liable parties (PLPs) who are conducting and paying for the cleanup.

Cleanup is being carried out and funded through a legal agreement, consent decree (download link; 6.4 MB), between Ecology, RYAM and RAMP, and the Attorney General Office. Ecology signed the agreement on June 23, 2026.

A note on the Brownfield Program Funding
In 2008, the City of Port Angeles and the Port of Port Angeles created the Port Angeles Harbor Works Development Authority (Harborworks) with the intention of acquiring the former Rayonier Mill property to integrate redevelopment into the cleanup.

In 2010, Harborworks received an Ecology (Brownfields Program) Integrated Planning Grant for $200,000. Harborworks used these funds to conduct due diligence and market analysis in support of their plans to acquire the property. After the market analysis, they determined that they no longer wanted to acquire the property.

Last updated: June 25, 2026

The study area:
This cleanup is now in the “Design the cleanup” step. RAMP hired consultants to conduct final sampling work to refine the boundaries for the cleanup elements. RAMP will draft an engineering design report. Ecology closely oversees all sampling work, data collection, and analysis.

We expect engineering design to take about five years to complete. This timeline is due to the cleanup’s complexity and size, and the amount of additional remedial design sampling that is required. The engineering design will likely be completed in phases, with studies being completed first and then used to develop different reports and design plans.

Actions being taken at the study area now and over the next few months:
Under the 2024 amendment to the agreed order (download link; 224KB), RAMP has started hydrodynamic modeling in the adjacent marine environment. This modeling is to evaluate how sediments may move after the removal of the large in-water dock and jetty. RAMP also will collect sediment samples under the dock and in the nearshore area. The modeling and sediment data will be used to determine the appropriate remedies for the area under the dock and the nearshore area. Once the consent decree is finalized in early July 2026, any remaining modeling and sampling work required under the amended agreed order will be performed under authority of the consent decree.

Sampling work in the marine waters is expected to begin in mid-September. During this period, community members and visitors may notice boats conducting sampling activities in Port Angeles Harbor.

The entire site:
After completing the cleanup in the study area, we will investigate contamination beyond the study area to draw site boundaries that clearly define responsibility for cleanup.

Rayonier ran a pulp mill on the property from 1930 to 1997, and then afterwards dismantled the mill.  When the mill was running, sulfite and acid would break down wood chips into cellulose fibers. Operations at the mill contaminated air, soil, groundwater, and sediments.

The extent of contamination at the site is unknown, so we decided to focus on a study area that includes the former mill property and adjacent marine environment.

The amount and type of contamination vary across the upland portion of the Study Area. Most of the contaminated hot spots were cleaned up with interim actions in the 1990s and 2000s. Over 30,000 tons of contaminated soil was removed from the site.

For more information about the site’s history and Ecology’s work at the site, please visit Ecology’s Rayonier Mill project home page.

Contaminants found in soil and groundwater include:

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Metals (such as arsenic and lead)
• Dioxins
• Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs)
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Ammonia

Many of the same contaminants found in soil are also present in sediment, including:

• Phenols
• Phthalates
• Wood debris

Ecology held a public comment period for the study area from June 12 to August 12, 2025. This comment period gathered input on a consent decree, Interim Action Plan, and SEPA determination. We received 386 comments from 359 commenters.

Ecology’s response to comments, along with additional cleanup information, is available in the Responsiveness Summary (download link; 41.4 MB). We also prepared a supplemental focus sheet (download 1.3 MB) that summarizes the comment period and next steps of the cleanup process.

During the comment period, we also hosted a public meeting and an open house event at the Field Arts & Events Hall on July 8, 2025, from 5-8 p.m. A recording of the presentation given during this event is available on Ecology’s YouTube channel.

Stay informed about the Port Angeles Rayonier Mill site:

• Join Ecology’s Cleanups in Port Angeles email list to get staff updates about cleanup activities across the area.
• Subscribe for site-specific updates by clicking the blue “Subscribe to this site” button at the top of this page. Subscribers receive weekly email alerts whenever the site has new documents, open comment periods, and site updates. Learn more about this tool on Ecology’s blog.

Stay informed about this site and other cleanup efforts in Port Angeles:

• Visit Ecology's Rayonier Mill project homepage for additional information about the site, cleanup history, and contamination studies.
• Read our 2025 status update (download 798 KB) for the latest information on cleanup progress at Port Angeles sites.
• Visit our website to learn more about cleanups under the Model Toxics Control Act.