By Corvo Rohwer, Puyallup Tribal News.
Cleanup part of long process to restore long-abused waters of Commencement Bay
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has begun the undertaking of removing pilings at Dickman Mill Park. Located on Commencement Bay, the derelict structure has been polluting the area for years as removal projects were stunted by a lack of funding, which was finally remedied through legislation in 2023. While much of the structure is gone, what remains are wooden pillars known as pilings. The pilings are harmful to the local ecosystem.
“They’re coated in a wood treatment to prevent decay called creosote, which is a mix of chemicals that’s pretty toxic,” said Washington DNR Communications Consultant Zoe Love. “It harms the water and can leech into the air on hot days, as well.”
Dickman Mill closed in 1977 and burned down in 1979, destroying most of the site – except for the toxic pilings, which have continued to harm salmonids, eelgrass and kelp.
Read the rest of the story at the Puyallup Tribe of Indians website.
Leave a Reply