Public comment invited on cleanup project

By Stefanie Donahue

The public is invited to weigh in before the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) begins the required cleaning of the Blaine Marina Inc. site, located within the industrial area in Blaine Harbor.

The DOE uncovered potentially hazardous chemicals in the groundwater and soil near the site in 2015, thought to be caused by a leak from three fuel storage tanks dating back to 1955.

The property is owned by the Port of Bellingham and was leased to Blaine Marina Inc. in the 1950s for use as a tank farm and fueling facility. It was handed back to the Port of Bellingham in 2015. Under state law, cleanup of the site is required.

The DOE has worked for months to finalize a comprehensive cleanup plan for the site. In May, the agency issued a consent decree for the public to review and provide comment.

The decree is a legal agreement that requires the Port of Bellingham to clean the site using the finalized plan.

Prior to the DOE and the Port entering into the agreement, the public is invited to weigh-in. The document, in addition to an engineering design report and an environmental determination of non-significance, are available online for review. To review the documents, visit: bit.ly/2j2m5z5.

The documents can also be reviewed at the Blaine Public Library, 603 3rd Street and the DOE office in Bellingham, 913 Squalicum Way, Unit 101. The public can mail comments to site manager Cris Matthews, 913 Squalicum Way, Unit 101, or submit them online. To learn more about the project, visit bit.ly/2j2m5z5.