This project will clean up two contaminated sites on the Bellingham Bay waterfront located at the south end of Cornwall Avenue. These sites were once the locations of a variety of industrial operations, including a wood treatment facility (R.G. Haley) and municipal waste landfill (Cornwall Avenue Landfill). This extensive and long-awaited environmental cleanup project is expected to take three years to complete. Site cleanup will take place at the same time as the first phase of a future waterfront park called Salish Landing Park, which will ultimately transform the waterfront by turning a historic eyesore into a beautiful and accessible public park.
Project Status – Fall 2026
Construction officially kicked off in January 2026 and is expected to take approximately three years. Current work at the site includes:
- Installing a temporary watertight wall (called a cofferdam) at the RG Haley site to create a dry workspace below the waterline. A construction method called sheet pile driving is used to create the cofferdam. Crews use a crane to lift large interlocking metal sheets and a special hammer to drive them into the ground. Once the sheets form a closed barrier, the area inside can be pumped dry so work can safely take place below the waterline.
- Completing in-water work at the Cornwall Landfill site during the in-water work window, which opened in early August and closes mid-February. This window of time is when work below the water’s surface is allowed by regulatory agencies to protect fish and other marine life. A barge is used for some of this work. In-water work activities include:
- Installing a sediment cap using clean layers of gravel, cobble, and gravelly sand. This provides protective layers over contaminated sediment while also serving as habitat for intertidal organisms.
- Placing specially sized sand and gravel designed to support eelgrass growth.
- Placing large rocks along the shoreline to protect it from erosion and waves.
Construction Impacts
Night Work
We try to accomplish as much construction during standard working hours as possible, but some project components are dependent on the tides and must be done during low tide. This can sometimes happen outside of standard working hours, such as on weekends or in the evenings. Between October 2026 and January 2027, there may be additional night work during the following low tide windows (excluding holidays):
- October 12-16
- October 26-30
- November 22-29
- December 20-27
- January 19-24
Additional Impacts
- Glass Beach closure: Glass Beach and the adjacent gravel parking lot are not accessible during project construction because they are part of the cleanup effort and will ultimately become part of the new Salish Landing Park.
- Noise and vehicles: There is extra noise and vehicles in the area during construction work.
Construction Photos
Interactive 360° Photo
The photo below is an interactive 360° aerial image of the construction site from April 2026. Use your mouse to change the angle or zoom in and out of the photo.
More Information
Contact
General project questions: AskPW@cob.org
Media inquiries: Email pwmedia@cob.org
Project Engineer
Craig Mueller, P.E.
Phone: (360) 778-7922
Email: camueller@cob.org
