This summer, General Recycling of Washington (General Recycling) began construction of a 2.8-acre restoration project along the Lower Duwamish River to restore habitat for Chinook salmon, shorebirds, and other wildlife. The off-channel marsh, intertidal, and riparian habitats will help support the recovery of these natural resources harmed by decades of contamination in this industrial waterway. General Recycling is implementing this project as part of a July 2024 settlement between the Elliott Bay Trustee Council members and General Recycling and its two affiliates. The project will resolve the Elliott Bay Trustee Council members’ claims for natural resource injuries caused by past activities at the General Recycling property that released contaminants into the Lower Duwamish River. In a June 2024 restoration plan (PDF, 38 pages), the Elliott Bay Trustee Council analyzed the project and determined that it will provide natural resource benefits to offset those injuries caused by the contamination. 

This project is a major milestone for the Elliott Bay Trustee Council, a group of state and federal agencies and Tribes restoring Elliott Bay and the Lower Duwamish River. Members of the Elliott Bay Trustee Council include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation, and the State of Washington.

Before the habitat is created, General Recycling will:

• Excavate and dispose of contaminated soil in an approved upland facility
• Remove 390 linear feet of armored shoreline, approximately 100 creosote-treated pilings, and other shoreline debris
• Regrade the site to create an off-channel marsh embayment protected by a vegetated berm

Once complete, the project will create 2.3 acres of new, on and off-channel marsh, intertidal, and riparian habitat, and protect an additional 0.5 acres of subtidal habitat on and adjacent to the Lower Duwamish River.

Construction is expected to be complete by the end of April 2026, and the new habitat will be ready for use by fish and wildlife. The settlement agreement also requires General Recycling to perform ten years of active maintenance and monitoring to ensure habitat establishment. After this ten-year period, General Recycling will continue to perform maintenance and stewardship of the site for another 20 years. The Trustees, with funds provided by General Recycling, will provide long-term stewardship of the site starting 30 years after construction.

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