Georgia-Pacific West

SITE DESCRIPTION

The Georgia-Pacific West property is about 64 acres on the Bellingham waterfront, 300 W. Laurel St. It is bordered by the Whatcom Waterway, Cornwall Avenue, East Chestnut Street and the Bellingham Shipping Terminal.

The Port of Bellingham purchased the property from Georgia-Pacific LLC in 2005.

Portions of the property are contaminated at levels that exceed standards under the state’s toxic cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act. These contaminated areas make up the G-P West site.

The site was used to manufacture paper products from 1925 through 2007.

The Port of Bellingham and the state of Washington own portions of the site. Contamination may extend onto other properties.

Past investigations in the area found petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, dioxins, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and volatile organic compounds in soils and groundwater. These contaminants are in concentrations that exceed state standards and must be addressed.

SITE STATUS – September 2009

Ecology and the port signed a legal agreement, called an agreed order (PDF 2020 KB), Aug. 25, 2009. The order requires the port to conduct a comprehensive environmental study of the site (called a remedial investigation) and analyze cleanup options (called a feasibility study), with Ecology oversight.

Ecology also finalized a public participation plan (PDF 434 KB) which describes the tools that Ecology plans to use to inform the public about the site and identifies opportunities for the community to get involved.

The documents were made final following a 30-day public review and comment period that closed July 15, 2009.

Ecology received one comment letter (PDF 619 KB) during the public comment period and responded (PDF 470 KB). Minor changes were made to the draft agreed order.

These final documents are required steps toward cleaning up toxic contamination in the environment under the Model Toxics Control Act.

NEXT STEPS

2010 – Report on environmental study and analysis (RI/FS report).

2011 – Cleanup action plan and consent decree.

2012 - Project design and permitting.

2013 - Construction.

2014 - Long-term monitoring.