U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, City of Bellingham staff, Port of Bellingham representatives and project partners tour the R.G. Haley and Cornwall Avenue Landfill cleanup site Friday, July 31. The contaminated waterfront properties will eventually become Salish Landing Park. (Photo courtesy City of Bellingham)
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Crews are making visible progress on a nearly $49 million project to clean up two heavily contaminated sites and prepare part of the Bellingham waterfront for the future Salish Landing Park.
City of Bellingham staff joined representatives from the Port of Bellingham, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, contractor IMCO General Construction and other project partners Friday, July 31, for a tour of the R.G. Haley and Cornwall Avenue Landfill cleanup site.
“It was exciting to see how much progress has already been made toward cleaning up historic pollution and transforming the site into the future Salish Landing Park,” the City of Bellingham said.
“This extensive and long-awaited environmental cleanup project is expected to take three years to complete.”
City of Bellingham
Three-Year Waterfront Cleanup Underway
Construction began in January 2026 and is expected to take about three years.
The project combines the cleanup of two neighboring contaminated sites at the south end of Cornwall Avenue. Industrial operations polluted soil, groundwater and sediment at both properties.
The R.G. Haley site covers approximately 6 acres of land and 60 acres of water. A wood-treatment facility operated there until 1985. Lumber, coal and wharf operations also previously occupied the property.
Meanwhile, the Cornwall Avenue Landfill site includes approximately 13 acres of land and 3.5 acres of water. The city operated a municipal landfill there from 1954 to 1965. The property also supported sawmill operations and log storage.
Crews Prepare For In-Water Construction
Summer construction includes installing a temporary cofferdam at the R.G. Haley site. The structure holds back water and creates a dry work area where crews can conduct deeper excavation.
Workers are also placing rock along the shoreline to protect it from waves and erosion while stabilizing slopes.
In-water construction at the Cornwall Avenue site is scheduled to begin after the regulatory work window opens in early August. Agencies limit underwater construction to specific periods to reduce potential harm to fish and other marine life.
Crews will install a sediment cap made from clean gravel, cobble and gravelly sand over contaminated sediment. The protective layers will also provide habitat for organisms living in the intertidal zone.
Additional work includes placing specially sized sand and gravel to support eelgrass growth and adding large stones to protect the shoreline.
Contaminated Areas Will Be Capped
Later Sunday, FEMA approved Washington’s requests for Fire Management Assistance Grants covering the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires around Spokane and the Sinlahekin Fire in Okanogan County.
On land, crews will regrade the property and install a protective plastic liner, known as an LLDPE cap, beneath a layer of soil. Workers will then plant vegetation across the restored areas.
Shoreline improvements include new pocket beaches, erosion-control structures and a rock barrier designed to protect the property from waves.
The project will also add a drainage layer, restore eelgrass and improve habitat for forage fish.
Glass Beach and its neighboring gravel parking lot remain closed during construction. Both areas are part of the cleanup site and will eventually become part of Salish Landing Park.
First Phase Of Salish Landing Park Included
The cleanup project includes the first phase of Salish Landing Park. Initial park construction will add a small parking area, trails, utilities and plantings.
Only improvements that crews must complete during the cleanup are included in the first phase. Building them now will prevent future construction from disturbing the capped contaminated materials.
The city selected Ferndale-based IMCO General Construction for the project. The company submitted the lowest responsible bid at $48,779,160.34.
Funding comes from Washington State Department of Ecology Remedial Action Grants, the city’s Environmental Remediation Fund, a Public Works Board loan, the Greenways Fund, the Port of Bellingham and bonds.
Frequently Asked Questions
The city has not announced a final opening date for the completed park. The environmental cleanup is expected to take approximately three years, and the current work includes only the park’s first phase.
No. Glass Beach and the adjacent gravel parking lot are closed because they are within the active cleanup area.
The first phase will provide a small parking area, trails, plantings and utilities needed for future park development.
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