Public comment open for Westman Marine cleanup at Blaine Harbor

With the Westman Marine site in Blaine Harbor slated for cleanup, the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) is looking for public input on its cleanup action plan. The public review process began May 22 and ends Wednesday, July 5.

The Port of Bellingham found toxins in the site’s soil and sediment during a 2013-14 investigation and removed 420 tons of contaminated soil during an earlier cleanup. The action plan calls for removing and capping contamination along with monitoring conditions and restricting uses. The groundwater remains unaffected, according to DOE.

Westman Marine and other former tenants conducted maintenance and repairs on marine vessels for years at the site, located at 218 McMillan Avenue. An anti-fouling agent called tributyltin, which is toxic to marine organisms, was used on ships to prevent barnacle and algae growth. Other contaminants include hydrocarbons, biphenyls and assorted metals.

A legal agreement between the port and DOE requires the port to conduct a remedial investigation and develop a detailed design of the cleanup construction. Washington’s environmental cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act, provides requirements for contaminated site cleanup and sets standards to protect human health and the environment, which DOE oversees. 

The port began voluntarily sampling sediment in Blaine Harbor in 2001, according to DOE. 

DOE spokesperson Ian Fawley said current tenants On-Board Marine Services, a full-service boatyard, are following best management practices and procedures to prevent further contamination. “All contamination at the site is historical or legacy contamination,” Fawley said.

DOE plans to finalize the cleanup action plan after addressing comments this summer, with design and permitting scheduled for 2023/24. No date has been set for cleanup construction, but it will occur under a separate legal agreement and after another public review and comment period.

The remaining cleanup work is expected to cost $14 million. Under the state’s remedial action grant program, the port is eligible for reimbursement of up to half its costs.

More information and the action plan can be found on the DOE website. 

Bellingham environmental advocacy nonprofit RE Sources, which has partnered with the port and DOE, created a video to provide background information on the site.