One of the largest and most recognizable of Bellingham Bay’s former industrial sites, the Georgia Pacific (GP) West site, is finally in the last stages of its toxic cleanup process! This site, in the heart of Bellingham Bay, is heavily contaminated with mercury and other toxics such as petroleum products and metals. But there is a plan to make this site safe once again for people and the environment that needs your input! Are you curious how the contamination got here and want the inside scoop on how it’s getting cleaned up? Take a walk down to the waterfront or cozy up with a cup of tea while looking at our new virtual tour with seven stops going over this spot’s history, the cleanup process, and where you can plug in.
How to use the map
This site is the most complex cleanup site in Bellingham. Click each red icon to open up a video and then click again on the photo. RE Sources, Department of Ecology staff, and an Aspect Consultant will walk you through a different aspect of the GP West site, ranging from the origins of the contaminants to the plan and process to clean it up.
After learning about this cleanup plan, you can send in a comment to the Department of Ecology if you have questions, concerns, or other thoughts – your input is valuable here. The period to give comments is July 6th through August 4th. And if you want to learn even more about the cleanup plan for GP, you can attend a virtual public meeting hosted by the Department of Ecology on July 14th, starting at 6:30 p.m. Register here.
This product is funded through a Public Participation Grant from the Department of Ecology.