Commencement Bay, WA

Commencement Bay, located in the city of Tacoma, WA, is the third site chosen for this project. Commencement Bay is hub of industrial activity for the city that has contained many different industries and companies over the years. However, the main industrial sources of contamination are ship building, oil refining, chemical manufacturing plants, chlorine production, pulp and lumber activities, railroad operations, and other industrial activities. 

Some major areas of contamination within Commencement Bay include the site of the Asarco Tacoma Smelter. Prior to 1980, the area was used chiefly by sawmills. The first lead smelter and refinery began operations in the 1890 and was bought by Asarco in 1905 as a copper smelter and refinery. To add space to operations, the shoreline was extended using slag from smelting operations. Another area of note is the Tacoma Tar Pits, which is located along the Commencement Bay tideflats along with a meat packing plant, a bulk fuel storage facility, and railroad tracks. 

This location is also supported by imported and dredged fills. The Tacoma Tar Pits were also a site for metal recycling starting in 1967, and this operation contributed to the Commencement Bay fills with discarded metal and car materials. The metal recycling plant, then owned by Joseph Simon & Sons, is still operational under the name of Simon Metals. A third site of interest contains an out of operation coal gasification plant that operated on the eastern side of Commencement Bay from 1924-1956. 

Commencement Bay, Washington, is a natural harbor where the Puyallup River flows from Mt. Baker into Puget Sound. The bay was named as the starting point of the 1841 U.S. Naval Puget Sound survey. The bay’s economic engines, which are lumber, shipbuilding, and shipping, developed naturally thanks to its water resources and the railroad infrastructure. Originally home to the Puyallup Tribe, the area saw its first non-Indigenous settlement in 1852 when a Swedish immigrant built a sawmill that attracted a small community. In 1864, Tacoma founding father and first City Mayor Job Carr purchased “Eureka Lagoon,” and later sold it in 1868 to developer Morton McCarver. McCarver founded Tacoma City and launched efforts to attract settlers and the Northern Pacific Railroad. In 1873, Commencement Bay was chosen as the western terminus for Northern Pacific’s transcontinental line from Minnesota, a decision that transformed the region. Old Tacoma incorporated in 1875, and by 1880 New Tacoma to the south became the county seat. The Pacific Steamship Co. was established in the early 1800’s to provide longshore services to Tacoma’s waterfront and shipping industries, which created a lively waterfront economy. The transcontinental link arrived in 1883, merging Old and New Tacoma, and fueling rapid population growth, trade, and immigration during the 1880s and 1890s.

Industrialization was heavily influenced by the Northern Pacific Railroad, who held an industrial monopoly in Tacoma for many years. The Northern Pacific Railroad dredged Commencement Bay in 1901 to channelize the tideflats and create 8 official waterways for lumber transport and other industry development. Tacoma experienced an industry boom from 1875-1900, during which lumber mills, grain storage facilities, and warehouses were built along the waterways of Commencement Bay. The Tacoma Land Company, a subsidiary of the Northern Pacific Railroad, initiated early city planning by designating parklands. Following 1904, additional railroads such as the Great Northern Railway, Union Pacific, and Milwaukee Road connected to the bay. Between 1900 and 1910, Tacoma saw expanding development, including zoned urban areas, the Green River water system, the Nisqually River hydroelectric project, and an interconnected Municipal Dock. Unfortunately, nearly three-quarters of the Puyallup Reservation was seized for development due to Industrial expansion. 

The World Wars further reshaped the area. During WWI, Tacoma boomed with lumber production and military settlement, leading to the establishment of the Port of Tacoma in 1918. WWII brought renewed industrial activity, with shipyards expanding and workers arriving from across the U.S. and Japan. Meanwhile, Tacoma and Seattle maintained a fierce rivalry until their transportation systems were jointly managed under the Sea-Tac collaboration in 1944. In 1952, Tacoma transitioned from a commission-style government to a mayor/city-manager system. Urban renewal programs after WWII led to highway expansions and the restoration of many historic buildings. In the 1970s, the Port of Tacoma capitalized on opportunities created by the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the rise of containerized shipping. Today, Tacoma’s culture is still centered around the waterfront as its industry has expanded out to emphasize tourism and the arts. 

Fish, birds, and other wildlife in Commencement Bay have taken the biggest hit from the contamination of the area as they have lost large portions of their habitat from the filling of the tideflats, and they can’t escape the pollution. The water quality is damaged by industrial runoff and stormwater pollution, making the water less suitable for marine life. Additionally, fish in the bay accumulate hazardous substances in their fat tissues making them unsafe for consumption and this has resulted in consumption advisories being placed on the fish in the area. 

The sediment in Commencement Bay also poses a health risk in some areas on the site if people come in direct contact with contaminated soil. Industrial pollution also impairs air quality. Industrial sites in the area produce harmful gases that can increase rates of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues. Low-income and frontline communities are particularly vulnerable.

The city of Tacoma is home to a diverse population shaped by waves of migration and changing economic opportunities. As a major commercial and industrial hub, Tacoma has attracted many different peoples over the years. From immigrants from Asia to Mexico working in labor, running merchant shops, many immigrants moved to Tacoma in the 1800s. Tacoma’s population is still largely white, numbering around 60% making it one of the more diverse cities in western Washington. 

Tacoma's first population was white settlers that used the harbor as a protected shelter, but it wasn't until the industrial revolution reached Tacoma that the city saw its first large wave of migrants that came as laborers and merchants. This population settled in the city but faced discrimination and in 1885 a riot forced many of the Asian Americans out of the city until they were able to contact US marshals to resolve the riots. Currently many Asian Americans in Tacoma reside in many of the northern and southeastern areas of the city and around Commencement Bay.

Hispanic and Latino migrants had been in eastern Washington working in the agricultural lands but after the second world war, many left and moved west. Tacoma became the destination for many and by the 1950’s a thriving and growing Hispanic/Latino community had been established in Tacoma.

Tacoma’s African American population can be traced to a man named George Putnam Riley. In 1869, George with 13 others formed the Workingmen’s Join Stick Association to buy real estate in growing boom towns. The organization would buy 67 acres of land that would become the hilltop neighborhood. In the 1930, Tacoma was redlined and in 1940 most of Tacoma's African American population lived around or near commencement bay. Today, many African American residents of Tacoma live near commencement bay or on the southern side of the city as well as some historically African neighborhoods.