Duwamish River Natural Resource Damage Credit Program

Duwamish River Habitat Development Program

Bluefield Holdings, Inc. is developing a series of habitat restoration projects along the Lower Duwamish Waterway that are valued as credit-worthy by the federal natural resource Trustees (federal, state and Tribal governments) at the Superfund site.

The properties are leased by Bluefield Holdings, Inc. from the City of Seattle. Bluefield Holdings, Inc. designs and builds the habitats to maximum habitat value – and public access where possible. The credits generated from the habitat are sold to those who need to settle their liability with the Trustees.

The program is one of the first in the country that utilized a third-party eco developer to help enhance habitat development in Superfund sites.

Natural Resource Damage Assessment settlement opportunities

Potentially responsible parties (PRPs) that contributed hazardous substances to the Duwamish waterway are liable to the Trustees for the cost of assessing and restoring damaged natural resources. The process of assessing damages and settling (or litigating) with the Trustees is very complex and expensive. Bluefield Holdings, Inc. allows those with liability to not only pay their fair share but avoid high litigation and settlement costs.

Under Bluefield Holdings, Inc.’s Duwamish River Habitat Development Program, each individual PRP still settles directly with the Trustees by signing a settlement consent decree. However, rather than paying cash to the Trustees or planning and building their own small restoration project, the settling PRP buys the credits from Bluefield Holdings, Inc.

Bluefield Holdings, Inc.’s Duwamish River Habitat Development Program provides the Trustees with highly preferred projects that they could not easily obtain or build on their own. By constructing an integrated program of restoration projects along the river, Bluefield Holdings, Inc. takes a “macro-ecological approach” that produces more habitats for the Trustees, more credits for the PRPs, and more restoration for the public. Instead of waiting for individual PRPs to settle their liability in a piecemeal manner, Bluefield Holdings, Inc. creates large, integrated projects with “economies of scale” that benefit all parties.

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