Facility Site ID: 2870 Cleanup Site ID: 3928

Public Comment Period February 12, 2024-March 12, 2024

Información en español

RG Haley legal agreement ready for public review

Download the 2024 fact sheet and postcard  |  Read blog

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We invite invite you to review a legal agreement for the cleanup of the RG Haley International Site (Site) on the Bellingham waterfront.   

The legal agreement, called a Consent Decree, is between Ecology, the City of Bellingham (City) and the Port of Bellingham (Port), and it requires the City and Port to implement the cleanup action plan for the Site. It includes an updated version of a cleanup action plan finalized by Ecology in 2018.

On-site walking tour: February 27, 2024
RE Sources, a local nonprofit organization, will host a shoreline walking tour of the Site to provide project information. Ecology, City, and Port staff will be available for questions. 

https://www.re-sources.org/RGHaley

Date/Time: Tuesday, February 27; Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Location
: Meet at the end of Cornwall Ave by the pocket beach (Bellingham, WA)

This walking tour is funded by a Public Participation Grant from Ecology.

Current Status: Legal Agreement Ready For Public Review

Aerial map of RG Haley site on Bellingham waterfront
Aerial map of RG Haley site on Bellingham waterfront
Last Updated: February 2024

Información en español

2024: Fact Sheet Blog

The Department of Ecology (Ecology) invites you to review a legal agreement for the cleanup of the RG Haley International Site (Site) on the Bellingham waterfront.   

The legal agreement, called a Consent Decree, is between Ecology, the City of Bellingham (City) and the Port of Bellingham (Port), and it requires the City and Port to implement the cleanup action plan for the Site. It includes an updated version of a cleanup action
plan
finalized by Ecology in 2018.

General Cleanup Process

Click graphic to enlarge
Click graphic to enlarge
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 and oversees cleanups.

The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps (see graphic) over a variable timeline.

Estimated Site Timeline

  • February 12 – March 12, 2024: Public comment period on legal agreement.
  • February 27, 2024: On-site walking tour hosted by RE Sources 
  • Spring 2024: Ecology responds to public comments received.
  • Late 2024: Obtain permits for construction of the cleanup action.
  • Early 2025: Begin construction of the cleanup action.

Construction of the cleanup action is expected to take about three years.

Public Participation

Current RG Haley cleanup site Public Participation Plan 

This plan includes information for the public regarding opportunities to get involved in the Site cleanup process. The outreach activities and mechanisms presented reflect Ecology’s current plans for keeping the public informed and for receiving information and comments from the public. 

Site Description

RG Haley Site, with adjacent Cornwall Avenue Landfill Site to the right
RG Haley Site, with adjacent Cornwall Avenue Landfill Site to the right

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 the 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 must be addressed under the MTCA.

Bellingham Bay cleanup
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 Demonstration Pilot
The RG Haley site is one of 12 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.

Translated Content

En español

El Departamento de Ecología le invita a revisor los documentos para el sitio que está contaminado RG Haley 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.
Legal 5
Map 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Ecology New Office Location - January 2018 1/8/2018 Map
RG Haley - Site Location Map 8/17/2015 Map
Public Information 16
State Environmental Policy Act 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
RG Haley-SEPA-DNS-Checklist - February 2018 2/1/2018 SEPA Documents
Bellingham Bay Comprehensive Strategy - SEPA - Environmental Impact Statement 10/1/2000 SEPA Documents
Technical Reports 32
Document Title Document Date Document Type
RG Haley - Cleanup Action Plan - Updated January 2024 1/10/2024 Cleanup Action Plan
RG Haley - Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Data Report, Marine Unit, Appendix B (3 of 3) - October 2022 10/25/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
RG Haley - Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Data Report, Marine Unit, Appendix B (2 of 3) - October 2022 10/25/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
RG Haley - Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Data Report, Marine Unit, Appendix B (1 of 3) - October 2022 10/25/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
RG Haley - Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Data Report, Marine Unit, Appendix A and C - October 2022 10/25/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
RG Haley - Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Data Report, Marine Unit, Text, Tables and Figures - October 2022 10/25/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
RG Haley - Engineering Design Report Appendices B through I - May 2022 5/13/2022 Engineering Design Report
RG Haley - Engineering Design Report Appendix A Part 2 - May 2022 5/13/2022 Engineering Design Report
RG Haley - Engineering Design Report Appendix A Part 1 - May 2022 5/13/2022 Engineering Design Report
RG Haley - Engineering Design Report, Tables, Figure - May 2022 5/13/2022 Engineering Design Report
RG Haley - Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Work Plan - Marine Unit - March 2022 3/18/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
RG Haley International - Ecology Project Coord Change Letter 3/22/2021 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Project Plans - Habitat Survey 11/27/2018 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Project Plans - Upland 8/22/2018 Site Specific Technical Document - other
RG Haley - Cleanup Action Plan - April 2018 4/2/2018 Cleanup Action Plan
RG Haley - h. Final Feasibility Study - Vol. 2 2/1/2016 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
RG Haley - g. Final Remedial Investigation - Vol. 1, Appendices I-M 2/1/2016 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
RG Haley - f. Final Remedial Investigation - Vol. 1, Appendices A-H 2/1/2016 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
RG Haley - e. Final Remedial Investigation - Vol. 1, Section 7,8, References 2/1/2016 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
RG Haley - d. Final Remedial Investigation - Vol. 1, Section 6 figures 44-64 2/1/2016 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
RG Haley - c. Final Remedial Investigation - Vol. 1, Section 6 figures 1-43 2/1/2016 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
RG Haley - b. Final Remedial Investigation - Vol. 1, Section 6 text & tables 2/1/2016 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
RG Haley - a. Final Remedial Investigation - Vol. 1, Sections 1-5 2/1/2016 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
Final Work Plan, Supplemental Sediment Investigation, R.G. Haley Site 8/21/2015 Sampling and Analysis Plan
Data Gaps Assessment (April 2011) 3/26/2015 Site Specific Technical Document - other
RG Haley - Interim Cleanup Action - Completion Report part 2 (Appendix C) 2/26/2014 Interim Action Documents
RG Haley - Interim Cleanup Action - Completion Report part 1 2/26/2014 Interim Action Documents
RG Haley Interim Action Work Plan 6/12/2013 Interim Action Documents
RG Haley - Petroleum Seep Interim Action Memo 3/4/2013 Interim Action Documents
RG Haley - Supplemental Investigation Work Plan 2/23/2012 Remedial Investigation Work Plan
Sediment Site Characterization Evaluation - Bellingham Bay 6/26/2009 Site Specific Technical Document - other
RG Haley - public comments on Draft Agreed Order 8/17/2004 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.

Places to see print documents

  • Northwest Regional Office
    15700 Dayton Ave N
    Shoreline, 98133
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.
  • Ecology Bellingham Field Office
    913 Squalicum Way, Unit 101
    Bellingham, 98225
    This location may only have print documents available during open comment periods.

Contaminants 5

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Other Contaminant - Base/Neutral/Acid Organics C C C
Halogenated Organics - Polychlorinated biPhenyls (PCB) C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum Products-Unspecified C
Halogenated Organics - Dioxins/Furans C C C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons C C C
S
Suspected
C
Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
B
Below Cleanup Levels
RA
Remediated-Above
RB
Remediated-Below
R
Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.