Make the Old Paper Mill Into Something Useful

Barbara Perry, has lived in the Happy Valley neighborhood since 1973. She graduated from WWU in 1985, and has taught English composition and literature at Northwest Indian College, Whatcom Community College, WWU and University of Washington. She is currently retired.

In early May, a sign appeared on the lawn outside the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant near the dogs-off-leash trail in Fairhaven. The sign reads “Land Use Permit Application.” Plans are to expand the plant, and thus close the well-traveled trail around it.

Why is it science so often destroys the aesthetic, I wondered.

I called Freeman Anthony, the City of Bellingham spokesman for the project. He was positive and ready to answer my questions. I asked why the project couldn’t be northeast of the plant next to the vacant lot and rickety auto repair building, also owned by the city.

Anthony said it was because the land elevation was too high and gravity was needed for transporting the massive quantities of water treated at the plant.

To the naked eye, the area appears to be the same elevation as the proposed expansion area. Do city planners want the treatment buildings to be in a neat row with the tanks close together? Is that why the land to the northeast, covered with old asphalt, was not being considered?

At a recent Happy Valley Neighborhood Association meeting, I mentioned the situation. Hue Beauty added that he, Tip Johnson and Paul De Armond, years ago, before the sewage treatment plant was moved to the current Fairhaven location, wanted the city to keep the plant away from the beach front, pipe the water after treating it, and capture the methane gas for power.

According to these folks, this would have been a far less costly system than using prime beach front to pipe chemically-treated waste water. Additionally, the methane plant could be environmentally superior. Their ideas were nixed.

The City of Bellingham has researched other sewer treatment possibilities. Henning Gatz of Bellingham’s Aquacare researched a Norwegian system with improved sedimentation filters and a lower footprint that required less land. The city responded to his study but felt that the filters in use were already sufficient. I could find no comment about the other systems requiring less land.

Bellingham reportedly uses such massive amounts of water, the treatment plant needs more space, according to Anthony.

I wondered how New York City handles liquid waste. Apparently, New Yorkers use about 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater daily (see New York Times, “City Is Looking at Sewage Treatment as a Source of Energy, by Mireya Navarro, Feb. 8, 2011.”) They use a methane power system. However, the pictures of their water treatment plant are similar to Bellingham’s, just larger.

Next, I looked at the website of the construction company, Mortenson Construction based in Minneapolis (www.mortenson.com), that installed our current treatment system. On the company website is an artist’s rendition of the new contract that they supposedly secured with the city for $28 million. They also show an artist’s rendition of what they would build at the Post Point site. The artist’s rendition showed the entire area around the sewer plant being used for the new facilities. There was no trail or dog-off-leash area left. Much beauty was destroyed.

On May 17, I brought the Mortenson website statement and picture to the Trails and Recreation Meeting at Fairhaven Middle School and inquired about the artist’s rendition that was totally different from the city’s.

I asked City Planner Kim Weil why the sign at the plant said, “Application for Land Use Permit” if a contract had already been signed. She said one had not been signed.

When I showed her the artist’s picture and the Mortenson statement, she again emphasized that a contract had not been signed, and that the picture was wrong. She said she would fix the problem. The next day, when I logged on to return to the website of the picture and article, they were both gone. Thank you Kim Weil.

I emailed Tip Johnson and he agreed with Anthony that treating wastewater requires large vats. Johnson’s idea, though is not to expand the system in Fairhaven that serves the city and parts of the county, but to use the old Georgia Pacific site that already has large vats for treating water.

Also at the site, pipes from the plant go out to the bay. From my research, the G-P property is a larger space for sewage treatment. According to Johnson, using the old G-P area could save the city a lot of money.

Johnson said he asked Mayor Pike to do a feasibility study of the buildings. Mayor Pike had said he would and that is why Johnson voted for him. The study has not been done and Johnson is disappointed. He did not like that the Port was attempting to create a new yacht area when the buildings were already there that Bellingham needs.

When I traveled to the old G-P area, I saw at least five huge buildings that look like giant pots. Why couldn’t they be used rather than spending millions on new structures? Why do citizens want a wastewater plant in Fairhaven, which is considered a more tourist attraction than downtown? The old G-P is a large space. Why couldn’t the sewer plant and a yacht area both be there?

I sent Johnson’s emails to Anthony. Anthony said the G-P site would require vast funds for renovating, and people do not want a sewer treatment site in downtown. A site for yachts is more desirable in the downtown area.

Then Anthony added that Post Point had the currents necessary for sending treated water out of the bay. If the G-P site were used, the effluent would lodge where G-P’s old pollution was and be stuck there.

This sounded reasonable, so I wrote a totally positive draft of this paper expounding Anthony’s ideas and shared this information with Johnson.

The next day, Johnson sent me the “1966 University of Washington Department of Oceanography Special Report No. 32, An Oceanographic survey of the Bellingham-Samish Bay System.” This study for G-P showed the currents in the bay left the bay between Lummi Island and Lummi Peninsula. G-P had been granted approval for sending their waste closer to the middle of the bay: (see excerpts of the report online: www.skookum.us/fowcweb/StudyExerpts/index.htm).

