Cleanup efforts at this Bellingham toxic site make way for new marine activity
If you find yourself in Fairhaven over the next few months, you may spot a large ship docked at the former Fairhaven Shipyard site.
The Matson Kamokuiki is a U.S.-flagged container ship that docked in Bellingham Bay on June 29. The ship measures 132.23 meters long and 19.4 meters wide, according to the public vessel tracker MarineTraffic.
The ship is expected to be docked at the pier in Fairhaven for several months while undergoing maintenance and repairs, according to a social media announcement by the Port of Bellingham.
“The Fairhaven Pier is a good fit for this kind of work, giving vessels a place to tie up between assignments,” the announcement states.
The ship will run on shore power while it is docked in order to reduce emissions. Its crew and vendors are expected to spend time in the Fairhaven area, according to the Port.
This activity is part of how the Port is beginning to utilize the old Harris Avenue Shipyard after completing a multi-million dollar cleanup effort on the site last year. The site is one of 12 cleanup sites in Bellingham Bay, according to the state Department of Ecology.
The Port called this ship activity “a step toward bringing this property back into use” as it supports local jobs, nearby businesses and working waterfront activity in Fairhaven.
The site was determined to have about five acres of contaminated soil and groundwater, as well as about five acres of contaminated marine sediment in the water due to shipbuilding activities that began in the early 1900s and other industrial operations beginning in the 1960s, according to Ecology.
Contaminants include heavy metals, PCBs, petroleum and other toxic compounds, according to Ecology.
Cleanup of the in-water area around the shipyard is expected to begin in 2028 in coordination with the cleanup of the Whatcom Waterway site, according to Ecology.
