Holly Street Landfill

Last Updated: July 2024

Información en español

2024 Fact Sheet 
 
Ecology held a 30-day comment period (June 3 – July 3, 2024) to review a report (called a periodic review) evaluating the completed cleanup of the Holly Street Landfill site near the Bellingham waterfront. Ecology also participated in a walking tour of the Site on Thursday, June 13, 2024, hosted by RE Sources, a local nonprofit organization, to provide project information.  

We prepared the report to determine if the cleanup, completed by the City of Bellingham (City) in 2005, still protects human health and the environment.

Ecology has reviewed and considered the comments received on the cleanup evaluation report (periodic review). A Response to Comments summary is available. Based on Ecology’s evaluation of the comments, no significant changes to the document were necessary, and it has been finalized. However, some clarifications about next steps were made to the conclusions section of the document, based on the comments received. 

The cleanup evaluation report concludes that more information is needed to determine if the completed cleanup protects human health and the environment, including:

• Monitoring to assess the current quality of groundwater seeps discharging to Whatcom Creek
• Conducting a climate change vulnerability assessment
• Investigating the source of contamination in Whatcom Creek bank sediment next to the Site

Ecology will work with the City to gather more information as identified in the report.

Join our email list to receive updates about the Holly Street Landfill 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.

Site Background
In the late 1800s, the Site location was part of the original Whatcom Creek estuary and mudflat. Around 1905, private property owners began filling the estuary with dredge spoils and other materials to increase useable upland areas. From 1937 to 1953, municipal waste was also used by private property owners to fill tidelands to increase usable upland areas.

Waste disposed at the Site included glass, concrete, household debris, metal scrap, soil, coal slag, ashes, and woody debris, consistent with municipal waste disposal practices of the time. The waste materials are currently covered by soil, gravel, buildings, building foundations and pavement.

Site Description
The Site is a former solid waste landfill located at 600 W Holly Street, in the Old Town district of the City of Bellingham, Washington. The 13-acre Site is covered by soil, gravel, buildings, building foundations and pavement. The Site is separated by Whatcom Creek with about 9 acres on the northwest side of the creek and 4 acres on the southeast side. 

The City owns about 8 acres of the 13-acre Site. Various private entities own the rest of the Site.

2005 Cleanup
The City cleaned up the Site in 2005 while under a legal agreement with Ecology. They addressed solid waste, methane production, and contaminant impacts to Whatcom Creek. The cleanup included:

• Maintaining a minimum 2-foot thick cover over the Site to physically isolate the solid waste. The cover is currently comprised of soil, gravel, buildings, building foundations and pavement.
• Placing material along the southern shoreline to stabilize the bank. 
• Addressing methane issues when constructing buildings in the area of the Site located on the southeast side of Whatcom Creek.
• Removing refuse along the northern shoreline of Whatcom Creek and placing an engineered cap to control releases of copper and zinc to Whatcom Creek.
• Monitoring groundwater seeps discharging to Whatcom Creek to assess the effectiveness of the cleanup. 
• Implementing restrictive covenants covering 34 tax parcels. These covenants contain restrictions and prohibitions to protect the integrity of the cleanup in the long-term.

The cleanup removed about 12,400 tons of solid waste, primarily from the northern bank prior to construction of the cap. The excavated materials were transported and disposed of at a permitted, off-site landfill. Along with the cleanup activities the City restored historically lost habitat at the mouth of Whatcom Creek. They converted about 0.3 acres from upland to intertidal elevations, created side channel habitat, placed large woody debris, removed invasive vegetation, and re-introduced native plants. In addition the City constructed a boardwalk and viewpoints/overlooks along the estuary to improve public access to the shoreline.

Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot
The Holly Street Landfill site is one of 12 Bellingham Bay Cleanup sites coordinated through the Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot.  The Pilot is a bay-wide multi-agency effort to clean up contamination, control pollution sources and restore habitat, with consideration for land and water uses. In 2000, participants in this initiative developed the Bellingham Bay Comprehensive Strategy.

   

En español

El Departamento de Ecología le invita a revisor los documentos para el sitio que está contaminado Holly Street Landfill en Bellingham.

Si le gustaría recibir este documento en español, por favor llame a 425-240-4353 y espere a 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 de la Bahía de Bellingham se preparan bajo solicitud.

To request an ADA accommodation, contact Ecology by phone at 360-407-6831, email ecyadacoordinator@ecy.wa.gov, or visit ecology.wa.gov/Accessibility. For Relay Service or TTY call 711 or 877-833-6341.

If you speak a non-English language, free language services are available.