The Port of Bellingham is the newest participant in Green Marine, the leading voluntary environmental certification program for North America’s maritime industry. The Port is a Whatcom County-wide municipal corporation which owns, operates and maintains approximately 1,600 acres of property, including the Bellingham Shipping Terminal, the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, Squalicum and Blaine Harbor, industrial development areas, commercial uplands, public parks, and the Bellingham International Airport.
“We are committed to achieving the highest level of environmental excellence, and the decision to join Green Marine helps fulfill this commitment,” said Port Executive Director Rob Fix.
The Port has taken a leadership role in cleaning up historic environmental contamination, rebuilding waterfront infrastructure and transportation terminals, and transitioning underutilized property back into productive use. “The comprehensive framework of Green Marine’s environmental certification program will help improve the sustainability of our maritime operations by ensuring we are utilizing state-of-the-art technologies and the best available management practices,” Fix added.
Green Marine’s President David Bolduc welcomed the newest West Coast participant with enthusiasm. "We are thrilled to have another key port from the State of Washington among our network of more than 50 participating North American ports," he said. "The Port of Bellingham adds to the diverse types of ports along the Pacific Northwest maritime route now participating in Green Marine, which proves that the program offers the flexibility and scalability for varying maritime operations to further improve their environmental performance.”
To achieve Green Marine certification, the Port of Bellingham will assess its environmental performance through indicators that address such issues as greenhouse gases, underwater noise, spill prevention, community impacts, community relations, waste management, and environmental leadership. The certification process is rigorous and transparent, with results independently verified every two years and each participant's individual performance made public annually.
About the Port of Bellingham
The Port of Bellingham was established by Whatcom County voters in 1920 to develop and maintain critical infrastructure for the Washington State community. The Port's mission is to promote sustainable economic development, optimize transportation gateways, and manage publicly owned land and facilities for the benefit of Whatcom County’s population. The Port operates the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, Bellingham Shipping Terminal, Fairhaven Transportation Station, Squalicum and Blaine Harbors, Bellingham International Airport, various business and industrial developments, as well as a network of parks and public trails. The port is committed to achieving a high standard of environmental excellence and administers a sustainability program to guide decision- making and balance a wide range of economic, environmental, and community objectives.
Green Marine overview
Founded in 2007, Green Marine's North American environmental certification program is celebrating its 15th year as a voluntary effort by the maritime industry to go beyond regulations. More than 180 ship owners, port authorities, terminal operators and shipyard managers throughout Canada and the United States are currently participating in the program. A pivotal element of Green Marine's success from the outset has been the active support from environmental stakeholders, the scientific community, and governments. A significant number of the more than 90 Green Marine supporters take part in reviewing and shaping the environmental program. More details are available at www.green-marine.org .
