Huxley College students to study contaminated site in Anacortes

Students in Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment will be studying real-world environmental problems at a contaminated site in Anacortes.

Clean-up is under way at the former Scott Paper Mill site in Anacortes, and 17 students in the Environmental Toxicology emphasis at Huxley College of the Environment will learn the history of the site, state environmental regulations that relate to environmental clean-up decisions, and possible clean-up methods. With this information, students will draft mock cleanup proposals and identify research to be done on the site.

According to Ruth Sofield, the Huxley College associate professor responsible for putting the class together, this is experiential learning at its best. “The students will gain hands-on experience with the latest field technologies during field trips to the site and they will be forced to make difficult decisions based on technical knowledge, economics, social issues, and regulatory guidance,” Sofield said.

The Port of Anacortes, state Department of Ecology, and Geoengineers, an environmental consulting firm, are working collaboratively and extensively with Sofield to deliver a realistic experience for the students.

“We are proud to once again be able to fuse academia with business. This WWU class follows our current work with Anacortes High School, as well as our larger effort to establish the regional Marine Skills Center at our marina,” said Bob Hyde, executive director of the Port of Anacortes.

The students will be working with professionals from the Port of Anacortes, the Department of Ecology, and Geoengineers. “This is the real world they will be stepping into when they graduate and there is no better way to prepare them for it than through an applied learning experience such as this,” Sofield said.

The project is being funded by a $25,000 payment from the Port of Anacortes, among contributions made as part of the natural resources damages settlement associated with the cleanup of the site. The money will be used to support the class and the student research related to the site during the spring and summer.

“This money will have a tremendous, positive impact on our students. I believe this is how higher education should work – professors supply fundamental knowledge and then facilitate student opportunities to apply newly acquired knowledge to real situations. The sky is the limit as to how much benefit they can obtain from this experience,” Sofield said.

Huxley College's academic programs reflect a broad view of the physical, biological, social and cultural world. This innovative and interdisciplinary approach established Huxley College as a leader in the field nearly 40 years ago. Since then the College has continued to lead, earning international recognition for the quality of its programs, the expertise of its faculty and the knowledge of its graduates. For more information, please see Huxley College of the Environment.