A cleanup proposal will lead to housing on the waterfront. Here’s a chance to weigh in
The public will soon see details on a cleanup project that could lead to a significant workforce housing project on Bellingham’s waterfront.
The Washington State Department of Ecology will host a public meeting about the former Georgia-Pacific property on Wednesday, June 29. The presentation will be about the cleanup of land for a proposed project to build more than 70 residential units. The facility is designed to fit the budget of workers and will have classrooms for an early learning center.
The project is being proposed by the Port of Bellingham and Mercy Housing Northwest. There is also a walking tour of the property planned on June 29.
A food campus project is also being planned in the area, but that is part of a separate proposal that may come after the housing project gets going.
The focus of the public meeting and tour will be on the cleanup stage of the property. The plan is to remove 13,600 tons of contaminated soil and 5,900 tons of other debris, including pavement, and have it trucked to a disposal area. Getting this done under the current timeline will allow Mercy Housing Northwest to begin construction in 2023.
The public will also get a chance to comment online on the cleanup project. The comment period begins Monday, June 20, and goes through Tuesday, July 19.
The three-acre area for the proposed housing was formerly home to a warehouse that stored lignin and liquid waste, according to Department of Ecology documents. Lignin is a byproduct of the paper pulping process and can be converted into various consumer products such as vanilla flavoring, adhesives, pharmaceuticals and dust retardants, according to the report.
As a result of the former use, the soil and groundwater on this part of the property is contaminated with metals. Along with removing the contaminated soil, the proposed cleanup plans calls for monitoring and testing of the groundwater rather than capping the area.
Given that this area will be used for housing and a childcare facility, removing the contaminated soil became a better solution than other options, such as capping the property, said Ian Fawley, Department of Ecology’s outreach specialist.
This three-acre area is one of the less contaminated areas of the former GP property, with no mercury being found, Fawley said.
The walking tour will take place at noon on Wednesday, June 29, and will be hosted by ReSources. The public presentation will be held on the same day, starting at 6:30 p.m. and hosted by the Department of Ecology. Further details, including documents about the cleanup proposal, can be found on Ecology’s website.
