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Pilot Port: Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham Mountainview
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Port of Bellingham Description
The Port of Bellingham is a municipal corporation serving Whatcom County, located between the major metropolitan areas of Seattle and Vancouver, BC. A 1995 study estimates that base employment tied to the Port’s waterfront is 2491 jobs, and 3853 if export-related and secondary impact employment is considered. The port of Bellingham’s mission is to fulfill the essential transportation needs of the region while providing leadership in maintaining Whatcom County’s overall economic vitality through the development of comprehensive facilities, programs, and services. The port pledges to work cooperatively with other entities within the framework of community standards to be a responsible trustee of publicly owned assets.
The Port of Bellingham has recently been engaged in coordinated efforts to plan economic revitalization and environmental stewardship within Bellingham Bay. The Port’s sustainable waterfront stewardship approach is focused on meeting future transportation needs, economic revitalization, and restoration and stewardship of marine habitat. The Port of Bellingham aims to apply its Portfields status to implement projects identified through their comprehensive planning efforts.
The Port of Bellingham was selected as a Portfields pilot due to their exciting vision for the community (to redevelop their waterfront by considering social, economic, and environmental factors) and for their specific commitments to public involvement, environmental stewardship, responsible business practices, and cooperative problem solving. Also, because of recent economic changes in the community, a number of Brownfields or under-developed properties within the port area create opportunities for federal partnerships.
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Bellingham Port Aerial
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Port Statistics
• Area: 1500 acres
• Depth of channel: Three federal channels with depths of 30 feet, 26 feet, and 18 feet
• Principle activities and primary users: Georgia Pacific tissue mill, plywood mill, cold storage, commercial fishing, fish and frozen food processing and handling, ship building and repair, passenger ferry, cruise ships, recreational boating, commercial, retail, USCG and Border Patrol stations.
• Cargo activity (type, volume): primarily break-bulk, no volume estimates available.
• Maritime infrastructure (infrastructure details, access to interstates, etc.): the Port of Bellingham includes airport, marinas, cruise and ferry terminal, commercial and industrial property (including several foreign trade zones), boat repair, bulk and break-bulk cargo handling, and is located near two ports of entry to the US, on a major rail line, and on the interstate connecting Canada to Mexico.
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Bellingham Walkway
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Portfield Projects and Status
The Port of Bellingham will implement high priority projects identified as part of the Bellingham Bay Pilot Project process. These projects are designed to address historical contamination problems in Bellingham Bay and to support local economic development efforts. The agency work group for the Bellingham Bay Pilot Project has published a “Comprehensive Strategy for Bellingham Bay” and this cooperative partnership between the local community, federal and state agencies and tribes is beginning to show results which will have sustainable positive benefits in the marine environment, including source control, sediment cleanup, and protection of aquatic resources.
Four specific projects have been identified to date:
• Central Waterfront Redevelopment Area - The central waterfront area of Bellingham Bay contains several vacant industrial properties, including several state-lead waste-sites, which could be redeveloped to meet the goals of the Portfields project. Many of these sites are adjacent to the Whatcom Waterway federal navigation channel. Sediment contamination will be addressed as part of the comprehensive cleanup plan for the Bellingham Bay Pilot Project. Additional site assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment planning is still needed. Assessment of specific sites and planning use of the navigational channel is currently underway.
On January 20, 2005, the Port acquired Georgia Pacific tissue mill’s waterfront property including its treatment lagoon. Georgia Pacific exchanged the 137-acre property with the Port under an agreement that the Port would clean up the mill-site property and contaminated marine sediment in the adjacent federal channel (Whatcom Waterway). To protect both the Port and Georgia-Pacific from potential cost over-runs, unknown liabilities and other financial exposure, the parties purchased an environmental insurance product with a 30-year term. Under the terms of the policy, Georgia Pacific has paid a $5 million premium and the Port will pre-pay half of the estimated $40 million cleanup costs in three annual installments. Those funds will be refunded as cleanup costs accrue. Washington State Department of Ecology grants will help fund the other half of the cleanup as projects develop. For more information visit: http://www.portofbellingham.com.
The Port and the City of Bellingham have partnered in the long-term restoration and redevelopment of the Central Waterfront under their historical inter-local agreement. The Washington State Department of Ecology is overseeing the cleanup and working closely with the Port to develop a cleanup schedule. The Bellingham Bay Work Group is a cooperative partnership including agencies, tribes, and local government. The Work Group and the Bellingham Bay Pilot are beginning their public involvement and outreach program that will provide information to decision-makers and to the ongoing public policy process regarding the Bellingham waterfront.
• "Green" Marina - The Port of Bellingham is currently developing alternatives for the future use of the treatment lagoon in the Central Waterfront Redevelopment area. Post-remediation alternatives include the creation of a “habitat-friendly” marina for recreational boaters using clean building materials and the requirement that users utilize Best Management Practices. The Port would convert the remediated lagoon into 28 acres of new aquatic land, including over 4,000 lineal feet of nearshore salmon habitat.
• Squalicum Creek - The Squalicum Industrial Area includes the Squalicum waterway federal navigation channel adjacent to Bellingham Cold Storage (a major employer). Squalicum Creek, which supports a salmon run, enters Bellingham Bay at the head of the navigation channel through a narrow culvert. The port has specific interest in addressing salmon habitat issues and public access in the Squalicum Creek Delta, while allowing for future integration of commercial development involving the federal navigation channel. Preliminary planning has been completed and a proposed project alternative has been selected. This alternative provides the maximum environmental benefits for the lowest cost. It includes the removal of contaminated pilings and a derelict pier, the installation of boulders, baffles and a rock arch rapids to address a fish passage barrier, establishment of marsh and woody riparian fringe adjacent to the delta and estuary, and beneficial re-use of clean dredge material to connect adjacent intertidal habitat.
• Coast Guard Base - The Port of Bellingham is currently working with the Coast Guard to pursue the possibility of an expanded presence in Bellingham Bay. The Coast Guard currently has a small base located on the I&J Waterway Federal navigation channel. Bellingham is ideally located within close proximity to the US-Canadian border. Should the Coast Guard decide to expand their base in Bellingham, this would likely occur over the next two years.
• Sound Sustainability Center (PSSC) – The port is working with partners interested in sustainability including Western Washington University (WWU) to explore the possibility of developing an education, research, and development facility (PSSC) on the Bellingham Bay Waterfront. WWU is located in the City of Bellingham overlooking the Port of Bellingham. This is likely a longer-term project.
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Rear of sailboat
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For More Information
NOAA Contacts:
Mary Baker
NOAA/ National Ocean Service
phone: (206)526-6315
e-mail: mary.baker@noaa.gov
David Holst
NOAA/ National Ocean Service
phone: (301)713-2989 x 161
e-mail: david.holst@noaa.gov
Port Contacts:
Mike Stoner
phone: (360)676-2500
e-mail: mikes@portofbellingham.com
Alan Birdsall
phone: (360)676-2500
e-mail: alanb@portofbellingham.com
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