Port amends agreements with contractors for Budd Inlet cleanup

The Port of Olympia amended several agreement terms with five contractors involved in the initial phase of the Budd Inlet cleanup project during a meeting held on Monday, October 24.

The contract for engineering firm Dalton Olmstead & Fuglevand got the biggest amendment with an additional $2,286,381 in fees from just $99,500. The firm will help the Port with technical, engineering, and permitting work as the Port finalizes the remedy for the cleanup.

The initial agreements with the contractors allowed them to participate in a one-day session back in July, according to documents prepared by the Port staff. The agreement for the other four contractors started with a not-to-exceed amount of $50,000 but has since been increased with the amendments.

The second most significant increase was for the contract of Lund Faucett, with an additional $96,000. The agency will help with communications, outreach, and public relations. Gemini Environmental will get an additional $88,000 to help with strategy and technical coordination. Cascadia Poly Solutions will get $43,000 more to assist in policy, funding, and stakeholder relations. The last contractor, Cascadia Law Ground, will be given $22,000 to provide legal assistance in regulatory issues.

The terms of the five contracts were also extended from December 2022 to June 2023.

The cleanup complies with an agreed order from the Washington State Department of Ecology to investigate and clean legacy contamination in the area. The project is also a crucial part of the proposed Deschutes Estuary, as sediment will have to be dredged in the area to accommodate the influx of additional ones from Capitol Lake should the dam be removed.

The first stage of this project will cost $4,177,340, half of which will be covered by Ecology through a remedial action grant as part of the agreed order. Around $75,000 of the cost is not eligible for the grant and will have to be covered by the Port.