This is what you’ll hear as Port makes changes for cargo activity at shipping terminal
Remember the sounds of scrap metal being loaded onto a cargo ship at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal back in October of 2022?
That ship, the Blue Everton, left Bellingham Bay in the fall. But a new ship is now in its spot and the Port of Bellingham has made some changes to address the noise concerns from the previous cargo activity.
The Kaiti Hill is a 560-foot-long bulk carrier cargo ship that arrived at the terminal Sunday, Feb. 26, to be loaded with about 60 million pounds of scrap metal by ABC Recycling as part of an ongoing recycling program, according to the Port of Bellingham Public Affairs Administrator Michael Hogan.
The scrap metal will be shipped to Vietnam to be recycled and reused. ABC Recycling expects to export recycled metal from the shipping terminal every 6-8 weeks, according to Hogan.
“The Bellingham Shipping Terminal is the Port’s biggest potential job-creating asset and the Port is thrilled to have regular cargo activity and family-wage jobs return to the terminal after 20 years of little to no activity,” Hogan said in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
The same cargo activity sparked noise complaints in October. Many of the complaints involve the timing of the noise, with people saying they were being kept awake late at night by the sounds of moving scrap metal.
In response, the Port hosted a meeting with nearby neighborhoods and set up a website for community members to get email or text notifications when the shipping terminal berth schedule is updated.
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, Hogan told The Herald.
“While the Port is pleased ABC Recycling is stimulating economic activity and creating family-wage jobs, all noise levels must comply with the rules set forth in the City of Bellingham’s noise ordinance,” Hogan said.
Approximately 40 workers are involved with loading the Kaiti Hill, including employees of ABC Recycling, Pacific Terminal Services Company, ILWU Local 7, Transmarine Navigation and Port staff. With the increase in work at the Shipping Terminal, the ILWU Local 7 has registered eight new members bringing the total to 18, according to Hogan.
The Kaiti Hill is scheduled to leave Bellingham on Tuesday, March 7, according to the shipping terminal berth schedule. However, that is subject to change depending on how quickly crews work and break down equipment, Hogan told The Herald.
The Kaiti Hill was built in 2004, sails under the flag of Hong Kong and is currently valued at $8.6 million, according to MarineTraffic.com.
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 10:31 AM.
