An official website of the United States government.
Settlement Finalized to Resolve Natural Resource Damages Claim in Seattle's Lower Duwamish River
AUGUST 5, 2024 — On July 15, 2024, the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington finalized a settlement with General Recycling and two affiliates valued at over $23 million for adverse impacts to natural resources resulting from hazardous substance releases into the Lower Duwamish River in Washington. The Trustees include the United States on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of the Interior, represented by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; the State of Washington, on behalf of the Department of Ecology and Department of Fish and Wildlife; the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; and the Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation.
As part of the settlement, the companies will construct and maintain a habitat restoration project at the General Recycling facility, located on the west bank of the Lower Duwamish River in a high-priority, industrialized area of the river. It will include nearly three acres of shoreline and aquatic habitat that will provide refuge areas and food sources for wildlife and various fish species, including juvenile salmon migrating from upriver spawning areas. The proposed habitat restoration project is outlined in the Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment.