Bellingham, Washington
I am opposed to a policy in
the Waterfront Sub-Area Plan that allows “beneficial reuse" of toxic
materials in waterfront redevelopment projects. The public is unaware of this policy, but it could have important impacts on public health and safety. This is a matter that should be highlighted and discussed as part of the waterfront redevelopment process.
Beneficial reuse of MTCA
(Model Toxic Control Act) cleanup materials is listed as an
environmental policy, requiring the city to "evaluate the beneficial
reuse of dredge materials that meets Ecology standards for fill material
and as raw material for construction projects." (Page 22, Sec. 3.1. of
Sub-Area Plan.) Sustainable development policies in the Sub-Area
Plan encourage re-use and recycling of materials on site. (Page 29 of
Sub-Area Plan.) There was also reference to this policy in one of the numerous EIS documents for the waterfront. Few members of the public understand the consequences of these provisions.
The public has consistently requested the highest level of environmental clean-up for the waterfront. It
is not surprising, therefore, that this policy has not been highlighted
or discussed in the waterfront documents that have been provided for
public review. The city
and the port have already established dangerous precedent for
beneficial reuse after dumping dioxin at the Cornwall Landfill.
Dioxin contaminated sediment,
exceeding state exposure levels, was dumped and left as a large mountain
covered with a while plastic sheet. The dioxin sediment was mixed with
concrete, a process that slows down, but does not eliminate mobilization
of dioxin into the environment. The toxic sediment will be spread
across the site for construction of a shoreline park, and residential and commercial buildings. It will be capped with more soil, which again, slows down but does not eliminate dioxin mobilization.
READ MORE:http://www.nwcitizen.com/entry/coming-soon-to-the-waterfront-more-dioxin-and-toxic-waste1
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