Local Areas of Interest
Nichols Brothers Expansion
NBBBI Growth
Nichols Brothers Boat Building, Inc. (NBBBI) was established on the south shore of Holmes Harbor more than forty years ago to repair small boat engines and hulls. Over the years their skills and capabilities grew to match the size and complexity of their boats. By the summer of 2003 they had completed and launched the 360-foot, 3500-ton Empress of the North. By Spring 2004 they had built and launched the fast Navy X-Craft. And by the end of 2004 they were proposing a major three-stage facilities expansion that would permit construction of vessels as large as Washington State Ferries—up to 400 feet long and 5,000 tons in weight. In May 2006 they announced orders for two $14M catamaran ferries for the San Francisco Marine Transit Authority. The Holmes Harbor community is proud of their success but wonders about the unintended consequences of such growth.
MPA Highlights. Their Master Permit Application (MPA) proposed a 24/7 work schedule, expanded parking facilities, 11 new portable production buildings used separately or coupled together to create an enclosure as large as a football field and nearly as tall as Boeing’s hangars (65 feet high). They also proposed a marine railway extending 1400 feet into the shallow water of Holmes Harbor, much of it several feet above the beach at low tides and a potential hazard to navigation when tides were high.
Holmes Harbor is shallow and virtually non-flushing, especially at its south end. It is home to one of only two eelgrass beds on Whidbey Island, an increasingly scarce resource that provides spawning grounds for herring; herring, in turn, is food for various waterfowl and larger fish. Eagles and osprey nest in nearby firs. In good weather, both locals and visitors fish, boat, and water-ski in Harbor waters. A few hearty souls even swim on warmer, incoming tides. (See Holmes Harbor Water Quality Section for more about recent beach closures.)
This site posts the Nichols’ proposal and what we have been able to learn about it. In addition, it identifies changes to state regulations, records of Nichols’ legal infractions, plus other relevant information about the impacts of growth and change.
FOHH is not a zero-growth organization. We are, however, dedicated to the preservation and sustainability of the Holmes Harbor natural environment and a high quality of life for both businesses and residents. We invite the community to share in these goals and to work with FOHH in their attainment.
(See new Holmes Harbor Water Quality section of website that reports on elevated levels of coliform at both Freeland Park and at NBBBI resulting in shellfish harvest closure.)
Nichols' boat launch ramp maintenance permit. In late May, 2006 NBBBI applied for an Island County Public Works Department permit to do maintenance on their boat launch ramp. The public notice specifies that 1600 cubic yards of quarry rock will be used. That’s enough to cover an area 38 feet wide to a depth of 3.25 feet and a length of 350 feet—a disproportionate amount for the project identified. We are also concerned that the scale of work would likely exacerbate the fecal coliform condition of Holmes Harbor water by disturbing contaminates trapped in the ramp substrate. (See FOHH letter in the Documents and News Articles section.)
FOHH supports Nichols in their ongoing boat building and repair business. We don’t, however, support their goal for major expansion in the heart of this residential community. A nickel-and-dime approach is no more palatable than a major project completed within a definitive time frame—the end result would be the same.
Update: March 2007
During the afternoon and evening of Friday March 2, Nichols launched a 230-foot vessel at Holmes Harbor. When the sun rose and the fog cleared the next morning, community members noticed an oil slick in the southern end of Holmes Harbor. The sheen, visible in the two photos presented below, measured approximately 300 feet in length by 100 feet wide. Fohh reported the release to Oil Spill Response (National Response Center: 1-800-424-8802). The local fire department was the first to witness the sheen and view FOHH’s photos. The US Coast Guard was dispatched from Seattle. Due to the calm conditions, the remnants of the slick were still visible when the Coast Guard arrived several hours later. Wood shims and other debris also were released during the launch. Much of this debris drifted over to Freeland Park when the wind picked up later that morning. Initial reports by Nichols Brothers to the Washington Department Ecology indicated that the diesel sheen likely resulted from wet exhaust from the new generators on the launched vessel. Nichols did not deploy booms to control the sheen or recover the wood debris from the harbor. Even more disturbing is that Nichols own “spill response team” did not respond to an oil spill. If Nichols is not capable of monitoring for potential oil spills during launch, then they should not be allowed to launch during darkness hours.
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All spills matter, regardless of size. Diesel is toxic to the environment and the damage starts as
soon as the fuel hits water --Campbell, Karen (ECY)
Update: February 2007
The photos, above, show mid-January and early February emissions stemming from dry-blasting at Nichols Shipyard. (Previously, wet-blasting had been used—a technique Nichols admits is more environmentally friendly.) Both types of emissions, however, are required to be "confined to shipyard repair and construction areas to the maximum extent feasible” with the residue hauled for treatment. According to their DoE Permit:
"Feasible methods of control include conducting the work in a sandblast/spray paint shed or installing plastic barriers around the vessel. Plastic barriers hung from the vessel, or temporary structures around the vessel, should be secure and arranged to prevent fugitive emissions of abrasive grit and dust [and to] effectively capture overspray from spray painting activities."
FOHH reported both of these events to the regulatory agencies. Nichols self-reported the mid-January incident, but to our knowledge, subsequent events went unreported by Nichols. In the future, FOHH hopes neighbors will report similar events, including release of noxious chemical odors. Agencies aren't here 24/7; we are. Reports coming from the community-at-large lets them know that concern is wide-spread.
Please call: Donna Ortiz de Anaya, Permit Writer, WA. State DoE, at 425-649-7276 (dort461@ecy.wa.gov)
or you can reach her via snailmail at 3190 - 160th Ave. SE, Bellevue, WA 98008-5452.
Alternatively, contact the Northwest Clean Air Agency at 1600 South Second Street, Mt. Vernon, WA 98273-5202, 360-428-1617 (1-800-622-4627),
(http://www.nwcleanair.org/pdf/forms/misc/complaint_form.pdf)
Taking Action
FOHH's official response to Island County Planning plus comment letters from other organizations are posted in the Documents and News Articles section. They are available for downloading. Most Recent Posting: October 10 , 2006
Background
Public comment in response to the initial NBBBI MPA expired Jan. 17, 2005. We thank everyone for their willingness to respond and for the contributions made to FOHH at that time. Our work goes on and so does our committment to closely follow Nichols' responses to various governmental agency queries.
The recent posting date, above, will let you see at a glance when something new has been added to the Documents and News Articles section.
The Facts page makes for easy understanding of the magnitude and impacts of NBBBI's proposed expansion. FOHH and individual citizen comment letters to County Planning have, over the past year, made a difference in how the proposal is viewed. Donations have helped FOHH secure professional advice so that our comments could be more targeted.
For your convenience, copies of the original NBBBI master permit application are available for public viewing at the Langley, Freeland and Clinton libraries. We hope the information provided will assist you in continuing to express your informed opinion of the project to elected state, local and federal officials--as well as FOHH and other supportive organizations. Expressing your views can make a difference!
Click on the link above for a complete list of all documents
and articles available. Some are
MSWord files; for others you will need Acrobat Reader. 
Click on the link above for the Facts about the Nichol's Brother's Master Permit Application.
Click on the link above to visualize
the magnitude and impact of the Nichols Brother's proposed railway
system.
Friends of Holmes Harbor
PO Box 493
Freeland, WA 98249
fohh@friendsofholmesharbor.org | 360-321-FOHH (3644)
© 2006 Friends of Holmes Harbor