(This is the last post of a three-part series on our cleanup, restoration, and preservation efforts at Port Gamble.)
The cleanup and restoration of Port Gamble Bay
An even larger vision exists around cleanup and restoration of Port Gamble Bay. The in-water cleanup and restoration and preservation efforts build on past and future momentum to continue to transform this productive and high-quality bay.
Following decommissioning of the old wastewater treatment system, the associated wastewater will be removed, and 90 acres of geoduck tracts will be reopened to harvest. Pope Resources is developing a plan to revitalize the Port Gamble Town and make it a destination for local and regional recreation.
The Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe led a beach debris removal project, illustrating the need for continued stewardship to keep our beaches clean.
Future Port Gamble efforts include:
- Decommissioning of the Port Gamble wastewater treatment plant in 2017.
- Removing the existing wastewater outfall pipe from Hood Canal by January 2019.
- Opening up of 90 acres of geoduck tracts in Hood Canal north of Port Gamble Bay once wastewater treatment plant is fully decommissioned and Department of Health approves reopening.
- Removing sediment stockpiles at the mill and disposing of contaminated sediment at an approved disposal facility in 2017; to be finished by March 2018.
- Cleaning up the mill site uplands in 2017 and beyond. We will continue to work with Pope Resources, tribes and stakeholders to oversee final cleanup actions for dioxins/furans, which have been detected in upland areas of the site.
The Port Gamble cleanup is an excellent example of the positive outcomes and opportunities that can result from cleaning up contaminated spaces. These cleanup efforts helped galvanize local communities and stimulate restoration and protection of this historic area, to be enjoyed by generations to come.