Harris Avenue Shipyard

Facility Site ID: 2922 Cleanup Site ID: 193

Current Status

Aerial view of Harris Avenue Shipyard cleanup site
Aerial view of Harris Avenue Shipyard cleanup site

Last updated: April 2022

Información en español

2020 Fact Sheet
2020 Postcard
2021 Final Cleanup Action Plan

Work begins on engineering design for cleanup
Ecology conducted a public comment period (December 7, 2020 - January 30, 2021) on a draft Cleanup Action Plan, Agreed Order (legal agreement), and a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) determination for the Harris Avenue Shipyard site on the Bellingham waterfront in the Fairhaven neighborhood.

Ecology has reviewed and considered the public comment received on the documents. Based on Ecology’s evaluation of the comment, no changes were necessary in the documents, and they are being finalized. (Download the 2021 Response to Comments.)

Work will begin on the engineering design of the cleanup action (construction). See graphic below and visit Ecology’s cleanup process webpage to learn more about Washington’s formal cleanup process.


Want to learn more?
Visit our 2022 blog: Cleaning up: Getting ready for more Bellingham Bay cleanup

General Cleanup Process

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 below) over a variable timeline.
Click graphic to enlarge
Click graphic to enlarge

Estimated Site Timeline

  • December 7, 2020 – January 20, 2021:  Held a 45-day public comment period. 
  • December 16, 2020: Hosted an online public meeting. (Download presentation PDF.)
  • Early 2021:  Finalize the Cleanup Action Plan and associated documents. Ecology reviewed and considered all comments received and responded accordingly. (Download Response to Comments.)
  • 2022/2023:  Estimated time to complete design of the cleanup action. 

Implementation of the cleanup action (construction) will occur under a future separate legal agreement, which will be issued for public review and comment.

Public Participation

Current Harris Avenue Shipyard 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 Information

Harris Avenue Shipyard Site on Bellingham Waterfront in Fairhaven neighborhood, October 2019
Harris Avenue Shipyard Site on Bellingham Waterfront in Fairhaven neighborhood, October 2019

Site History
The Harris Avenue Shipyard cleanup site (Site) is located at 201 Harris Avenue in Bellingham’s Fairhaven Neighborhood. The Site consists of approximately 5 acres of contaminated marine sediment (in-water) and 5 acres of contaminated soil and groundwater (upland). The contamination is from historic shipbuilding and other industrial operations.

Shipbuilding activities began in the early 1900’s, and in 1966 the Port began leasing to other industrial operations.

The State of Washington and the Port own the property within the Site. The Port and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources have a management agreement for the harbor-area parcels, including the aquatic and historical infill lands.

In 1998, the Port began voluntarily investigating sediment at the Site. Based on this work, Ecology and the Port entered into a legal agreement (agreed order) in 2003 to complete a comprehensive sediment investigation. In 2010, Ecology and the Port entered into a second agreed order to investigate upland soil and groundwater. 

Early cleanup (Interim Action)
In 2018, the Port, with Ecology oversight, completed an early cleanup action for a portion of the Site. 

The early cleanup action, called an interim action:

  • Removed wooden and creosote structures.
  • Dredged and disposed of contaminated subtidal sediment.
  • Excavated and backfilled intertidal areas with clean sediment.
  • Excavated and disposed of contaminated soil, and capped with gravel.
  • Replaced creosote-treated wooden pier with concrete and steel pier.

Contamination
Investigations conducted by the Port found contamination from former shipbuilding and other historical operations. Contaminants in soil and groundwater (petroleum hydrocarbon compounds and metals) and sediment (polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, semivolatile organic compounds, and metals) were found at concentrations above state standards established to protect human health and the environment. 

Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot
The Harris Avenue Shipyard 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 Harris Avenue Shipyard en Bellingham.  

Si le gustaría recibir documentos en español, por favor llame al 425-240-4353 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 4
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Agreed Order DE: 19450 3/4/2021 Agreed Order
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Agreed Order Amendment - July 2016 7/11/2016 Agreed Order Amendment
Harris Avenue Shipyard - 2010 Agreed Order - Uplands RI/FS 5/1/2010 Agreed Order
Harris Avenue Shipyard - 2003 Agreed Order - RI/FS 8/25/2003 Agreed Order
Public Information 16
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Response to Comments - CAP, AO, SEPA - February 2021 2/3/2021 Responsiveness Summary
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Public Meeting Presentation - December 16, 2020 12/15/2020 Multimedia
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Postcard - CAP/AO/SEPA - December 2020 12/2/2020 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Fact sheet - CAP/AO/SEPA - December 2020 12/2/2020 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Response to Comments - RI/FS - June 2019 6/3/2019 Responsiveness Summary
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Public Meeting Presentation - April 17, 2019 4/18/2019 Multimedia
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Public Participation Plan - March 2019 3/27/2019 Public Participation Plan
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Fact Sheet RI/FS - March 2019 3/27/2019 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Response to Comments - Agreed Order Amendment-SEPA - May 2015 5/26/2015 Responsiveness Summary
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Proposed Interim Action Plan - Public Presentation - March 26, 2015 3/27/2015 Multimedia
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Fact Sheet - Announcement of Public Meeting - March 2015 3/17/2015 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Fact Sheet - Amendment to 2010 Agreed Order - March 2015 3/6/2015 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Harris Avenue Shipyard - News Release - 2013 Sampling at Site 1/25/2013 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Responsiveness Summary - 2010 Agreed Order 3/1/2010 Responsiveness Summary
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Fact Sheet - 2010 Agreed Order 10/1/2009 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Fact Sheet - 2003 Agreed Order 6/1/2003 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
State Environmental Policy Act 4
Technical Reports 14
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Engineering Design Report_Appendix E 3-Part Calculations_2023 2/21/2024 Engineering Design Report
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Engineering Design Report_Appendix D Hydraulic Tests_2023 2/21/2024 Engineering Design Report
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Engineering Design Report_Appendix B Boring Logs_2023 2/21/2024 Engineering Design Report
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Engineering Design Report_Appendix A Structural Inspection Report_2023 2/21/2024 Engineering Design Report
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Engineering Design Report_Upland Cleanup Action_2023 6/30/2023 Engineering Design Report
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Pre-Remedial Design Investigation - October 2021 10/7/2021 Remedial Investigation Work Plan
Final Cleanup Action Plan 2/2/2021 Cleanup Action Plan
Final Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study Attachments 6/28/2019 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
Final Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study Vol II 6/28/2019 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
Final Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study Vol I 6/28/2019 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Interim Action Work Plan - April 2015 4/10/2015 Interim Action Documents
Harris Avenue Shipyard - Data Gaps Investigation/Sampling Analysis/Quality Assurance Project Plan 1/25/2013 Sampling and Analysis Plan
Harris Avenue Shipyard - RI/FS - Data Report 8/17/2012 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
Harris Avenue Shipyard - RI/FS Work Plan 1/19/2011 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
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 8

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Other Contaminant - Base/Neutral/Acid Organics C
Metals - Metals Priority Pollutants C C S C
Metals - Metals - Other C C S C
Halogenated Organics - Polychlorinated biPhenyls (PCB) B B S C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Phenolic Compounds S C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons C B S
Metals - Arsenic C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Other 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.