At the end of September, we hosted our annual Environmental Seminar at the Silver Cloud Point Ruston Hotel in Tacoma. It was a beautiful couple days on the waterfront with a spectacular view of the port. The location and redevelopment story of Point Ruston was not far from mind as it related to many topics of conversation over the course of the Seminar. This was the former site of one of the world’s largest smelters, at one point producing 25% of the world’s copper. The Superfund site took years to clean up but is now booming with over 100 acres and a mile of waterfront including condos, shops, restaurants, bars and parks. Point Ruston highlights the possibility of what environmental and redevelopment projects can provide local communities and some of the work that ports engage in all over Washington.

We kicked off the seminar with a bus tour of the Port of Tacoma. We got to learn about so many of their clean up and mitigation efforts, and their innovative stormwater system. Stormwater was a key topic for discussion during the seminar. We were also able to see some of their electrification efforts and watch some of the zero-emission trucks in operation!  

Over the course of the seminar, we were able to network, discuss important opportunities, learn from each other, and share experiences. We heard a presentation on environmental justice and equity which was a resounding theme in many of the other topics discussed throughout the week. We heard about some cleanup efforts at ports, the growth management act, clean energy, PFAS, and much much more. See the 2023 Seminar agenda and presentations here.  

We couldn’t have had a successful Environmental Seminar without the passionate and dedicated environmental staff and associate members sharing their expertise and knowledge. I left with a notebook full of notes and ideas excited to continue working with this amazing group of people. Special shoutout to the Port of Longview’s creative Planning and Environmental Team video: watch here.  

HUGE thank you to our distinguished speakers and panel members:  

City of Tacoma Government Deputy Mayor Walker, Port of Tacoma Commissioner Ang, ALD & Associates LLC, Maul Foster & Alongi, CSD Attorneys at Law, Port of Bellingham, Anchor QEA, LLC, Haley & Aldrich, Moffatt & Nichol, Van Ness Feldman LLP, Governor's Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance, WSP, The Northwest Seaport Alliance, Washington Department of Ecology, Kennedy Jenks Consultants, Port of Seattle, Maritime Blue, Port of Tacoma.