PORT ANGELES — The City Council and two Port of Port Angeles commissioners were told Tuesday that the intention of the Harbor-Works Public Development Authority is that neither would pay anything for the cleanup of the Rayonier site.
“The concept is, the city will . . . pay nothing for the cleanup,” said City Attorney Bill Bloor in response to questions from City Council members Don Perry and Cherie Kidd.
Port staff said the same was true for that agency.
Port Commissioner Jim Mc¬ÂEntire cautioned that since negotiations haven’t taken place for a transfer of ownership, it can’t be said whether or not city and port funds will be used for cleanup.
“We will get the best deal that we can” with an investment of public funds, he said.
The joint meeting of the full Port Angeles City Council and a quorum of the three-member port commission was intended to answer council members’ questions, as well as questions they have heard from the public on the formation and purpose of the Harbor-Works Public Development Authority.
Harbor-Works was formed at a joint meeting of the City Council and port commission on May 20.
The public corporation is charged with acquiring the property from Rayonier, inc., oversee its environmental cleanup and direct its redevelopment.
The city and port contributed $150,000 each to fund Harbor-Works startup costs.
At the joint meeting with the City Council and two Port of Port Angeles commissioners, no motions were made for more special meetings on the subject or for giving Harbor-Works any direction, though many of council members voiced support for public corporation continuing as planned.
“This is a great work session. Let’s keep having them,” City Council member Karen Rogers said.
“There is no reason to put a stop on this right now. Let’s move forward.”
The two port commissioners present, McEntire and John Calhoun, responded to some of the questions, but did not have any of their own.
Port Commissioner George Schoenfeldt was absent because he had a hip surgery on Tuesday.
Council questions
Questions from the council covered why a public development authority was created and what would the city’s or port’s share of cleanup costs would be.
Kidd asked about a proposal for a transfer of property between Harbor-Works and Rayonier formulated by the city and port.
The document refers to cleanup liability being transferred to Harbor-Works, but also says Rayonier would make a payment to Harbor-Works equal to the “net present value of Rayonier’s share of the estimated cost of remediation.”
The property is contaminated with hazardous contaminates as a result of the 68 years the mill operated before closing in 1997.
The cleanup site would extend to wherever the state Department of Ecology finds Rayonier responsible for contaminating, the state has said.
Harbor and off-site soil sampling results are expected in the spring.
Three projects
Bloor and Nathan West, city economic development director, said the purpose of forming Harbor-Works was to facilitate three parallel, but separate projects:
• Combined sewer overflow: The purpose of this project is to eliminate sewage entering the harbor. A 5-million-gallon water tank on the Rayonier property is seen as the most efficient and economical way to expand the city’s water treatment capabilities.
• Harborwide planning: In 2007, the city took over harbor management planning from the state Department of Natural Resources. Directing future use of the Rayonier property could assist in that effort.
• Assist in the cleanup of the Rayonier site: Cleanup had been slow under the current arrangement.
Jim Pendowski, Ecology toxics cleanup program manager, has said the cleanup has been delayed due to Rayonier and the department not being able to agree on the extent of the study area.
Cleanup which, under Ecology, began in 2000, was estimated to be completed in 2004. No cleanup actions, other than soil and water sampling, have been taken.
Rebecca Lawson, Ecology’s toxics cleanup program regional manager, estimates the cleanup to now be completed by December 2012.
Marian Abbett, Ecology environmental engineer, said she estimates cleanup to cost tens of millions of dollars.
Bloor said it was his and West’s understanding that Harbor-Works had to be created on May 20 so Ecology could include it in its upcoming 2009 and 2010 biennium budget.
Lawson has said Harbor-Works can’t be included in the budget because it has yet to become a liable party.
Bloor said the port offered to join in the formation of Harbor-Works in April.
Port Executive Director Bob McChesney said the port brings to the table additional funding as well as an agreement with Resources over management of tidelands where the port “owns or controls adjacent” property.
Apology
City Council member Larry Williams apologized to Deputy Mayor Betsy Wharton after he suggested that Wharton, who first proposed conducing the work session last week, acted out of self-interest.
“You seem to be the spearhead on this,” he said to Wharton.
“I want to make sure that this is not a cornerstone of launching another [election] campaign.”
Wharton said that the purpose of the meeting was to have questions from residents on the public corporation answered.
“That’s really my goal here,” she said. “I would like the community to rally around this.”
Williams publicly apologized later in the meeting, and said his previous comments were a result of his frustration with the lack of progress with Harbor-Works.
“I’ve heard a lot of talk and not a lot of action,” he said. “If my frustration leaked out . . . I publicly apologize to you for that.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
