Final day to submit comments to Ecology
Last day to submit comments about the RI/FS & EIS
We encourage our members and anyone in the community to please write to Ecology no later than today. Your chance to be heard is now. Seize it. As was evidenced by the turnout at the Public Hearing, there’s a chorus out there and it’s singing one message: Get the mercury out of the Whatcom Waterway. For the Foundation’s official position, go here. For the RI/FS itself, go here. We’re not providing you with form letters, as they are, for one thing, notably ineffective. We know others are doing that sort of thing, including the Chamber of Commerce’s lobbying wing. We discourage it. Instead, we encourage you to study the issues yourself and tell Ecology what you think in your own words. Please write Ecology today at:
E-mail:
Lucille T. McInerney, Department of Ecology – lpeb461@ecy.wa.gov.
Mail:
Lucille T. McInerney
Department of Ecology
3190 160th Avenue
Bellevue, WA 98008-5452
All e-mails and letters must by marked 18 December 2006.
December 12
Many voices, one message
Public turns out in forces at public hearing on
More than 70 concerned citizens filled the meeting hall at the Department of Ecology's public hearing on the Whatcom Waterway RI/FS. Thirty-two speakers offered comments for the record, and their message was unanimous: "Get the mercury out of our waterway!"
Ecology officials listened for more than two hours as citizens expressed their dissatisfaction with current cleanup proposals. Criticism focused largely on plans to cap mercury-contaminated sediments in the inner portions of the waterway, adjacent to a new downtown neighborhood that is envisioned for the former Georgia-Pacific mill site. Comments ranged from detailed critiques of data collection protocols and the lack of a proper seismic analysis to questions about the cumulative costs of long-term monitoring and the failure to provide a genuine choice among alternatives that meet proposed land-use criteria. There were also impassioned pleas to consider the legacy we will leave to future generations.
As one speaker put it, "Standards change, but mercury is forever. Now is the opportunity to do our job and remove the mercury from our waterway." Another observed, "If you have poison in your house, whether you put it there or not, you don't just throw a rug over it. You don't tell your kids they can only eat so much of it. You do the responsible thing and get it out of your house."
We at the Bay Foundation are delighted by the participation at the hearing, and truly grateful to see so many of you who care so much about our community's future. Thanks to all of you who attended on Monday evening, and to those of you who've taken the time to submit written comments to Ecology. Together we can make a difference.
The Foundation will attempt to add excerpts (streaming video) from this public hearing to this Web site in the coming week. Check back soon.
November 28
Ecology reschedules public hearing
New meeting date is December 11th
Due to a severe winter storm in Whatcom County, the Department of Ecology decided to reschedule the public hearing on the Whatcom Waterway cleanup plans. We encourage everyone to study the issues, show up at this important meeting, and be heard by officials and fellow citizens. The hearing will now take place on December 11th at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Ecology agrees to hold full public hearing
Community members demanded a public hearing
The Department of Ecology has granted the public a full hearing on the Whatcom Waterway cleanup plans developed by the Port and approved by Ecology. We encourage everyone to study the issues, show up at this important meeting, and be heard by officials and fellow citizens. The meeting will take place at the Bellingham Municipal Court House on November 28th and it starts at 5:30 p.m. According to an Ecology official, there will be no time limit for comments.
October 24
Port’s RI/FS released for Whatcom Waterway site
Bellingham Bay Foundation is developing its own alternatives with other organizations
The Port of Bellingham completed the RI/FS (Remedial Investigation/Fesibility Study) for the Whatcom Waterway site, which was released by Ecology to the public on October 10th. We have studied this document, and we have grave concerns about it, which we’ll fully explain on this Web site very soon. The next public meeting for this RI/FS is on October 30th at the Municipal Court House from 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. In the meantime, the Foundation will hold a Cleanup Forum on November 16th. And we’ve ask Ecology for a public hearing. You can ask them, too—just write Lucy McInerney at lpeb461@ecy.wa.gov. Please let us know if you write Ecology—info@bbayf.org.
We encourage you to read the document here. We also encourage you to scroll to the bottom of that page and study the last Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Study for the same Whatcom Waterway Site. Note the differences in the evaluative criteria used to compare and contrast the various alternatives.
ReSources, the Bellingham Bay Foundation, and others have asked for a full public hearing at upcoming Ecology-sponsored meetings about the Whatcom Waterway RI/FS. MTCA regulations require a full public hearing under certain circumstances:
“(d) Public hearing. The department shall hold a public hearing on the proposed consent decree for the purpose of providing the public with an opportunity to comment whenever ten or more persons request a public hearing or whenever the department determines a public hearing is necessary.”
Cf. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=173-340-600.
Below is a recent e-mail sent to Lucille T. McInerney.
From: Kevin Cournoyer
Date: October 20, 2006 7:50:48 AM PDT
To: Department of Ecology <lpeb461@ecy.wa.gov>
Subject: Request full public hearing on Whatcom Waterway RI/FS
Dear Ms. McInerney:
As a concerned citizen of Bellingham, I have grave concerns about the Whatcom Waterway RI/FS, which I just finished studying. I formally request a full and unfiltered public hearing on October 26th and on November 30th. I, for one, do not want a long presentation followed by a so-called "open house" (blown-up boards on easels around the Ferry Terminal and the Municipal Courthouse), which is simply a way of "managing" and muting public input. I want people to be able to line up and ask questions and make comments in front of the entire audience for as long as is necessary.
I would like to point out that your "Fact Sheet" for this RI/FS appears to have a dead URL to Ecology's Whatcom Waterway site. The site with the RI/FS (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites/whatcom/ww.htm) should be well publicized (it's not) and very easy to get to from the “Fact Sheet.” And when they get to it, I hope each PDF is working properly. I had a lot of trouble with many of the PDFs. Also, I'd suggest you consolidate all the PDFs associated with this RI/FS into one PDF—no matter how large it may be in the end. And all these PDFs should, with a one-to-one equivalence, match the hard copy.
Right now, this document is simply too difficult for the public to access. I was lucky that the Bellingham Bay Foundation loaned me a hard copy to review. But they only had one copy. Similarly, having a copy at the Bellingham Library, a copy at Ecology's Bellingham office, and a copy at Ecology's Bellevue office looks to me to be a way of tempering public involvement. This is a very long document. It's simply unrealistic to expect concerned citizens to read it all at these locations. As for the CD-ROM that Ecology is providing? It's filled with PDFs that do not work properly.
Let me know if you have any questions about my requests. Thank you for your hard work and concerns.
Sincerely,
Kevin Cournoyer
Foundation joins forces with leading environmental & medical organizations
Statement of Principles regarding removal of mercury.
We have signed onto a statement of principles with ReSources, Washington Toxics Coalition, Conservation Northwest, People for Puget Sound, The Olympic Environmental Council, the Mt. Baker Sierra Club, the Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders, among other groups. We are asking for a full removal of mercury from the marine environment (0.41 ppm) and disposal in an approved upland disposal site. We remain committed to removing mercury from the uplands of the G-P site all at once, before construction begins. PDF
Port’s RI/FS released for Whatcom Waterway site
Bellingham Bay Foundation is developing its own alternatives with other organizations
The Port of Bellingham completed the RI/FS (Remedial Investigation/Fesibility Study) for the Whatcom Waterway site, which was released by Ecology to the public on October 10th. We have studied this document, and we have grave concerns about it, which we’ll fully explain on this Web site very soon. The first public meeting for this RI/FS is on October 26th at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal (355 Harris Avenue, Bellingham, WA) from 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
We encourage you to read the document here. We also encourage you to scroll to the bottom of that page and study the Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Study for the same Whatcom Waterway Site. Note the differences in the evaluative criteria used to compare and contrast the various alternatives.
Court blocks vote on Healthy Bay Initiative
Bellingham Bay Foundation will press on with grassroots effort to demand a better cleanup of waterfront
By now many of you have heard about Monday's disappointing ruling barring the Healthy Bay Initiative from coming to a vote in November. The City of Bellingham challenged the initiative's validity on very narrow technical grounds, calling it an administrative rather than a legislative measure that would adversely affect agreements the City has already made with the Port regarding waterfront cleanup. (Cf. the Interlocal argreements under "Documents" at our Healthy Bay site.) Arguing for the defense, attorney David Bricklin delivered an artful and spirited interpretation of Article X of Bellingham's City Charter, asserting that the people's right to bring an initiative certainly encompasses the right to set policies intended to guide the decisions of lawmakers who act on our behalf. Moreover, Bricklin pointed out that terms of the Interlocal Agreement in question were reached in the absence of necessary and appropriate public process. Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Ira Uhrig seemed personally conflicted as he read his decision to uphold the City's challenge, finding that the initiative had the character of a resolution expressing public sentiment more than an enforceable ordinance. What is a democratic vote, we wonder, other than an expression of public sentiment?
The citizens of Bellingham may have been prevented from casting their ballots on this one initiative, but that doesn't mean our voices have been silenced. Whether we're talking about which environmental standards should apply to the cleanup of the toxic mess on our waterfront, or more generally about government accountability and the authenticity of public process. Quite the contrary. The current City Council members and the Port of Bellingham may have succeeded in blocking the Healthy Bay Initiative, but these issues aren't going away. In fact, Monday's decision has made it more critical than ever that we speak forcefully about what we want for our community's future.
What's next??
A number of you have already written to express your outrage that the city has attempted to deny citizens' rights. Thank you. Our task now is to take that energy and translate it into effective action. We hope you'll join us now and in the months ahead as we continue our campaign to educate, energize and engage the public in a process that will shape our city's character for generations to come. Our resolute staff and our tireless volunteers have already made great strides in expanding public awareness about waterfront issues. But there's so much more we can do!
