Brownfields Update for the Pacific Northwest

For years, uncertainties about contamination in the Old Town district of Bellingham, Wash., prevented much-needed redevelopment in an area seeing more growth in blight than in new business.

A historic landfill sitting on 13 acres on both sides of the Whatcom Creek estuary was the source of this longtime barrier to redevelopment. Sites on both sides of the creek had been ranked for further investigation and cleanup by the state’s Department of Ecology. The city knew contamination was there, but officials didn’t know the extent, says Sheila Hardy, special projects manager for the city’s Department of Planning and Community Development. According to Hardy, the landfill had been the “elephant in the room” for many years.

Then in 1996, the city began putting together an action plan for cleanup. A remedial investigation at the Whatcom Creek estuary found arsenic, cadmium, lead and PAHs in soils, and copper and zinc in seeps entering the surface waters.

When cleanup finished, the result was much more than an economic stimulator. After removing 12,000 tons of soil from the shoreline and bringing in backfill, uplands were converted into aquatic habitat. Enough dirt had been excavated to develop a salt marsh. Bank stability and erosion problems were addressed. The creek now had a gentle slope, providing better habitat for juvenile salmon. Riparian planting enhanced habitat for birds and small mammals.

When Bellingham set out to stimulate economic growth by cleaning up the historic landfill, the community was rewarded with more than just a downtown revitalization project: They earned the rejuvenation of a shoreline and natural habitat too.

In EPA Region 10, wildlife and habitat protection is a real concern because of the region’s high number of endangered plant and wildlife species. Many communities have stressed that returning property to the tax base isn’t the only issue when dealing with brownfields.

“The environmental benefits are part of a bigger picture,” Hardy says.

Historically, West Coast industry built itself up around shorelines and rivers because it needed to move goods, says Peter Battuello, managing principal at Parametrix in Bremerton, Wash. Parametrix serves as a brownfields redevelopment contractor for EPA Region 10. As a result of that historic use of waterfront, this region today deals with many shoreline issues, which often means dealing with endangered salmon, Battuello says.

“(The Region 10 projects) are probably much more rigorous than in other places,” he says.

According to Battuello, when wildlife is involved, there’s more planning, process, study and demonstration. There are constraints on how you can handle materials, for example. Or construction and cleanup may be limited to certain times of the year because of potential issues like fish spawning and migration patterns.

When designing a project, you’re also planning for permits that take nine to 18 months to secure, he adds. For example, the $2.4 million [Sinclair Inlet restoration project] (http://www.buildingonbrownfields.com/2005/June.htm#feature) in Bremerton, Wash., has several hurdles, including an old concrete manufacturing plant, two former lumber mill sites, an abandoned rock quarry and an old auto wrecking yard. Despite the hurdles, the benefits will be worth the effort. Along with cleaning up contaminants, the project will restore 9.5 acres to native habitat, reclaim degraded shorelines, establish new salmon habitat and restore the Gorst Creek estuary, which has the highest population of returning Chinook salmon in the West Puget Sound.

Parametrix submitted its first permit application 14 months ago for that project. Construction is to start in June. And that’s considered on the fast track, Battuello says.

All of these wildlife and habitat considerations make the process more expensive, he adds. Project officials must get creative when seeking financial assistance.

In Bellingham, the historic landfill project cost $2.85 million. Grants contributed $1.34 million. These included $400,000 in EPA Brownfields Demonstration Pilot Grants, $887,000 from a state Remedial Action Grant and $50,000 from a state Capital Grant. The city contributed $1.51 million.

In Bellingham, the return on investment is starting: A key site on the southern landfill lobe recently sold to a large local development corporation. The habitat restoration and public access weren’t necessary to achieve cleanup or economic goals for the site. However, including these components in the project made for better results, Hardy says.

“The end result is a new public facility that protects human health and the environment,” she says. That’s redeveloping a brownfield for the good of both the economy and the environment, a definite win-win.

The Wildlife Habitat Council will be in Seattle in May 3-4 to host “Restoring Greenspace: Ecological Re-use of Contaminated Properties in EPA Region 10.” The conference is one of several being held in regions throughout the country. 120 to 150 people are expected to attend the Seattle event, says Raissa Marks, biologist and land restoration program manager for the Wildlife Habitat Council. Those attending will include representatives from the business world as well as various regulatory agencies. For more information, go to http://www.wildlifehc.org.