Students from Western’s Huxley College will begin researching the former Scott Paper mill site spring quarter using  $25,000 the college received in January 20 from the Port of Anacortes,

Kimberly-Clark and the Washington Department of Ecology for research.  

The site is the state’s single largest cleanup project under the Puget Sound Initiative to date.

In December 2005, Gov. Chris Gregoire launched the Puget Sound Initiative backing local, tribal, state and federal efforts to protect and restore Puget Sound by 2020.  

The contaminated site was the location of the former Scott Paper mill, which merged with Kimberly-Clark in 1995. The Port of Anacortes is now located on part of the site.  

Before Anacortes purchased the northern part of the site in 1979, the Scott Paper mill was up and running and waste water flowed directly into the sound, along with harmful metals and chemicals that still contaminate the bay 30 years later.

The environmental toxicology students are now fine-tuning their research proposals. The students will begin the research spring quarter and continue into the summer, Associate Professor of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Ruth Sofield said.

Sofield, who is heading the class, said the situation is extremely unusual because they received the funding through a settlement reached by the state and the companies responsible for damages to natural resources. Also, there are no restrictions on how the money is to be used.

“By not having the money associated with a specific project, this allows me to let the students decide what is important to study, which is such a great experience for them,” Sofield said.  

The other exceptional aspect is that the Port of Anacortes, Department of Ecology, attorneys and environment consultants who are involved with the cleanup have all been supportive of the students while they are learning the cleanup processes, Sofield said.

“Right now, the students are learning about how cleanup decisions are made at the contaminated sites in Washington,” Sofield said. “They are going through some of the steps in making these decisions themselves.”

Tim Nord, manager of the Department of Ecology’s toxic cleanup program, said the Port of Anacortes and Kimberly-Clark agreed upon money which would help pay for the damages done to natural resources with the state because of lost services and a loss of public enjoyment.

The other settlement was for damages to the natural environment and required the cleanup portion.

Nord said the Department of Ecology wanted to provide funding for education, using the environment as a form of learning, and required the liable parties to do so by paying for the damages through the natural resources settlement.

In addition to Western, the Anacortes School District also received science education funding.

Other parts of the settlement included $500,000 for the Northwest Straits program to restore the natural environment and to clean up contamination.

The cleanup stage started in June, and is about halfway done, Bob Elsner, director of the Port of Anacortes said.

Scott Paper sold the two remaining portions of land to MJB Properties and Sun Healthcare Systems.

Along with Anacortes, MJB Properties, Sun Healthcare Systems and Kimberly-Clark are all working with the Washington Department of Ecology to clean up the site. 

Share this article:
                                   

Be first to comment on this article

Only registered users can post comments.
Please login or register.