A few suggestions:
Don't be shy! Tell 'em you're not gonna take it anymore! Call or e-mail City Council members and let them know what you think about their efforts to deny our rights as guaranteed under the City Charter. What are they afraid of, anyway? And who's really going to benefit from the deal they struck with the port?
Contact information:
City Council's main line - 676-6970
Bob Ryan | Ward 1 | Phone: 671-1776
Gene Knutson | Ward 2 | Phone: 733-1640
John Watts | Ward 3 | Phone: 647-2346 | E-mail: jwatts@nas.com
Joan Beardsley | Ward 4 | Phone: 676-9446 | E-mail: joanbeardsley@comcast.net
Terry Bornemann | Ward 5 | Phone: 305-0606
Barbara Ryan | Ward 6 | Phone: 671-8376 | E-mail: barbararyan@nas.com
Louise Bjornson | At-Large | Phone: 733-7756
City Council E-mail: citycouncil@cob.org
While you're at it, send a copy of your letter to The Bellingham Herald or one of our two weeklies.
Media contacts/Letters to the Editor:
letters@bellinghamherald.com
editor@cascadiaweekly.com
editor@whatcomindy.com
Talk to your family, friends and neighbors about what's going on. Ask them what they think should happen on the waterfront, and how they feel about being denied the right to vote on it. Public dialogue begins at home. Encourage everyone you know to get involved. A good place for folks to start is with our websites: www.ahealthybay.org is packed with information about the background behind the initiative, including documents outlining the port's plan to leave mercury and other toxins on our waterfront; www.bbayf.org has more general information about the Bay Foundation's history and mission. And remind them to sign up for our e-mail list to keep up to date about important events and opportunities.
Attend a meeting
We'll be making the rounds of pre-election neighborhood and community association meetings, talking about the situation on the waterfront and what citizens can do about it. If we're not already on your group's schedule, you might ask your chairperson to contact us at 527-2733 or info@bbayf.org. We'd be glad to come make a presentation and answer your questions. Also, be aware that the Department of Ecology plans to release the Port’s analysis of different cleanup alternatives for the Whatcom Waterway (the Remediation Investigation/Feasibility Study) sometime soon. We'll be scheduling forums to help educate folks about these critical documents and encourage them to make comments.
Keep the faith! Like we said, these issues aren't going away, and neither are we. We're committed to helping to shape a future that will benefit all of us. And essential to that healthy future is a healthy foundation. We've said it before and we still believe it—CLEANUP COMES FIRST!
Onward!
Anna Hall-Evans
Chair, People for a Healthy Bay
Community Relations Director, Bellingham Bay Foundation
September 15
Court hearing will determine fate of Initiative
City of Bellingham vs. People for a Healthy Bay is scheduled to get underway at 1:30 pm on Monday (9/18/2006) in Judge Uhrig's courtroom at the Whatcom County Courthouse. We hope our supporters can make the time to come and bear witness to the City's attempt to block its citizens from exercising our rights as guaranteed under the City Charter. Dave Bricklin, of Bricklin, Newman, Dold in Seattle will be arguing on our behalf. Lawyers from the City and the Port of Bellingham will be arguing against us.
LIFT
Later that same day, the Bellingham City Council will conduct a public hearing at 7:00 pm to take comment on the proposed ordinance to create a new revenue development area as required under the state's new Local Infrastructure Financing Tool (LIFT) legislation. We're inclined to think a “yea” vote on this ordinance is premature. As we've seen with the questions emerging regarding the City's Interlocal agreements with the Port, it's not necessarily a good idea to move forward with major fiscal commitments before the consequences are fully understood. (Ed. note: While the LIFT might make sense for other communities, the Interlocal agreements between the City and the Port, which Kelli Linville recently admitted to have never read, effectively turn the LIFT into a form of theft that would largely hurt citizens and disproportionately help the Port of Bellingham. More of this topic in the coming weeks.)
Citizen's Groups Endorse Healthy Bay Initiative
We're very pleased to announce that the Initiative has been formally endorsed by Washington Conservation Voters, the Washington Toxics Coalition, Conservation Northwest, and the Whatcom County Democrats. Additionally, the local Republican party passed a resolution last week condemning the city's lawsuit and declaring that the initiative "raises issues of merit." This positive attention and support from both ends of the political spectrum shows that cleanup is truly a bi-partisan issue, something we the people can all agree on. We're particularly pleased that these groups have chosen to voice their support, even while the City's lawsuit is still pending. It's great that the City's attempts to block a vote hasn't prevented public advocates from speaking out.
Anna Hall-Evans
Chair, People for a Healthy Bay
September 10
People for a Healthy Bay responds
The City of Bellingham and the Port of Bellingham have been hitting us with legal briefs and declarations for the last few weeks. We carefully analyzed these documents and responded to them. PDF
