Port Angeles City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to direct staff to submit comments to the Washington Department of Ecology urging a “complete, timely and high‑quality” cleanup of the Rainier Mill property and asking Ecology to select alternative 5, the cleanup option that would remove contaminated soils from the site and transport them to an appropriate landfill.

The council action followed presentations from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, local environmental groups, and consultants, and a large public comment turnout in favor of full removal. City Manager Nathan West told the council staff were recommending comments that press Ecology to select alternative 5 and “request a complete, timely and high quality cleanup of the Rainier site.”

The decision matters because the Rainier Mill site sits on Port Angeles’ waterfront, adjacent to Ennis Creek and the Olympic Discovery Trail, and has been subject to contamination and partial interim cleanup for decades. Private ownership, shoreline leases and complex marine and upland contamination have complicated remediation, speakers said; selecting alternative 5 would require removal of contaminated soil from the property rather than consolidating and capping it on‑site.

Council members heard technical and community arguments for removing contamination. Nicole Ott, an environmental scientist with Integral Consulting, reviewed the soil remedies in Ecology’s interim cleanup action plan and urged commenters to press Ecology to revisit its cost and benefits analysis. Ott told the council that the action plan’s cost estimate for the selected consolidation remedy (SL3) is $10 million versus $37 million for the full‑removal remedy (SL5), and that Ecology’s disproportionate cost analysis scored SL5 higher on long‑term benefits but rejected it because of the higher estimated cost. “Please consider submitting public comments supporting SL5 before the closing date of August 12,” Ott said.

Tribal and local advocates framed the cleanup as a cultural and ecological priority. Francis Charles, chairwoman of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, described the tribe’s long history of restoring the Elwha River and said the tribe “will not rest until we get there” on the Rainier site cleanup. Members of Friends of Ennis Creek and the Olympic Environmental Council described the site’s toxins (speakers cited dioxins and furans, PCBs, petroleum, metals and PFAS) and urged removal of creosote‑coated pilings and contaminated soils to restore estuarine and salmon habitat.

Public comment strongly favored option 5. Dozens of residents and representatives of local organizations urged the council to press Ecology for full removal rather than consolidation and capping. “The other options leave us a festering toxic dump for more decades,” said Sherry (last name not specified), a Port Angeles resident, during public comment. Multiple speakers raised concerns that an on‑site consolidation and cap would require long‑term monitoring and maintenance, could constrain future public access or redevelopment, and risk contaminant migration during earthquakes, sea‑level rise or storms.

Council discussion emphasized both process and public outreach. Several councilmembers said they wanted the public to speak before the formal vote; others argued that making the council’s position clear would help inform commenters. Councilmember Navarro (last name and seat not specified) urged submitting a motion so the public would know the council’s direction. After a short public comment period, the council voted to approve the motion directing staff to submit the requested comments to Ecology; the motion passed unanimously.

City staff said the city will prepare a detailed comment package for Ecology that expands on the technical points raised at the meeting and includes the city’s preferred remedy. Staff noted the city has engaged Integral Consulting to review Ecology’s disproportionate cost analysis and that staff intend to highlight concerns about the cost estimates, the predicted technical and administrative practicability of the SL3 consolidation approach, and potential constraints on future land use.

The Department of Ecology’s public comment deadline on the interim cleanup action plan was stated during tonight’s meeting as August 12. City staff and speakers encouraged residents to submit individual and organizational comments directly to Ecology in addition to the city’s submission.