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Public Works and Natural Resources Committee

BEL-PWN-2025-09-15 September 15, 2025 Public Works Committee City of Bellingham 27 min
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The Public Works and Natural Resources Committee moved forward with two significant environmental infrastructure projects during a brief 27-minute meeting. The committee unanimously approved a $48.8 million contract for the long-awaited cleanup of contaminated waterfront sites that will create the first phase of Salish Landing Park. They also granted a noise variance to ensure completion of critical fish passage improvements on Padden Creek before the September 30th regulatory deadline. The RG Haley/Cornwall Landfill cleanup represents a major milestone in Bellingham's environmental remediation efforts, involving two toxic cleanup sites at the south end of Cornwall Avenue that have been under regulatory orders for years. The $48.8 million contract with IMCO General Construction came in nearly $12 million under the engineer's estimate of $60.7 million. The three-year project will cap contaminated soils with synthetic liners, armor the shoreline, and create the initial phase of what will become Salish Landing Park. Meanwhile, the Padden Creek fish passage project faced unexpected delays due to a recent diesel spill, creating time pressure to complete in-water work before fish migration windows close. The committee granted authority for 24-hour construction operations if needed, though the contractor currently expects to finish within normal working hours. Both projects represent significant environmental improvements for Bellingham's waterfront and creek systems, addressing decades-old contamination while creating new public amenities.

**AB 24651 - RG Haley/Cornwall Cleanup Contract Award** - **Action:** Awarded contract to IMCO General Construction - **Amount:** $48,779,160.34 (including sales tax) - **Vote:** 3-0 approval - **Staff Recommendation:** Award to lowest responsible bidder - **Engineer's Estimate:** $60,710,443.95 (bid came in $11.9 million under estimate) - **Timeline:** Three years to completion - **Funding:** Remedial Action Grant, Environmental Remediation Fund, Public Works Trust Fund loan, Greenwa…

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**Environmental Cleanup and Park Development Integration** The committee explored how the cleanup and park construction work together strategically. Craig Mueller explained that phase one park elements must be built during cleanup to avoid future disruption of the synthetic liner system. "Anything that would be penetrating the lining system, we want to get in with the cleanup, do it once," he said. Future park phases can only work in clean soils above the liner, making this coordination essential. **Tribal Sovereignty and In-Water Work** Council Member Dan Hammill raised questions about tribal consultation for the in-water portions of the cleanup. City Attorney Amy Kraham explained the project went through Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Agency (JARPA) process, with the Army Corps of Engineers handling tribal notifications. No comments or objections were received. The city also maintained ongoing conversations with the Lummi Nation and Nooksac…
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**City Staff Position** Staff strongly advocated for both agenda items as essential environmental improvements. Mike Wilson called the cleanup contract "a milestone" representing years of planning and interagency coordination. Joel Pfundt emphasized the public interest in completing fish passage work quickly, citing operational risks and community impacts from delays. **Neighborhood Concerns** Council Member Lisa Anderson highlighted Fairhaven neighborhood concerns about communication during the diesel spill, emphasizing the need for direct notification to residents closest to …
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**Craig Mueller, on project timeline:** "We've been working on this for a very, very, very long time and it makes me very happy to be here today. This is definitely a milestone." **Joel Pfundt, on fish passage urgency:** "The temporary condition in the creek during construction is more of a fish barrier than the condition that was in place prior to the start of the project." **Lisa Anderson, on community notification:** "Not everybody is on nextdoor neighbor. We don't have everybody's email…
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**Immediate Timeline:** - Both items advance to City Council for final approval on September 15, 2025 - Padden Creek work continues toward September 30 deadline - Potential fish window extension to October 14 if needed from Department of Ecology **Project Implementation:** - RG Haley/Cornwall cleanup begins upon contract execution - Thre…

