Noisy scrap metal loading expected next week at Port of Bellingham, raising neighbors’ ire
ABC Recycling’s operation at the Port of Bellingham Shipping Terminal will see heavy activity again starting next week with the arrival of a new bulk carrier ship, to the chagrin of nearby residents.
The M.V. Autumn Sea is expected to dock next week and will load about 27,500 metric tons of recycled iron and steel — an activity that has sparked significant controversy among nearby neighbors since it began last October due to the noise the operation makes.
“I know a few residents who live near the Port’s industrial shipping facility have voiced their concerns,” said ABC Recycling Community Relations manager Riley Sweeney in a press release announcing the expected arrival of the ship. “We want everyone to know that we hear them and will continue to refine our operations while providing family wage jobs right here in Bellingham.”
“This is the fourth ship we have loaded at Bellingham Bay, and with each loading, we get better and better.” Sweeney said.
ABC Recycling, a British Columbia-based recycling company, recently started scrap metal recycling operations at the Port of Bellingham after 20 years of inactivity left the area relatively quiet.
Scrap metal is exported from the Bellingham Shipping Terminal every 6-8 weeks, typically drawing frustration from Bellingham residents in the South Hill neighborhood about the loud noises generated from the activity.
By February, the Port of Bellingham had already made some changes to help address noise complaints.
The recycled metal being loaded onto the M.V. Autumn Sea will be shipped to India where it will be remelted and turned into new construction materials like rebar, I-beams and sheet metal, according to Sweeney.
The Port set up a website for community members to get email or text notifications when the shipping terminal berth schedule is updated, although the M.V. Autumn Sea was not listed on the website as of Wednesday morning. The Port also worked with ABC Recycling to reduce noise by building a sound barrier next to the loading area made of stacked shipping containers, according to previous reporting by The Bellingham Herald.
“We are excited to roll up our sleeves and get to work,” said Sweeney. “This is what a working waterfront looks like and we are proud to see our green-collar jobs in action.”
The loading is expected to take seven days with about 70 workers moving cargo aboard the ship. Operations are expected between 8 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. daily. ABC Recycling and the Port of Bellingham are also expected to increase the height of the existing container wall to help manage the sound generated from the ship loading activity.
ABC Recycling is also facing community backlash over its proposed metal shredder and recycling facility just outside of town. About 200 people gathered last week at a public meeting to talk about the potential impact of the facility and the possible dangers it could bring to the community.
Residents raised concerns about potential noise, additional truck traffic and possible environmental impacts such as dust and chemicals.
The facility, which is proposed to be constructed adjacent to the Lehigh Northwest Concrete factory off Marine Drive, would process post-consumer goods like depolluted vehicles, old water tanks and washing machines. The shredded metal would then be transported to the company’s existing shipping facility at the Port of Bellingham and shipped to various steel mills overseas to be remelted for future use.
ABC Recycling, a British Columbia-based company, already operates ten metal recycling facilities in the Pacific Northwest. The shipping terminal at the Port of Bellingham is the company’s newest facility.
This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 10:34 AM.
