PORT ANGELES — A former mill site on the city’s waterfront, which is owned by Rayonier Inc., will be cleaned up to some of the highest levels possible, City Manager Kent Myers said the state Department of Ecology told him.
Myers — along with Port of Port Angeles Executive Director Jeff Robb and Jamestown S’Klallam Chairman Ron Allen — met last week with senior Ecology staff members, including Director Ted Sturdevant, to voice their objection to a reported proposal from Rayonier to leave much, if not all, of the 75-acre site undeveloped.
Rayonier is considering returning the waterfront property back to its natural form by removing all man-made structures and rehabilitating the shoreline in order to settle its liability for damage to natural resources caused by the mill, according to Ecology and the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, which is a partner in the cleanup and supports the idea.
The property, which has been an Ecology-supervised cleanup site since 2000, is contaminated with PCBs, dioxins and other toxic chemicals emitted by a Rayonier pulp mill that operated for 68 years before closing in 1997.
A cleanup plan for the former Rayonier mill site is expected to be ready by the end of 2013.
No comment from Rayonier
Rayonier officials have not commented on the reported proposal to leave the property undeveloped. They have said they are considering alternatives for environmental remediation.
Myers told the City Council on Wednesday that the city group left the 1½-hour meeting April 14 without any promises from Ecology other than that the property will be cleaned up to levels for “unrestricted use.”
Ecology spokeswoman Kim Schmanke said in a voice mail that she was not at the meeting and could not comment.
Rebecca Lawson, Ecology’s southwest regional toxics cleanup manager, was out of the office Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
Lawson attended the meeting along with Sturdevant and Jim Pendowski, Ecology toxics cleanup manager. Pendowski also could not be immediately reached for comment.
Future use?
Schmanke said earlier this month that Ecology has reached no agreements with Rayonier for future use of the property.
Myers said he remains “hopeful” that some portion of the property could be used for development.
He said he wasn’t expecting any “major decisions” from the meeting.
Allen attended the meeting because the Jamestown tribe would like to be the future developer of the property.
Myers, Robb and Allen had requested that Gov. Chris Gregoire or one of her representatives attend the meeting. Myers said no one from the office made it, though he didn’t know why.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