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**Contractual Authorization:** The city gained authority to execute a $48.8 million environmental cleanup contract, moving from planning to construction phase after years of regulatory process. **Noise Ordinance Exception:** The city now has variance authority for 24-hour construction operations on Padden Creek, providing flexibility to meet critical environmental deadlines. **Project Timeline Advancement:** Both major environmental projects shifted from committee rev…
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## Meeting Overview On a quiet September afternoon, the Bellingham City Council's Public Works and Natural Resources Committee convened for what would become a pivotal meeting in the city's environmental remediation and fish habitat restoration efforts. Committee Chair Hannah Stone opened the session at 1:30 p.m., joined by council members Lisa Anderson and Jace Cotton in the familiar setting of City Hall chambers. The agenda was compact but consequential: two major infrastructure projects that together represented nearly $49 million in public investment and years of careful planning coming to fruition. The first item would authorize the largest environmental cleanup contract in the city's recent history, while the second would grant emergency powers to complete critical fish habitat work before regulatory deadlines expired. What made this meeting particularly significant was the convergence of environmental restoration, public recreation, and regulatory urgency — themes that have increasingly defined Bellingham's approach to balancing its industrial past with its environmental future. ## The $48.7 Million Environmental Cleanup and Park Creation The centerpiece of the afternoon was the contract award for what staff consistently called a "milestone" project: the combined cleanup of the R.G. Haley site and Cornwall Avenue Landfill, paired with the first phase of Salish Landing Park. At $48,779,160.34, the contract with IMCO General Construction represents one of the most significant environmental restoration efforts in Bellingham's history. Mike Wilson, Assistant Director for Engineering and Public Works, set the tone by emphasizing the project's long journey to this moment. "This is a long planned project, major improvement for the city," he told the committee, "and I just want to recognize all the work that's gone in for the city team for public works, parks, legal has had a heavy hand in all this as well." Project engineer Craig Mueller walked the committee through the complex technical details with visible enthusiasm. "We've been working on this for a very, very, very long time and it makes me very happy to be here today," he said. "This is definitely a milestone." The scope of work is extraordinary in its complexity. The R.G. Haley site, once home to a wood treatment facility, encompasses approximately 6 acres of contaminated uplands and 60 acres of contaminated water. The Cornwall Avenue site, the city's former municipal landfill from 1954 to 1…
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### Meeting Overview The Public Works and Natural Resources Committee of the Bellingham City Council met on September 15, 2025 to consider two major infrastructure and environmental projects. The committee approved awarding a $48.8 million contract for the RG Haley/Cornwall Landfill cleanup and Salish Landing Park development, and granted a noise variance for the Padden Creek fish passage improvement project. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA):** Washington state law requiring cleanup of contaminated sites to protect human health and the environment. **Consent Decree:** A legal agreement between the city and Washington State Department of Ecology that outlines responsibilities and timeline for environmental cleanup. **Fish Window:** A regulatory period when in-water construction work is allowed to protect fish migration and spawning, typically ending September 30th. **Upland Capping:** Environmental remediation technique involving grading contaminated soil and covering with synthetic liner and clean soil cap. **JARPA Permitting:** Joint Aquatics Resources Permit Application process that coordinates multiple agencies for water-related construction projects. **Ordinary High Water Mark:** The boundary between upland and in-water areas, important for determining when special fish protection rules apply. **Eelgrass Mitigation:** Required habitat restoration to compensate for environmental impacts to underwater grass beds important for fish. **Drift Sill:** Rock structures placed in water to prevent erosion and protect shorelines from wave action. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Committee Chair, First Ward Council Member | | Lisa Anderson | Committee Member, Fifth Ward Council Member | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, At-Large Council Member | | Joel Pfundt | Public Works Director | | Mike Wilson | Assistant Public Works Director - Engineering | | Craig Mueller | Project Engine…
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Environmental Parks & Recreation Transportation & Infrastructure Government Operations Army Corps Engineers Department Of Ecology Imco General Construction Lummi Nation Nooksack Tribe Port Of Bellingham Washington Department Fish Wildlife Amy Kraham Craig Mueller Dan Hammill Hannah Stone Jace Cotton Joel Pfundt Lisa Anderson Mike Wilson Nicole Oliver Environmental Cleanup Fish Habitat Fish Passage Infrastructure Investment Noise Ordinance Noise Variance Parks Recreation Regulatory Compliance Tribal Sovereignty Waterfront Development