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For Immediate Release Port Commission approves lease, access, and project actions April 8, 2008 -- During its regular meeting today, the Port of Vancouver USA Board of Commissioners today approved five action items that included a lease, access to a small parcel of port property, and three project action items. The Commission approved a lease of nearly 12,000 square feet in the port’s building 2100 (near Panasonic) to BCT (Boise Cascade Trucking), Inc. The one-year lease – with three one-year renewals – will provide $46,800 in income to the port for the first year. BCT, Inc., will also pay leasehold excise tax and common area maintenance fees. Renewals will be subject to fair market value. BCT, Inc. will use the facility for storing massive rolls of paper which will be delivered for commercial printing projects. After thorough review of BCT, Inc.’s procedures and activities proved a low risk of pollution, the port’s environmental services staff agreed to waive the Pollution Liability Insurance, but received a parent company guarantee from Boise, Inc., as additional assurance that no pollution is anticipated by the use of the facility. The Commission also approved an agreement that will allow BNSF Railway Company access to the property and the soil, with the stipulation that it is BNSF’s responsibility to remove and properly dispose of the dirt removed from the property located along the BNSF mainline north of Fruit Valley, which is a remnant from the purchase and subsequent sale of port land to Frito Lay. The access is needed as work continues on the Vancouver Bypass Project being done by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The BNSF Railway Company has a need for access and license to use, and remove dirt from, a small remnant portion (0.05 acre) of Port of Vancouver property. In terms of project actions, the Commission approved an action item to authorize staff to move forward on rail infrastructure construction within the secure area of the port. The project is designed to improve rail infrastructure, provide unit train access, and improve overall capacity. It would eventually be extended to the new Terminal Five with possible future development at Columbia Gateway. This portion of the project would include the construction and staging of four turnouts – which are used to switch trains off of mainlines and on to distribution and storage tracks. The engineer’s estimate for this portion of the project is $350,000. When port materials already purchased and in stock, equaling $150,000 is accounted for, the estimate comes to a total of $200,000. Bids are expected to be received and opened on May 2. The port expects to bring a recommendation of contract award to the commission at its regularly scheduled meeting on May 13. The Commission also voted to approve the port’s entrance into a new Agreed Order with the Washington Department of Ecology to reflect the change in responsibility at the Cadet Manufacturing facility, which would allow the port to complete an interim action. This interim action, announced in August 2007, is intended to provide area-wide containment and treatment of the Swan and Cadet groundwater plumes while the port completes its Remedial Investigation and Feasibility study. The Agreed Order is a legal document that requires the port to: 1) design, install and operate a groundwater pump and treat system; 2) complete remedial investigation reports and a feasibility study for both sites; and 3) continue monitoring groundwater, soil gas, indoor and outdoor air. Finally, the Commission authorized Executive Director Larry Paulson to sign an interlocal agreement with the City of Vancouver to use a portion of a stormwater discharge line owned by the city in order to discharge clean, treated water from the pump-and-treat system. While conducting the Interim Action, the Port of Vancouver will have a need to discharge clean water from the pump and treat facilities to an outlet system. The line runs from a city stormwater pond to the port’s Terminal two. The remaining section of the line to the Columbia River was built by the port. The city and port maintain separate stormwater permits for discharge, and this interlocal agreement would allow the port to: 1) install a connection vault at the city’s stormwater pond (Pond 4); connect to the city’s portion of the stormwater line; discharge treated water through the city’s portion of the line during the operation of the pump and treat system; and perform maintenance, repairs, and monitoring related to the pump-and-treat system discharge through the city’s portion of the line. The agreement would terminate once the pump-and-treat system was no longer needed to remediate the contaminated groundwater. Commission Vice President Nancy Baker presided over the meeting, as President Brian Wolfe missed the meeting while ill. With Baker and fellow Commissioner Jerry Oliver in attendance, a quorum was present for the meeting. At a Glance * * * * * * * * The Port of Vancouver, USA, created by Clark County taxpayers in 1912, is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast. Its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a dependable labor force and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community.
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