City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Committee

The meeting focused on a single but significant environmental remediation project at Boulevard Park, where contamination from a former manufactured gas plant requires extensive cleanup under state environmental law. Acting Parks Director Lane Potter explained that the project is currently at 60% design completion and that this grant will fund the remaining design work needed before construction can begin. The contamination stems from a gas production facility that operated from the 1890s to the 1950s, producing gas from coal to supply local homes and businesses. The facility's operations left behind hazardous substances in soil, groundwater, and marine sediments across approximately six acres of upland property and six acres of adjacent marine area in Bellingham Bay. Contaminants of concern include lead, selenium, benzene, naphthalene, cyanide, and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Potter noted that the current design phase in…

**Council Member Skip Williams (Committee Chair)** supported the grant agreement without substantive discussion, noting his intent to report the committee's approval to the full Council that evening. **Council Member Hannah Stone** sought clarification on the cost-sharing structure, confirming that PSE bears 75% of total project costs while the City's 25% share is reduced by half through Ecology grant funding. **Council Member Jace Cotton**…

**Council Member Stone, on cost-sharing clarification:** "So it seemed like for the project that cost split, it was 75% PSE and then 25% city of Bellingham and of our 25% then ecology would to reimburse up to 50%, but of our 25%." **Acting Director Potter, on project timeline:** "We're currently at 60% design on the project moving along so this grant wil…

Following this meeting, the City moved significantly closer to implementing the final phase of environmental cleanup at Boulevard Park. The committee's unanimous approval clears the way for the City to access $500,000 in state grant funding, representing half of the $1 million needed to complete final design work. This funding authorization allows staff to proceed with detailed engineering work that has been in progress since the 60% design milestone. The approval maintains the project's momentum toward its 2027-2028 construction …

### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council Parks and Recreation Committee met on November 17, 2025 to consider a single agenda item: authorizing a grant agreement with the Washington State Department of Ecology to fund cleanup of contamination at the South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant site located at the north end of Boulevard Park. ### Key Terms and Concepts **MTCA (Model Toxics Control Act):** Washington State's primary environmental cleanup law that requires investigation and cleanup of contaminated sites. The South State Street site is being cleaned up under MTCA requirements. **Potentially Liable Party (PLP):** An entity that may be legally responsible for cleanup costs at a contaminated site. The City of Bellingham is a PLP because it owns portions of the contaminated property. **Remedial Action Grant (RAG):** A state funding program that helps pay for environmental cleanup activities. Ecology provides grants covering 50% of eligible cleanup costs to qualifying recipients. **Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP):** A facility that produced gas from coal to supply fuel for heating and lighting. The Bellingham facility operated from the 1890s to the 1950s and left soil, groundwater, and marine sediment contamination. **Agreed Order:** A legal agreement between potentially liable parties and the Department of Ecology that establishes requirements and timelines for environmental cleanup activities. **Environmental Remediation Fund:** The City's dedicated funding source used to pay for environmental cleanup projects, including the City's match portion for grants. **100% Construction Plans and Specifications:** Final detailed engineering drawings and technical specifications needed to begin construction of the cleanup remedy. **Boulevard Park:** The Bellingham city park where the contaminated manufactured gas plant site is located, making cleanup essential to protect public health and maintain recreational use. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Edwin H. "Skip" Williams | Committee Chair, City Council Member | | Hannah Stone | Committee Member, City Council Member | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, City Council Member | | Laine Potter | Acting Director of Parks and Recreation | | Gina Austin | Project Engineer, City of Bellingham | ### Background Context The South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant operated from the 1890s through the 1950s, producing gas from coal to heat and light homes and businesses in Bellingham. Like many former industrial sites, decades of operations left behind contamina…