South State Street MGP

Facility Site ID: 2865 Cleanup Site ID: 4606

Current Status

Aerial view of South State Street MGP cleanup site Upland and Marine Units located along South State Street in Bellingham. (Click image to enlarge)
Aerial view of South State Street MGP cleanup site Upland and Marine Units located along South State Street in Bellingham. (Click image to enlarge)
Last Updated: March 2021

Información en español

Starting Spring 2021:  Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Fieldwork

The northern portion of Boulevard Park is also the South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant cleanup site - so named for its industrial past.

Starting in the spring, you’ll see environmental contractors collecting soil, groundwater, and sediment samples for testing to help inform cleanup of this area of the park. The planned fieldwork, called a pre-remedial design investigation, will provide additional information to complete engineering design of the final cleanup action

Want to learn more?
Visit Ecology's blog and watch our video.

2020 Outreach for Cleanup Action Plan and SEPA Determination
2020 Fact Sheet
2020 Cleanup Action Plan
2020 Response to Comments

Virtual Tour
These 2020 videos were funded through a Public Participation Grant from Ecology.
www.re-sources.org/BoulevardPark

General Cleanup Process

The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) is Washington’s environmental cleanup law. It provides requirements for contaminated site cleanup and sets standards that protect human health and the environment. Ecology enacts the MTCA and oversees cleanups. The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps (see graphic below) over a variable timeline.
Click graphic to enlarge
Click graphic to enlarge

Estimated Site Timeline

Cleanup construction will occur under a separate legal agreement, which will be issued for public review and comment.

Public Participation

Current South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant cleanup site Public Participation Plan

This plan includes information for the public regarding opportunities to get involved in the cleanup process. The outreach activities and mechanisms presented reflect Ecology’s current plans for keeping the public informed and for receiving information and comments from the public.

Site Information

	South State Street MGP site (and Boulevard Park), facing east, before 2017 Interim Action (click to enlarge)
South State Street MGP site (and Boulevard Park), facing east, before 2017 Interim Action (click to enlarge)

Site History 
The South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant site is about 6 acres at the north end of Boulevard Park on the Bellingham waterfront. Portions of the property at South State Street near Bay View Drive are contaminated where a manufactured gas plant operated from the 1890s to the 1950s. The plant made home heating and cooking fuel (gas) from coal. Other potential sources of contamination also include historic railroad and lumber mill operations. 

Bellingham Bay Gas Co., a predecessor to Puget Sound Energy, was the first operator of the plant. Cascade Natural Gas bought and continued to operate the plant in the 1950s. Residential developers bought the plant property in the 1960s. The city of Bellingham acquired most of the gas plant property in 1975 for use as a park. The state and BNSF Railway Co. also own portions of the contaminated area.

An Agreed Order (legal agreement) in 2010 between Ecology, the City, and PSE requires the City and PSE to investigate contamination (remedial investigation) evaluate cleanup alternatives (feasibility study), and prepare a report of their findings. The legal agreement also includes provisions to take early cleanup actions if necessary. A 2019 amendment to the Agreed Order requires development of a cleanup action plan and design documents to address contamination at the South State Street MGP site.

Contamination
The City and PSE began investigating contamination at the Site in 2010 with Ecology oversight. Contaminants were found in soil, groundwater, and sediment above state standards established to protect human health and the environment. Contaminants include:

  • carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs)
  • benzene
  • naphthalene
  • cyanide
  • selenium
  • lead
Early Cleanup Action (Interim Action)
Historically, marine forces and storms caused shoreline erosion and damage to a public pier. This triggered the need for an early cleanup action to prevent further shoreline erosion and potential exposure to and movement of contaminated soil. The early action, called an interim action, was completed in October 2017.  The interim action:  
  • Removed creosote-treated piles and a wood deck.
  • Stabilized an existing concrete bulkhead.
  • Stabilized approximately 450 linear feet of shoreline with rock.

Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot
The South State Street Manufactured Gas Plant site is one of 12 sites coordinated through the Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot. The Pilot is a bay-wide multi-agency effort to clean up contaminated sediment, control sources of sediment contamination, and restore habitat, with consideration for land and water uses. In 2000, participants in this initiative developed the Bellingham Bay Comprehensive Strategy.

Photo Galleries

Translated Content

En español

El Departamento de Ecología le invita a revisor los documentos para el sitio que está contaminado South State Street MGP en Bellingham.  

