Washington ecology department announces start of Port Gamble Bay cleanup

The Washington Department of Ecology (WDE) announced on Sept. 24 that the cleanup of Port Gamble Bay is set to begin Monday, spearheaded by contractor Orion Marine Group and liable to Poe Resources.

The Port Gamble Bay site had been used by Pope & Talbot Inc. for over 140 years until its facilities were shut down in 1995. The company created wood products, continuing for 10 years as Pope Resources after the original company divested its Washingtonian timberland and development properties. After 1995, the mill was used to sort and chip logs and to handle materials. The historic use of the site has left it contaminated and has released creosote, dioxin and wood waste as in-water sediments. Port Gamble Bay is a Puget Sound Initiative priority bay, one of seven identified for cleanup.

The activities, which will begin this week and continue until 2017, aim to deal with 70,000 cubic yards of sediments, either digging it up, removing it or capping it with clean material. The project will also remove 6,000 pilings from the site and demolish structures like piers and docks, as well as restore marine habitats.