I & J Waterway

Last Updated: January 2024

2023 Fact Sheet | Información en español

Ecology held a 30-day comment period (August 28 - September 26, 2023) for review of the following legal agreements for the cleanup of the I & J Waterway Site (Site) on the Bellingham waterfront. The agreements addressed each of the two Sediment Cleanup Units (SCU-1 and SCU-2) that comprise the Site.

• Consent Decree, SCU-1. This agreement between Ecology, the Port of Bellingham
  (Port) and Bornstein Seafoods (Bornstein) requires the Port and Bornstein to
  design and implement the cleanup of SCU-1. It includes an updated version of a cleanup plan finalized by Ecology in 2019.
  
  Agreed Order, SCU-2. This agreement between Ecology and the Port requires the Port to design the cleanup of SCU-2. It includes the same updated cleanup plan as the consent decree for SCU-1.

Ecology did not receive any public comments on these documents, and they were finalized without change.

As required by the finalized documents, the design of the cleanup has been completed for SCU-1 and has begun for SCU-2.

• Summer 2024: Begin cleaning up SCU-1.
• 2026: Begin cleaning up SCU-2.

The cleanup of SCU-2 will occur under a future legal agreement which will be issued for public review.

Join our email list to receive updates about the I & J Waterway 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 the MTCA law and oversees cleanups. The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps (see graphic below) over a variable timeline.

Current I & J Waterway 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.

Site History
The I & J Waterway cleanup site is about 3.1 acres in Bellingham Bay, between Hilton Avenue and Bellwether Way. Property owners within the Site boundaries are the Port of Bellingham and the state of Washington.

The Site consists of contaminated marine sediments in the waterway and nearby ship-berthing areas.

The contamination is the result of shoreline industrial activities of former owners and port tenants. Portions of the Site were used for lumber mill operations from the early 1900s through 1972. Other industrial operations within the Site boundaries included a rock-crushing plant from 1963 to 1992, frozen food processing from 1946 to 1959, and a seafood processing plant that has been in operation since 1959.

Contamination
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, phenols, and nickel are present in marine sediment. These contaminants are related to historic industrial activities, including lumber mill operations, rock crushing, and food/seafood processing.  A building fire also likely contributed to the contamination. 

Other contaminants such as dioxins/furans, polychlorinated biphenols (PCBs), and mercury were also found at the Site. Dioxins/furans are present throughout Bellingham Bay from many possible sources including former pulp and paper mills and wood treating operations, and on-going burning activities. Mercury is related to past discharges from the Georgia-Pacific Pulp Mill. The source of PCBs is unknown. 

The contamination must be addressed under the state’s toxics cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act.

Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot
The I & J Waterway 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 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.

En español

El Departamento de Ecología le invita a revisor los documentos para el sitio que está contaminado I & J Waterway 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.