Harris Avenue Shipyard cleanup site, Bellingham

The Harris Avenue Shipyard cleanup site is on the Bellingham waterfront. It consists of about 5 acres of contaminated soil and groundwater (the upland area) and 5 acres of contaminated marine sediment (the in-water area).

The legal agreement, called a consent decree, is between Ecology and the Port of Bellingham. It requires the Port to implement the Cleanup Action Plan for the upland area of the site. The Cleanup Action Plan is presented as an exhibit to the consent decree. You can review both documents on the cleanup site webpage.

The in-water area of the site will be addressed under an amendment to the consent decree in the future.

Investigations conducted by the Port found contamination from former shipbuilding and other historical operations. Contaminants are present in soil, groundwater, and in-water sediment at concentrations that represent a potential threat to human health and the environment.

On-site walking tour

RE Sources, a local nonprofit organization, will host an on-site walking tour on February 26.