Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District

Issues

Japanese American memorial

Bainbridge Island Japanese-American Memorial Act Passes Congress
On Way to President's Desk for Signing

20 November 2002

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee's Bainbridge Island Japanese-American Memorial Study Act of 2002 was agreed to early this morning (12:30am) in the Senate by unanimous consent. The bill is now headed to the President's desk for his signature. Under the bill, the Interior Department will study the Eagledale Ferry Dock on Bainbridge Island in Washington in order to determine a possible National Park Service designation for the site.

Inslee commented that, "Just months after entering WWII, the U.S. Army rounded up over two hundred Bainbridge Island residents, removed them from their homes, and sent them to live in internment camps-- all because of their ethnic backgrounds. This memorial study legislation is particularly timely, as it will help our country remember our history during this present time of heightened national security. A national monument would honor those who suffered and inspire our community to stand firm in the event our nation again succumbs to similar fears."

Inslee's legislation may also help secure the future of the area around the former Eagledale Ferry Dock, located at mouth of Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island, as a public park. The former Eagledale Ferry Dock is located on the Wyckoff site, which is currently undergoing a $150 million clean-up by the Environmental Protection Agency. The site is contaminated with creosote, a chemical used to preserve lumber, which came from a saw mill that had been on the site for many years.