This project to help salmon and orcas could have caused environmental damage
A construction company working on a city of Bellingham project aimed at helping salmon and orcas was fined last fall for violating rules to prevent environmental damage, the state Department of Ecology said Thursday, Feb. 4.
Walsh Construction Co. of Deming paid a $2,000 fine in October 2020 because it “failed to properly implement practices to prevent contamination from concrete construction waste from contaminating stormwater at the city of Bellingham’s Nooksack River diversion project,” according to Ecology’s quarterly summary of penalties.
Ecology spokesman Larry Altose told The Bellingham Herald that the infraction was minor, but could have harmed wildlife because concrete is caustic with a high pH.
“It’s a concern for any construction site that has concrete work,” including bridges and other projects, Altose said. “It adds up over time, even if it’s a small thing.”
Walsh was working on a city of Bellingham project to remove a dam on the river’s middle fork, which sometimes has been tapped for drinking water for nearly 60 years.
Dam removal was aimed at helping improve habitat for salmon, a vital food source of the Salish Sea’s endangered southern resident killer whales.
Altose said he didn’t know the details of the infraction, but he said Walsh accepted responsibility.
Construction companies must have a separate area for concrete preparation and keep materials for running into drains, he said.
“It’s a major construction company that handles a lot of construction projects in a responsible way,” Altose said.
“We recognize that the project overall is making an environmental improvement,” Altose said.
