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That’s the conclusion of sediment studies and health assessments that began in 2008 involving an in-depth look at the Shelton-area marine waters by the state departments of Ecology and Health.
The findings from the $944,000 Oakland Bay sediment investigation will be presented at a public meeting and open house Wednesday night at the Shelton Civic Center.
The commercial industry is breathing a sigh of relief after learning that some of the richest Manila clam-growing ground in the nation passed the state health assessment.
“Obviously, there’s relief,” said Bill Dewey, spokesman for Taylor Shellfish Farms, a major shellfish grower in the bay that stretches northeast from Shelton. “Oakland Bay is a critical base for our company and the industry. It’s reassuring to know our workers and consumers are safe.”
Dioxin was found in all of the more than 50 sediment samples ranging from 1 part per trillion to 902 ppt. Surface sediments where potential for human exposure is greatest averaged about 32 ppt in Oakland Bay and 42.8 ppt in Shelton Harbor. Concentrations were higher in deeper sediments in the inner harbor.
By comparison, the background level of dioxins in surface sediments from nonurban areas of Puget Sound is about 4 ppt, according to Ecology project manager Joyce Mercuri.
The assessment by state Department of Health toxicologists concluded that someone exposed to Oakland Bay sediments 250 days a year for 30 years should not expect harmful health effects.
Someone eating a steady diet of Oakland Bay shellfish should be safe too, health officials said. Because of their low fat content, shellfish don’t accumulate dioxins well, the health report noted.
Dioxins are a toxic byproduct of industrial processes and combustion that persist in the environment and accumulate in the food chain. The family of chemicals is linked to cancer and other health problems in humans.
The study also revealed that wood waste ranging in volume from 95,000 cubic yards to 212,000 cubic yards covers the bottom of a more than 20-acre industrial area in the inner Shelton Harbor.
The dioxin and wood waste pollution are consistent with decades of log raft, mill, lumber and wood waste-to-energy activities on the Shelton waterfront.
Still to be decided is what types of cleanup will move forward in Oakland Bay and Shelton Harbor.
“We’re not anywhere close to deciding the preferred cleanup options,” Mercuri said.
Meanwhile, the Squaxin Island Tribe and Simpson Timber Co. – the major landowner and industrial operator in the harbor – recently announced plans to work together on a habitat restoration project in Shelton Harbor.
Combining cleanup and habitat restoration efforts could improve fish and wildlife habitat beyond expectations, said Andy Whitener, natural resources director for the Squaxin tribe.
“Shelton Harbor will always be a working harbor, but with this kind of cooperation, we can move toward a healthy Puget Sound by 2020,” Whitener said. “Without this kind of innovation, we don’t stand a chance.”
Ecology began the Oakland Bay study in 2008 as part of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s plan to clean up and protect the health of Puget Sound by 2020. Seven urban bays have been earmarked for sediment pollution probes, including Oakland, Port Gamble, Padilla, Port Gardner and Fidalgo bays, Budd Inlet and Port Angeles Harbor.
John Dodge: 360-754-5444 jododge@theolympian.com
