The initiative related to this project supports sustainable redevelopment, economic growth, and environmental restoration. The grant project as awarded by the EPA will also allow the community to identify and assess potentially contaminated properties with the greatest potential for job creation and revitalization.
This project is supported by Washington Department of Ecology and City of Port Orchard, among other partners and stakeholders. This project has been funded by the USEPA.
What to Know About a Brownfield: A brownfield is “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” ("Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act", PL 107-118, 11 January 2002.) In layman’s terms, a brownfield is a property that is difficult to develop because it is contaminated or believed to be contaminated. Brownfields sites are typically abandoned or underutilized commercial/industrial sites such as (but not limited to) former industrial sites, former gas stations and dry cleaners, main street properties, hospitals, schools, mills, and grain elevators.
In the Port of Bremerton's case, the properties currently at the focus of this EPA Brownfield grant, located at 521 and 525 Bay Street, were part of a former gas station. When the Port purchased the properties that were affected by such contaminants, the Port also undertook the responsibility of cleaning the soil.
Community engagement and outreach is a large focal point to this project. In conjunction with the EPA, it is our goal to help educate the public on what brownfields are and the process that they undergo. Project updates will be provided at Port of Bremerton Commission Meetings, on our website, and through community outreach mediums.
Stakeholder Meeting Recap:
The Port of Bremerton held a stakeholder meeting on Friday, October 10th at the Downtown Port Orchard KRL to discuss the project outlined on this page. The information presented by Joel Hecker of Pioneer Technologies is available on this webpage for public viewing as a PowerPoint named “9-17-25 PoB Community Meeting Brownfield Presentation”. Stakeholders invited to this meeting were identified as organizations who have an implicit responsibility to the area. For example, the City of Port Orchard, the Suquamish Tribe, Kitsap Public Health District, the Port Orchard Waterfront Alliance (formerly Port Orchard Bay Street Association), and a variety of other community-based or non-profit groups.
Aside from describing the project located at 521 & 525 Bay Street, a key component to this stakeholder meeting was in describing the potential opportunity for fellow community members: The grant awarded to the Port is considered a “community-wide” grant, meaning that individuals have the opportunity to apply for the remaining funds if they would like a FREE assessment of any potential brownfield sites that could be developed. Interested parties should reach out to the Port’s COO, Arne Bakker, for more information: (360) 674-2381.
There was also a Q&A portion of this meeting, which centered on Ecology’s views on how redeveloping underutilized sites (such as brownfields) works to protect & preserve areas. The aim of cleaning sites is focused on reducing the risk to the public and protecting the quality of life, rather than just increasing the value of properties. It was also asked if the Bay Street sites had ever been cleaned prior to the Port purchasing the properties; the sites had one in-ground fuel tank removed in the 90s, but the remaining tanks have continued to leak. The team also recapped that there are new guidelines in place to help prevent future contamination, such as fuel tanks being required to be above-ground rather than below.
Additional meetings will be publicized when applicable.
More Information: For additional information, please contact Arne Bakker, Chief Operations Officer at the Port and lead coordinator for the Port's Brownfield Assessment Grant.
📍 8850 SW State Hwy 3, Bremerton, WA 98312
📧 arneb@portofbremerton.org
📞 (360) 674-2381
Updated October 14, 2025
