Community Involvement Plan for Wyckoff Eagle Harbor Superfund Site
On this page:
- Introduction
- Community Engagement Goals
- Types of Outreach
- About the Community
- What the Community Has Told Us
- Working with Our Partners
A printable version of this information is also available: Wyckoff-Eagle Harbor Superfund Site Community Involvement Plan (pdf)
Introduction
This plan describes how EPA will inform and engage with the local community while performing cleanup activities at the Wyckoff-Eagle Harbor Superfund Site. EPA is designing this plan to align with the needs of the community. In March 2022, before we drafted this plan, we asked local people about their views of the cleanup and how they want to be informed and involved. EPA’s community involvement coordinator interviewed seven people representing a diversity of views. We heard from community members, the local parks district and parks foundation, an employee of the Suquamish Tribe, and others. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to talk with us and share ideas. We consider this Community Involvement Plan a living document; even after it is final, we will continue to welcome suggestions.
Community Engagement Goals
EPA’s project staff is committed to a meaningful community involvement program. Our goals are to:
- Make timely, relevant information available about site activities.
- Present information in a clear, understandable way.
- Foster open communication, responding to questions and concerns as they arise.
- Be clear about opportunities where the public can influence cleanup decisions.
- Offer formal public comment opportunities on major EPA decision documents.
- Listen to and consider local input.
Types of Outreach
Fact sheets
We will begin issuing fact sheets on a regular basis, starting in early 2023, to share important information about the site. The fact sheets will provide cleanup updates, meeting notices, historical information, and other news. We intend to distribute the fact sheets primarily through email, and post them on our project webpage and regional social media.
Mailing list and email announcements
We maintain both hard copy and email mailing lists of people who may be interested in the cleanup. We periodically send out information about cleanup activities to our electronic mailing list. We may also solicit additions to our email list through a postcard mailing.
To be added or removed from our mailing lists, contact Deb Sherbina ([email protected]).
Informal communication
Project managers and community involvement staff are available to talk with you about the site. Feel free to contact us to share information, discuss concerns, or ask questions.
Community information sessions
We will host in-person and virtual community information sessions. EPA project managers will also attend local meetings hosted by others, when possible and appropriate.
Working with the City of Bainbridge Island
We will continue to contribute periodic project updates to the City Manager’s Report. We will coordinate with the City Council to give presentations at City Council meetings as requested.
Working with Washington State Ferries
We will work with Washington State Ferries to distribute project materials to Bainbridge Island commuters. For example, we may put meeting and other project announcements on ferry monitors, or on tables at the ferry dock and on the ferries.
Formal public comment periods
During key decision points in the Superfund process, EPA announces and opens public comment periods. We carefully consider all public comments. No formal comment periods for this site are expected soon. Even so, we welcome input and suggestions at any time.
Working with the media
EPA announces meetings and review opportunities using display ads in the local newspapers, the Bainbridge Review and Kitsap Sun. We issue press releases to local media whenever there is important news to share. We also offer press availability sessions and are available for interviews with local reporters. EPA will explore working with local reporters to produce stories and articles about the project and publish a regular "column" about work occurring at the site.
Local bulletin boards
We may post project information at local Winslow bulletin boards, including the Town and Country Market, Bainbridge Library, Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center, and other locations.
Pritchard Park signage
We expect to install updated signs about the project at Pritchard Park in early 2023.
Document collections
EPA provides a local public information repository to view records related to Superfund work at the site. Select site documents are available at:
Bainbridge Public Library
1270 Madison Avenue
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
206-451-5050
You can also view online copies of all Administrative Records for this site, and collections of technical and outreach documents, at site documents and data.
Language access
EPA will provide language translation and interpretation services as needed, to ensure that any non-English speaking individuals can have equal access to EPA materials and activities. To date, these services have not been requested and a need has not been identified.
To request language translation services, contact Julie Congdon ([email protected]), 206-643-5318.
Social media
Occasionally, EPA posts site updates on its regional Facebook (@eparegion10) and X (@EPAnorthwest).
About the Community
The Superfund site is on Bainbridge Island, a city and island in Puget Sound, in Kitsap County, Washington. In 2019, its population was estimated at 25,298.
Bainbridge Island is a suburb of Seattle, connected by the Washington State Ferries system. State Route 305 connects the island to Poulsbo and the Port Madison Native Reservation, which belongs to the Suquamish Tribe. The island is seeing population growth and increased development.
EJScreen is an environmental justice mapping and screening tool, available online to everyone. This tool uses environmental indicators for a community to show potential exposures. It uses demographic factors to show potential susceptibility. Using EJScreen, EPA looked at Census American Community Survey data estimates from 2014-2018. During this time, there were about 24,060 residents on Bainbridge Island:
- About 13% of the population reported as people of color.
- One percent reported speaking English “less than very well.”
- An estimated 24% of the population were 65 or older.
- Five percent were aged four and younger.
The EJSCREEN analysis for the Wyckoff-Eagle Harbor Superfund Site found limited environmental justice concerns in this community. None of the 11 environmental indicators were at the 75th percentile or above, compared to the rest of the U.S., the region, or the state. We will continue to be alert for environmental justice concerns in this area.
What the Community Has Told Us
During conversations with local people, EPA learned about the community’s perspectives and concerns.
Impressions of EPA’s cleanup
- In general, people are pleased with how EPA is proceeding with the cleanup. One person said, “I think the [Wyckoff] project has been managed well in all of its complexity.” Another person said, “I have a generally favorable impression of the cleanup.”
- Good to see new access road has been built.
