A permit application for the contentious proposed ABC Recycling metal shredder has been scrapped.
The company withdrew its application for permits for the development of the metal shredding operation on Marine Drive, Whatcom County officials announced Tuesday, April 30.
In a letter to the county’s Planning and Development services, Andrew Anthony, vice president of U.S. Operations offered a single sentence: “ABC Recycling would like to hereby withdraw its application for permits for the development of its property located at 741 Marine Drive, Bellingham, WA.”
Riley Sweeney, ABC’s community relations and government affairs manager, declined to comment.
The Canadian company’s project to start a metal-shredding operation in the Alderwood area northwest of Bellingham city limits met fierce opposition from some nearby residents and community members angry about potential noise, traffic and other environmental impacts.
Scott Jones, the founder of Save the Waterfront, a group that opposed the metal shredder, said he was in disbelief about the news ABC had pulled its permits.
“We thought they would put up a fight,” he said, noting a petition the group had created to oppose the shredder’s location had gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund said in a statement the permit withdrawal was “a positive development for our community.”
“This move not only alleviates the strain on City staff resources, which have been heavily invested in addressing matters related to ABC Recycling’s operations, but also opens up opportunities for constructive engagement with Whatcom County leaders and other parties about potential next steps,” she said.
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu said in a statement he hopes the situation “serves as a catalyst for the County Council to review legacy heavy industry zones and revise them in light of current conditions.”
“At the same time, I want to be clear that Whatcom County remains committed to giving every development application a fair hearing and every public concern appropriate consideration,” he said.
Four permits were filed in late October ahead of a vote to declare an emergency moratorium on new developments at properties zoned for heavy industry in the Alderwood area.
Most recently in March, the Bellingham City Council voted to approve a memorandum of understanding with Whatcom County that the two entities would share environmental responsibilities for the shredder since the proposed area for the facility wasn’t in Bellingham proper, but rather in the City of Bellingham Urban Growth Area.
In late March, ABC lost its lease at the Port of Bellingham, where its scrap metal recycling operation was located. ABC is in the process of removing the scrap metal from the port, with one loading operation completed on April 13. The second operation will be completed ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline to vacate the area.
This story was updated at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday May 1 to include a statement from Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund. This story was updated at 11:05 a.m. on Wednesday May 1 to include a statement from Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
