Georgia-Pacific West Bellingham

Last updated: July 2026

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Read the 2026 Fact Sheet & 2026 Blog

The Department of Ecology is overseeing the cleanup of the Georgia-Pacific West site on the Bellingham waterfront. Operations from a pulp and tissue mill caused soil and groundwater contamination. Much of the site has been cleaned up, and the remaining parts of the Chlor-Alkali Area will be cleaned up next. The Port of Bellingham is the potentially liable person (PLP) cleaning up the site. 

We held a comment period from June 1 to July 1, 2026, on two documents. The first was a legal agreement, called a consent decree, between Ecology and the Port of Bellingham. It requires the port to carry out the cleanup action plan, Ecology’s plan to address contamination at the Chlor-Alkali Area of the site. It also settles the port’s liability. The second was an updated public participation plan that describes how Ecology will inform the community about the site activities and ways to become involved.

Ecology will consider all the comments received during this public comment period and may make changes to the consent decree and public participation plan. If the documents require significant changes, we will hold another public comment period. If not, Ecology will finalize the documents and post a response to comments summary document on this webpage once complete. 

2026-2031: The remaining Chlor-Alkali Area of the site will be cleaned up in phases over several years.

Following the cleanup, the port will redevelop the property for industrial, commercial, retail, and residential purposes.

Questions?
If you have questions, comments, or concerns, we are happy to connect. Contact Kristen Forkeutis at Kristen.Forkeutis@ecy.wa.gov or 425-240-4353 for more information. 

Join our email list to receive updates about the Georgia-Pacific West cleanup site. Email Kristen Forkeutis, Public Involvement Coordinator, at Kristen.Forkeutis@ecy.wa.gov to be added to the list. Unsubscribe at any time.

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 MTCA and oversees cleanups. The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps over a variable timeline.

Current Georgia Pacific West cleanup site Public Participation Plan 

This plan describes how Ecology will share information with the community and how you can share information with us. Ecology will review this plan as the cleanup progresses and amend/update it as necessary.

Background & Location
The 74-acre Georgia-Pacific West cleanup site is located at 300 West Laurel Street in downtown Bellingham, on the south side of Whatcom Waterway, along the Bellingham waterfront. A pulp and tissue mill operated at the site from 1926 through 2007. In 2005, the Port of Bellingham acquired the property from the Georgia-Pacific Corporation and took on the responsibility of cleaning it up. They plan to use the property for commercial, retail, and residential purposes.

Environmental investigations of the site showed contamination in two separate and distinct areas. As a result, in 2013, the Port and Ecology agreed to divide the site into two separate cleanup areas to speed up the cleanup and support redevelopment. The two areas are known as the Pulp and Tissue Mill Area and the Chlor-Alkali Area.

A large portion of the site has been cleaned up:

• In 2011 and 2013, interim actions (or early partial cleanups) were conducted to remove contaminated soil and building materials from the site.
• In 2016 the Pulp and Tissue Mill Area was cleaned up and is being redeveloped for residential and commercial use.
• In 2022 the Lignin Operable Unit of the Chlor-Alkali Area was cleaned up and a portion of the property was redeveloped as the Millworks affordable housing.

Contamination
The Pulp and Tissue Mill Area (38 acres) was cleaned up in 2016, and the following contamination was addressed: 
• metals
• low pH
• petroleum hydrocarbons
• volatile organic compounds
• dioxins/furans

The Chlor-Alkali Area (36 acres) is addressing the following contamination: 
• mercury
• high pH (caustic)
• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• petroleum hydrocarbons
• dissolved metals

Contaminant levels are present at potentially harmful levels and must be addressed under Washington's cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA).

Bellingham Bay Action Team
The Georgia-Pacific West site is one of 12 sites coordinated through the Bellingham Bay Action Team (BBAT). BBAT is a bay-wide multi-agency effort to clean up contaminated sediment, control sources of sediment contamination, and restore habitat, with consideration for land and water uses. In 2000, participants in this initiative developed the Bellingham Bay Comprehensive Strategy.

   

   

   

   

Need help or have questions? We offer translation and interpretation services at no cost. If you need these services, email kristen.forkeutis@ecy.wa.gov or call 425-240-4353. If you call, ask for an interpreter to be connected with one.

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Le ofrecemos servicios de traducción e interpretación sin costo. Para solicitar una copia de esta información en español, llame a Kristen Forkeutis al 425-240-4353 o envíe un correo electrónico a kristen.forkeutis@ecy.wa.gov. Si necesita servicios de interpretación, solicite un intérprete y permanezca en la línea mientras lo comunicamos.