PORT ANGELES — The city of Port Angeles is taking another shot at getting a seat at the table regarding future use of Rayonier’s former mill site.
The City Council, in a 6-1 vote, approved a letter Tuesday requesting Gov. Chris Gregoire designate the city as part of the team that will assess the damage the mill has caused to natural resources.
That team, known as the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees Council, currently is being formed by state, federal and tribal governments.
Such councils can be formed at the request of the trustees, though this process is being jump-started by Rayonier, National Marine Fisheries Service staff have said.
Panel to determine liability
The result of the council’s work will determine the company’s liability for the loss of natural resources, including fish and other marine species, which will eventually lead to how the company will compensate for the damage.
The city is concerned that Rayonier Inc. simply plans to restore the entire 75-acre waterfront site back to its natural state, with no development, in order to resolve that liability.
The company has declined to comment on its plans for future use of the property
But the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, a partner in the environmental cleanup of the property, has said Rayonier is considering using much of the property for habitat restoration, with possibly no development, to meet that goal.
That’s a position the tribe has said it supports.
The city, on the other hand, while not being opposed to habitat restoration, has consistently taken a position in favor of development on the site.
Council member opposes move
Councilman Max Mania voted against the letter, citing concerns over whether the city, by seeking development, supports the viewpoint of the entire community.
“I don’t know if we are even able to be a party in this,” he said. “I don’t know if we represent the full spectrum of views in our community on this.”
Previously, the city and the Port of Port Angeles formed Harbor-Works Development Authority in 2008 to acquire the property and spur its redevelopment.
Harbor-Works dissolved last year after being unable to attain an agreement with the company.
At this point, members of the trustees council will be the Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the state Department of Ecology and the Lower Elwha Klallam, Jamestown S’Klallam and Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes, said Rebecca Lawson, Ecology toxics cleanup program regional manager.
It’s possible for Rayonier to do additional habitat restoration work on the site beyond its liability, which it can sell as “credits” to other companies who are facing claims for the loss of natural resources, Jennifer Steger, a regional restoration center supervisor with the Fisheries Service, said in May.
Rayonier has yet to say whether that is its goal or to make any proposal regarding the future of its property to the trustees, Lawson said.
Lawson, who oversees cleanup of the property, said Ecology will likely be the lead agency on the council.
She said the various state, federal and tribal governments are working on establishing a “memorandum of understanding” before officially forming the council.
Rayonier has hired a consultant, Windward Environmental LLC of Seattle, to help it resolve its natural resource liability.
The consultant has referred all requests for comment to Rayonier.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
