A Path from a toxic history to a beautiful city, maybe.
The towns of New Whatcom, Fairhaven, Sehome and Bellngham, grew up on coal mining, logging, canning and a paper mill. They combined into the town of Bellingham in 1903.
Georgia Pacific began Paper Mill operations in 1963, with a Chlor-Alkali plant (manufacture of Chlorine) beginning operations in 1965 on and near the ‘Log Pond’. The Chlor-Alkali plant released tons of mercury into the area, prompting an intense clean up effort by the Department of Ecology and the Port of Bellingham in the early 2000’s, creating a sealed cement cap where the metal pile lies today.
The Aerated Stabilization Basin (ASB), the square dike of water to the west of the developing Waterfront, is a holding tank for waste water including run off from the Metal Pile. Originally planned as a new marina, in 2021 Port Commissioners changed the plan to include the basin as half navigable marine water way, and half as a nearshore confined disposal facility.
Multiple groups have called for further clean up of the area over the decades, while the city and the Port seam to have squashed those endeavors, minus that which is absolutely required by the Department of Ecology.
Toxic History near by - A close miss
Is any new park, not an Ecology clean up site?
New plans emerge
In May a local newspaper reported on new plans that have emerged for the property near the Cement Manufacturing plant near Marine Drive. The property is Northwest of Birchwood neighborhood, at 765 Marine Drive. ABC Recycling, the same company that exports metal from Canada to the Bellingham Waterfront for storage and ultimately shipment to overseas locations, is planning a metal shredding operation at the site. An industry based magazine reported on the project in February.
https://resourceinfocus.com/2023/02/determined-to-be-1-in-scrap-recycling-and-supporting-communities/a
The implications of the shredder on Marine Dr and the metal pile on the Waterfront are immense. Instead of marine trades, tourism, tech and Green jobs, Bellingham and Whatcom County will be hanging out their sign, “Your toxic waste, Welcome Here”.
