RG Haley International

Last updated October 2026

Información en español

Read the 2026 Blog & 2024 Fact Sheet

We are overseeing the cleanup of the RG Haley site on the Bellingham waterfront. Past lumber, coal, and wharf industries, as well as wood treatment operations contaminated soil, groundwater, and sediment. The City of Bellingham is leading the cleanup in coordination with the Port of Bellingham. 

Construction of the cleanup is underway in coordination with the Cornwall Avenue Landfill cleanup site next to it. While the site is being cleaned up, it is also being transformed into the new Salish Landing park.

NOTICE:
Temporary nighttime construction activities along the shoreline are planned for the following timeframes to coincide with the low tide:

• Oct 12–Oct 14 at Cornwall Landfill
• Oct 26–Oct 30 at RG Haley

2026–2029: The cleanup action and completion of the first phase of Salish Landing park is expected to take about three years.

Follow the City of Bellingham’s Facebook page for updates!

Join our email list to receive updates about the RG Haley 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 RG Haley 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
From the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, the site was used for industries including lumber, coal and wharf operations. Various companies treated wood on the property. RG Haley International Corporation was the last company to treat wood there (1955 to 1985). The preservative used in wood-treating operations was pentachlorophenol mixed with a diesel-like carrier oil. This mixture was released during operations, contaminating soil, groundwater, and sediment. 

Location
The site is located at the end of Cornwall Avenue on the Bellingham waterfront and consists of approximately 6 upland acres and approximately 60 acres of in-water area. 

The City of Bellingham owns the majority of the upland portion of the site and the State of Washington owns the majority of the in-water portion. 

Contamination
The City completed an environmental investigation (called a Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study) of the site. The remedial investigation found petroleum hydrocarbons, pentachlorophenol (PCP), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and dioxins/furans at concentrations in the soil, groundwater, and sediment that is being addressed under MTCA.

Other contaminants from nearby overlapping sites are also present at the site. They include mercury in sediment from the Whatcom Waterway site, and municipal refuse, phthalates, metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the Cornwall Avenue Landfill site. Ecology is overseeing cleanup activities at these sites as well (see map above).

Bellingham Bay Action Team
The RG Haley 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.

Español
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.