Olympic Environmental Council (OEC)

Rayonier Mill Site in Port Angeles, Washington

WHO WE ARE

The Olympic Environmental Council is a non-profit organization based on the North Olympic Peninsula. 

WHAT WE DO

The Olympic Environmental Council works on issues related to the environment and health that affect our North Olympic Peninsula communities.

In 1996-7 we formed a coalition with local and western WA organizations, the Rayonier Hazardous Waste Cleanup Project - Olympic Environmental Council Coalition.  We then petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess the Rayonier Mill site, the adjoining Strait sediments and three industrial landfills owned or used by Rayonier, Inc.

Data from EPA’s investigation determined the mill site, adjoining marine area and off-property soils and the Mt Pleasant and 13^th & M Street landfills federally ranked as contaminated sites of concern.

When, in 2000, it was agreed that the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) would oversee the cleanup, the Olympic Environmental Council received grants from Ecology to do public outreach and education about cleanup actions and our work.  Some of our outreach and education involves reviewing and commenting on cleanup documents, explaining technical data in language comprehensible to the public which we then distribute, giving presentations to organizations and citizens, holding forums, and participating in fairs in order to disseminate information about the cleanup.

WHY WE CARE

The Olympic Environmental Council Coalition cares about the quality of life in our communities.  We care about the health of our marine system, about property owners being safe on their domains, about their health and that of their families.  We care that the marine waters are safe to recreate in and to gather food from.  We care that property owners can safely work and recreate in their yard.  We care that school grounds and parks are environmentally safe.  We care that work places are environmentally safe, be they commercial or industrial.  We care that the air is safe to breathe.

The contaminants of concern emitted from the Rayonier mill – dioxins and furans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PBCs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, pesticides, others which have a range of human and environmental impacts, from cancer, respiratory, cardiovascular to immune deficiencies and hormonal and growth related abnormalities, some of which can be passed from generation to generation.  Many accumulate in our bodies and some can be passed from nursing mother to infant. 

WHAT WE WANT

The Olympic Environmental Council Coalition wants to see, under the cleanup eye of Ecology, this toxic soup removed to again provide our community a safe place to live.  We want to have the sediments in the Port Angeles Harbor restored to levels safe for marine life, and for human eating and recreation.  We want to have the dioxin laden soils around town restored to safe residential, recreational and workplace levels.  We want to see the mill site area restored to its historical self – to its former shoreline, meander of Ennis Creek, wetlands and flood plains.  And we want Rayonier held to its commitment to cover the full cost of cleaning up its pollution.

Through our public outreach and feedback from hundreds of citizens, OEC has developed a vision for the site.  

• Full public access to this site.  A public park that will offer many amenities.   This is the single area that would allow significant public access to the shoreline and an opportunity to do 21^st century shoreline management.  
• Restoring the area to its former environment – shoreline, wetlands, flood plains, creek health is a quality fit with WA State’s plan to clean up, restore and protect Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
•  Using the site to teach about and promote our regional environment, cultural history, the local arts and recreation will be advantageous to developing green jobs, keeping our area healthy, and attracting tourism to match that of our B.C. neighbors.  This attraction will help visitors to realize the area’s many other attractions and services.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

The Rayonier cleanup has been split up into 3 separate sites.  Updates and background information on each of the sites can be found at these Department of Ecology websites:

Mill site and nearby sediments:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites/rayonier/rayonier_hp.htm

Harbor-wide sediments:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites/portAngelesHarborSed/paSed_hp.htm

Off-property soils:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites/rayonierOffProp/rayonierOffPr_hp.htm

Read up on some current alternative cleanup methods for soil and sediments:

http://estewards.com/assets/Cleanup_Options_at_Rayonier_Site.pdf

CONTACT US

OLYMPIC ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL • PO BOX 2664 • SEQUIM WA 98382  

Darlene at darleneS@olympus.net

NEWS

June 26, 2009

Dr. Peter deFur, OEC's Technical Advisor on the Rayonier Mill cleanup, has been appointed  to serve  a three year federal appointment as the Virginia representative to the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council. 

To read the MAMFC press release, go to:

http://www.mafmc.org/press/2009/pr09_12_2009_Council_Appointments.pdf

Read about Peter's other work at http://estewards.com/