- EPA staff have made cleanup possible – Wyckoff is an example of what good government can do. Shows how regulations and working with local community on environmental solutions can help protect the environment.
- Important to keep up communication on how contamination could impact aquifers – be clear about what EPA is doing to protect drinking water on Bainbridge.
- Could fence on the south side of the groundwater treatment plant be remedied to allow vehicle access to the trail for wheelchair access, or for people to carry in boats?
- When will the perimeter wall be replaced? Isn’t its integrity failing from corrosion?
Recommendations for connecting with the community
- Most people liked a mix of paper copy and email communications, with project updates and opportunities to engage.
- One person said, "I think early and often is the best way to inform most of the neighborhood; I find fliers in my mailbox to be ineffective and unnecessary. I know that the Lower Duwamish Waterway has created a roundtable of which I’ve been a part, and the listserv is helpful for getting information out to a big group."
- If I have questions about the cleanup, I call EPA or the Army Corps of Engineers.
- All tools to reach out sound great – email blasts, fact sheets, post cards.
- Overall, internet connectivity is good in this community.
- Publish public notices in local newspapers: Bainbridge Review, Bainbridge Islander, Kitsap Sun.
- I would like to see more education on the upcoming cleanup. Many new people are moving to Bainbridge Island and don’t know much about the site. Be sure to tell them the story of the Wyckoff project and let them know of opportunities to engage.
- Community meetings: need compelling reason to hold a meeting as people are short on time to attend, have competing priorities. If pandemic is at a point where it’s safe, I suggest an in-person meeting. Could present a hybrid option – both virtual and in-person meeting. This is one of the tools EPA can use to keep people informed and answer questions.
- Two people preferred virtual public meetings.
- We welcome community briefings via virtual meetings. The community would like to hear the schedule for cleanup and plans moving forward so that the park can be used by the public safely. Virtual meetings could be recorded so that our community leaders and the public can access the information at any time and links can be provided on the City's website.
- Multiple ways to connect are useful.
- Keep messaging consistent on what to expect as cleanup moves on and be clear about schedule.
- The Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation offered to share EPA information on its listserv. People ask the foundation how they can help, and how they can get involved in EPA and Bainbridge Island Parks and Recreation District activities.
- Post EPA information in the weekly online City of Bainbridge Island Manager’s Report.
- COBI Connects is a good hard copy newsletter to use to get the word out about Wyckoff activities. The Island Wanderer listserv is also a good communications conduit.
- I also rely on neighbor connections to get information about Wyckoff, which take place on email or via text message.
- I feel like work to engage the community ended abruptly after the Washington Department of Ecology’s Community Interest Group sunsetted a few years ago. This community interest group was helpful because we would talk about communications with the community and what people heard and were concerned about. Good to present technical information for the laymen. The group provided a filter to help agencies craft plain language messaging for the broader community.
What our partners told us
Suquamish Tribe
- I feel comfortable reaching out to EPA project managers with questions.
- If Suquamish Tribal Council is interested, we may ask EPA to give a briefing to Tribal Council regarding accelerated Wyckoff schedule. They prefer major milestone updates.
- Coordination with EPA’s technical staff on Wyckoff is going well. I have talked to the project manager about ways to increase community support at tribal level.
- Orientation of new perimeter wall a concern – the Suquamish Tribe wants to make sure the new wall does not impact the habitat restoration with eelgrass beds. This is a high priority for tribe.
- As EPA installs caps on creosote seeps in the intertidal beaches, they need to do it effectively but not impact the tribe’s potential future shellfish harvests.
- The Suquamish Tribe prefers to have contamination removed – prefers contaminated sediment disposed of offsite rather than placed in upland.
- Tribe would like design to incorporate native species habitat and natural beach processes as much as possible. Anything that would be in keeping with the more natural state of the property – pull it back from its history of industrial use.
Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation District
- I have a generally favorable impression of EPA’s cleanup and believe the community supports it.
- I think the agency would like to see elements of the cleanup help facilitate the citizen committee’s program recommendations for the park outline.
Other ideas and input from the community
- Put up new exhibits at the site describing the upcoming cleanup work with good visuals, like maps and renderings of what the final cleanup will look like. Many people walk Pritchard Park and visit the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial. This is an opportunity to help them learn about what is planned. Exhibits should include webpage links and contact information.
- See if EPA can get interest from newspaper editorial board on telling the story of Wyckoff in the local newspapers; there are many instances where local people really stepped up to address the environmental problem of Wyckoff. There’s not a lot of awareness about the history of this part of the island and how citizen activists helped shape EPA’s involvement and bring attention to the site. It’s a great human-interest story. It’s also a story of government doing the right thing and being responsive to the needs and concerns of the community. EPA has shown commitment. Much cleanup has been done, there’s more cleanup coming up; people know more about contamination at the site and will be able to eventually produce the upcoming public park.
- Wyckoff is the “gateway” to Bainbridge Island, in some sense. People see the Wyckoff point while passing on the ferry. It’s good to make a positive first impression.
- I would love to host site visits/tours with the Bainbridge Island Park District and EPA. What are plans? What are next steps? People are interested in the details of what’s coming for the site cleanup.
- The Association of Bainbridge Communities has disbanded. This group was active in the cleanup early on and did positive things through their Technical Assistance Grant with EPA. Some people who used to be active in this organization continue to follow EPA’s activities at Wyckoff.
Working with Our Partners
EPA is committed to effective coordination with other agencies, governments, and organizations during its cleanup work at the Wyckoff site. These include:
- Washington Department of Ecology.
- Suquamish Tribe.
- Washington State Department of Health.
- Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation District.
- City of Bainbridge Island.