Next, I left a message for Ted Carlson, the Public Works director to see if I could interview him to find out what was happening and to get reaffirmation that a contract had not been secured by Mortenson.

According to the company website, Mortenson is a multi-billion dollar construction industry with contracts all over the world. Not all of their projects deal with wastewater.

The next day I received a phone call from Anthony who assured me that the Mortenson contract was only in the initial stages. No long term contract had been signed.

He also denied Johnson’s claims about the currents. He suggested I not listen to Johnson. Then Anthony emphasized something called ASB: Aerated Stabilization Basin.

Then I asked if there could be two sites rather than one large one and maybe use some of smaller Aquacare’s type facilities. Anthony argued against that idea because there had to be someone at the plant 24 hours a day. The city could not afford two full-time people.

Would the city rather pay a multi-billion dollar company than hire a local citizen? Smaller sites could be built. The city could pay for many employees for $28 million. And that is the low estimate for the current project.

Later, Carlson left a message on my answering machine saying he assumed Anthony had been able to answer my questions. He did offer to accept my calls. I was getting exhausted. City officials were treating me respectfully in answering my questions. They did have other work to do and did not need or want to be offering me a course in wastewater treatment facilities.

Even though I was hearing from my friends and family that the wastewater plant project is a “done deal,” I continued researching and reading. The Polly Anna in me believed I could still save the trail to the beach – the trail I have used since its opening.

When I returned to the Mortenson website on May 26, I saw new a picture. Again, the entire area appears to be totally transformed and the trail cut to a sliver – if there is one at all.

The Department of Ecology National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Hydraulic Project Approval must accept the application, along with some other agencies. Do they see or care about the wastewater plant changes? Salmon are finally coming up the Padden Creek again – a creek that runs beside these structures.

According to the Mortenson website, the project has already been started: “Mortenson is pleased to announce that it has been selected by the City of Bellingham to serve as contractor for the expansion of its Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant… The estimated construction cost for the project is $28 million. Preconstruction begins immediately and construction is expected to start in March of 2012 and be complete in the spring of 2014.”

Some city officials seemed annoyed at my coming onto the scene late. “There have been several meetings already about this project,” Anthony told me. He said that neighborhood associations had been notified of the meetings. No one I talked with at the Happy Valley Neighborhood Association were familiar with the meetings.

Initially I made the mistake of writing in an email to city officials that I wanted to stop the project. Immediately, their responses were shades of negativity. So I suspect it is still in the application process, or they would not seem so worried about little me.

Again, I wonder about putting my effort into this project and asking myself, if a decision has already been made in favor of Mortenson and Fairhaven, why does the sign on the lawn say “application”?

Anthony asked me: “Would you prefer to have the sewer plant downtown at the old G-P site or to have it at the existing Post Point site that is already functioning? The city needs space for yachts and the trail will only be closed for two years.”

To answer his question: Since I have lived in Fairhaven nearly 40 years and walked many a time on the beaches, I have developed a fondness for this area. I, like others, appreciate the many small tourist businesses to walk among and meet world travelers. I love walking a short stretch near the beach, seeing the sun set, especially with my 14-year-old dog who, even if the trail does open in two years, most likely won’t be around to appreciate it.

I must admit my concern has something to do with the fact one should never mess with upsetting parents or dog owners. I want the trail for my neighbors, their dogs, my dog and me. Other people are welcome. We just do not need or want the whole city’s excrement. I am just another Happy Vallier who is sorry Fairhaven ever incorporated into Bellingham, especially since they are sending us their “shit.”

But to further answer Anthony’s good question:

I have little or no emotional attachment to the old G-P site – in fact it has negative memories and connotations for me. I had friends who, before they died, attributed their cancer to the plant. The plant is already there, seemingly at sea level, and there are many large vats. It is reasonable that this could be perfect sewer plant land and already nearly functioning buildings.

Remember, G-P left Bellingham because they could not get the reduced price for water. Their buildings were fine. They still might be. How can we know without an honest study?

If space is really needed for yachts, sit them beside a wastewater plant. G-P has a lot of land. Bellingham does not have a lot of money. We do not need to be spending money on yachts when we need teachers (especially science teachers) and librarians. Scientists should not be making aesthetic decisions by themselves for the city. A study needs to be done.

So when I am asked what area to choose for sewer plant expansion, I vote for the G-P site. At least grant a feasibility study, city officials. Please city, do your job. You might just save us citizens millions of dollars.

Or at least consider smaller treatment plants throughout the city so that less wastewater comes to the best part of town.

During a walk about a month ago on the trail, I noticed that after a recent heavy rainfall, the plant reeked. Something is needed. But we might already have what we need at G-P. We can’t afford to be extravagant anymore. We can’t afford yachts. If we can save money, let’s do so.

according to the sign on the lawn: “To submit comments or obtain information, contact the City of Bellingham at (360) 778-8300.” Call to ask about using the old G-P site. Using that site could save the citizens money. It is difficult to refute Johnson’s ideas or the UW study. Let’s listen to them.

Throughout this research process, I want to thank Tip Johnson and Freeman Anthony for your patience and knowledge that helped educate me. §