Stormwater Treatment Tops Port of Olympia’s 2014 Success List

Governor Jay Inslee cuts the ribbon to the Port’s new Industrial Stormwater Treatment Plant on Dec.3, 2014, with Dept. of Ecology’s Heather Bartlett and Port Commissioners Sue Gunn and Bill McGregor.
0 Shares

 

Submitted by the Port of Olympia

Governor Jay Inslee cuts the ribbon to the Port’s  new Industrial Stormwater Treatment Plant on Dec.3,  2014, with Dept. of Ecology’s Heather Bartlett and  Port Commissioners Sue Gunn and Bill McGregor.
Governor Jay Inslee cuts the ribbon to the Port’s
new Industrial Stormwater Treatment Plant on Dec.3,
2014, with Dept. of Ecology’s Heather Bartlett and
Port Commissioners Sue Gunn and Bill McGregor.

When Governor Jay Inslee cut the ribbon to the Port’s industrial stormwater treatment plant, the project partners applauded the Port’s #1 achievement of 2014.

Inslee commended the Port and the community for making this significant investment in water quality.

“This project will help protect Puget Sound,” said the Governor. “Hats off to everyone involved. . . . We’re going to tell everyone to follow the lead of the Port of Olympia.”

The Port had the state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the Washington Dept. of Ecology’s industrial stormwater permit requirements. At $11.5 million, the facility is the Port’s largest capital project in several years.

The industrial stormwater treatment facility is #1 of the Port’s Top 5 achievements for 2014. Below are the other top achievements.

2.  Earnings continue to increase

The Port’s earnings after depreciation continued to increase. International trade drove the growth. Over the last six years vessel calls increased 260%, from 14 in 2009 to 37 in 2014. Olympia Regional Airport, Swantown Marina & Boatworks and Real Estate continued steady growth.

3. Dredging restores capacity of terminal and boatyard haulout

It has been 30 years since the last major dredge and the resulting silt buildup had reduced operations of both the Marine Terminal and the Boatworks.

The shallow water depth at the Marine Terminal pier prevented even two ships from being fully loaded simultaneously. The silt buildup at the Boatworks haulout area necessitated the stoppage of haulouts at low tide. The dredging enables the Terminal and the Boatworks to operate at near full capacity.

The additional shipping capacity adds local jobs and increases taxes to City of Olympia, Thurston County and the State of Washington. The dredging project also helped remove contaminated sediments from Budd Inlet.

4. Community planning process begins for Port properties in Tumwater

With the federal listing of the Mazama Pocket Gopher as an endangered species and the settling of the real estate market, the Port initiated a planning project for port-owned properties in Tumwater. The Port enlisted the local planning firm SCJ Alliance and the Thurston Regional Planning Council to develop a community-supported development plan for New Market Industrial Campus and Tumwater Town Center. The planning process will include public involvement events over the course of 2015.

5. Port invests in maintenance and operations for safety and productivity

Olympia Regional Airport received necessary maintenance including refurbishments to taxi lanes, taxiways and airplane hangars.

Renovation of Swantown Marina docks A, B and C ensures safety and quality for customers. The work was scheduled for winter when boating activity is reduced. It began in November 2014 and will be completed in early 2015.

The Boatworks replaced the TraveLift with a similar model of larger capacity to handle a wider variety of customer boats.

Over one million dollars in improvements to Tumwater Town Center began in 2014 and are still underway. Included are building renovations, site improvements and the addition of fiber optic internet connections for customers.

The Port purchased a used mobile harbor crane which will help the Marine Terminal attract heavy-lift breakbulk cargoes. The old container cranes were disassembled and sent by barge to British Columbia for recycling. The Port relocated the Peregrine Falcon nesting box (from the crane on the south end of the pier) to a site recommended by Peregrine Falcon experts.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
0 Shares