Si le gustaría recibir este documento en español, por favor llame a 425-240-4353 y espere a que un intérprete se una a la llamada o envíe un correo electrónico a preguntas@ecy.wa.gov. Traducciones de avisos públicos para los sitios de limpieza de la Bahía de Bellingham se preparan bajo solicitud.
Legal 5
Map 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
South State Street site - brick building 7/29/2011 Map
Concrete gas-holding tank 7/29/2011 Map
Public Information 17
Document Title Document Date Document Type
South State Street MGP - Response to Comments - CAP/SEPA Determination - August 2020 8/18/2020 Responsiveness Summary
South State Street MGP - Online Public Meeting Presentation - June 25, 2020 6/25/2020 Multimedia
South State Street MGP - Fact Sheet - CAP/SEPA Determination - June 2020 6/11/2020 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
South State Street MGP - Agreed Order 2nd Amend Comment Response Summary - May 2019 5/22/2019 Responsiveness Summary
South State Street MGP - Postcard Agreed Order Amendment - March 2019 3/13/2019 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
South State Street MGP - RI/FS FINAL Response to Comments Sumamry - January 2019 1/28/2019 Responsiveness Summary
South State Street MGP - RI/FS Public Meeting Presentation - October 2018 10/31/2018 Multimedia
South State Street MGP - Public Participation Plan - October 2018 10/3/2018 Public Participation Plan
South State Street MGP - Fact Sheet - RI/FS 9/26/2018 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
South State Street - FactSheet - Interim Action - Boulevard Park 8/14/2017 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
S.State Street - SEPA Postcard Factsheet 7/24/2017 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
S State Street Manufactured Gas Plant Environmental Study Begins 8/13/2010 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
S State Street Manufactured Gas Plant Responsiveness Summary 3/1/2010 Responsiveness Summary
S State Street Manufactured Gas Plant Public Comments on AO and PPP 2/28/2010 Public Participation Plan
S State Street Manufactured Gas Plant Gas Plant Cleanup Site Documents Available 2/4/2010 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
S State Street Manufactured Gas Plant Public Participation Plan 2/1/2010 Public Participation Plan
S State Street Manufactured Gas Plant Fact Sheet Draft Legal Agreement Available 2/1/2010 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
State Environmental Policy Act 3
Technical Reports 22
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Data Report - Appendices E-H 6/28/2023 Remedial Investigation Report
Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Data Report - Appendix D-2 6/28/2023 Remedial Investigation Report
Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Data Report - Appendix D-1 6/28/2023 Remedial Investigation Report
Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Data Report - Appendices A-C 6/28/2023 Remedial Investigation Report
Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Data Report 6/28/2023 Remedial Investigation Report
Pre-Remedial Design Investigation Report 11/13/2020 Remedial Investigation Work Plan
South State Street MGP Final Cleanup Action Plan 8/20/2020 Cleanup Action Plan
South State Street MGP - FINAL Feasibility Study Report, Figures, Tables, Appendices - January 2019 1/22/2019 Feasibility Study
South State Street MGP - FINAL Remedial Investigation Appendix E - January 2019 1/22/2019 Remedial Investigation Report
South State Street MGP - FINAL Remedial Investigation Appendices A-D - January 2019 1/22/2019 Remedial Investigation Report
South State Street MGP - FINAL Remedial Investigation Figures and Tables - January 2019 1/22/2019 Remedial Investigation Report
South State Street MGP - FINAL Remedial Investigation Report - January 2019 1/22/2019 Remedial Investigation Report
South State Street - Interim Action Workplan - Boulevard Park 6/7/2017 Interim Action Documents
South State Street - Sampling Analysis Plan - Addendum #6 6/7/2016 Sampling and Analysis Plan
Sampling Analysis Plan - Addendum #5 - Sediment Sampling - September 2015 9/22/2015 Sampling and Analysis Plan
Sampling Analysis Plan - Addendum #4: February 2013 Air Sampling 2/13/2013 Sampling and Analysis Plan
Air Sampling Health & Safety Plan 2/13/2013 Health and Safety Plan
Sampling Analysis Plan - Addendum #3 9/20/2012 Sampling and Analysis Plan
Sampling Analysis Plan - Addendum #2 9/19/2012 Sampling and Analysis Plan
Sampling Analysis Plan - Addendum #1 9/18/2012 Sampling and Analysis Plan
S State Street Manufactured Gas Plant RI-FS Work Plan 8/6/2010 Remedial Investigation Work Plan
Sediment Site Characterization Evaluation - Bellingham Bay 6/26/2009 Site Specific Technical Document - other
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.

Places to see print documents

  • Ecology Bellingham Field Office
    913 Squalicum Way, Unit 101
    Bellingham, 98225
    This location may only have print documents available during open comment periods.

Contaminants 3

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Metals - Metals Priority Pollutants C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum Products-Unspecified C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons C C C
S
Suspected
C
Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
B
Below Cleanup Levels
RA
Remediated-Above
RB
Remediated-Below
R
Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.