Harbor-Works received a commitment from the state Department of Ecology Aug. 25 to set aside up to $4-million in cleanup funds.

The money is available to Harbor-Works until the end of the calendar year, providing that Harbor-Works becomes eligible for remedial action grants and meets grant requirements.   

“Through this commitment, the Department of Ecology is affirming its support of our local community in the effort to cleanup and restore this valuable shoreline site to productive use” said Jeff Lincoln, Harbor-Works Executive Director.

“The Board will assess the full context of the letter to determine if Ecology’s assurances to partner with us will satisfy Rayonier’s concerns regarding a negotiation to transfer property ownership. We believe Harbor-Works’ active involvement in the project would represent the best interests of the entire community in accomplishing the cleanup and bringing jobs and economic activity back to the former mill site, the reason Harbor-Works was originally formed. We expect to complete this analysis in the next few days,” he added.

The Port Angeles Harbor-Works Development Authority was created in May 2008 by a charter of the City of Port Angeles in partnership with the Port of Port Angeles. Its mission is to clean up and redevelop the former Rayonier Mill site while creating jobs and economic benefits for the entire community.

With input from the community, Harbor-Works has created five alternative options for redevelopment. These and other documents, including the due diligence report, can be found on the Harbor-Works website: www.paharborworks.org.