Ferndale Terminal Existing and Planned Improvements

Current Project Status:

Internal County Review


Project Information

Applications:

Major Project Permit Application (MPP2024-00002)

State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Environmental Checklist (SEPA2024-00052)

Commercial Building Permit (COM2024-00083 through COM2024-00115)

Location

4100 Unick Road, Ferndale, Washington

Assessor’s Parcel Numbers: 9428046, 390129495093

Summary:

ALA Energy has applied for a Major Project Permit, SEPA and numerous commercial building permits to permit several projects at the Ferndale Terminal site including a new enclosed ground flare to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOC) and a waste gas recycling project to reduce VOC and greenhouse gas emissions by recycling process gas. Environmental and permit review will also occur for several prior improvements within the Ferndale Terminal’s current footprint. The County will review the application for potential GHG emissions impacts, potential impacts to a Category IV wetland and buffer, and potential increases in rail and marine vessel traffic to and from the terminal. The Ferndale Terminal site is an existing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal which includes receiving, storage, and shipping propane and butane LPG products with existing truck, rail, pipeline and maritime vessel shipments.

Determination of Completeness: August 7, 2024

Application Process Information:

Planning and Development Services is reaching out to agency and community partners through the SEPA pre-threshold consultation process to seek comments and feedback regarding potential environmental impacts and to help identify potential mitigation. The pre-threshold consultation request was sent to interested parties as well as the Washington State SEPA Register on August 13, 2024. A response to the consultation request is required by September 13, 2024.

A Notice of Application, including posting on the site, publishing in the newspaper and mailing of notices to property owners within 300 feet will occur no later than August 21, 2024. This website will updated when the Notice of Application has been issued.

Notice of Application

Whatcom county has issued a Notice of Application for ALA Energy’s Ferndale Terminal Existing and Planned Improvements project. The Notice of Application was mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the project site, noticed in the Bellingham Herald, and posted onsite and on the Whatcom County Website on August 21, 2024. Notice of Application comments are due by September 4, 2024; however as a Type 4 application, Whatcom County can accept comments at any time prior to the close of the open record public hearing per WCC 22.05.070(h).

To submit comments on the project or to ask questions about the project, please contact project planner Amy Keenan at [email protected] or (360) 778-5943. By contacting the project planner you can be added as a party of record and receive notification of the SEPA determination associated with the project and the open record public hearing when scheduled.

Documents

There are documents listed below for the pre-threshold consultation process and additional documents listed under the Notice of Application tab. There are some duplicate documents in these two tabs. PDS has commercial building permit application documents submitted as well issued prior project permits. Those documents can be available upon request. 

  1. Notice of Application
  2. Pre-threshold Consultation Documents
  3. Comments
  1. Appendix A.01 ALA Energy Ferndale Trip Generation Analysis
  2. Appendix A.02 Concurrency 1 Prior Projects
  3. Appendix A.03 Concurrency 2 Waste Gas Recycling Project-Corrected
  4. Appendix A.04 Concurrency 3 Flare Project-Corrected
  5. Appendix A.05 Site Plans
  6. Appendix A.06 Ferndale Terminal Survey
  7. Appendix A.07 Bargain and Sale Deed - Chevron to Petrogas - Recording No. 2140500065
  8. Appendix A.08 Bargain and Sale Deed - Petrogas Inc to Petrogas West - Recording No. 2140500067
  9. Appendix A.09 Recorded Document Guarantee - File No. 5002800-0006214e
  10. Appendix A.10 NWCAA NOC Application
  11. Appendix B.1 Windborne Emissions Analysis
  12. Appendix B.2 Green House Gas Analysis
  13. Appendix B.3 Attachment 1 Ferndale Terminal Marine Vessel Handbook
  14. Appendix B.3 Marine Vessel Analysis
  15. Appendix B.4 Stormwater Analysis
  16. Appendix B.5 Rail Operations Analysis
  17. Appendix C.1 Current Capacity Assessment CBI _REDACTED
  18. Appendix C.2 Prior 2016 Capacity Assessment CBI_REDACTED
  19. Appendix C.3 Attachment 1 Flare Design Basis
  20. Appendix C.3 Burns and McDonald Capacity Assessment - Flare (2)
  21. Appendix C.4 Attachment 1 Waste Gas Recycling Design Basis
  22. Appendix C.4 Burns and McDonald Capacity Assessment - Waste Gas Recycling (Deethanizer) (2)
  23. Appendix D.1 Geological Hazard Area (GHA) Assessment
  24. Appendix D.2 Health and Community Services Water Facilities Inventory Form
  25. Appendix D.3 International Building Code (IBC) Review
  26. Appendix D.4 ALA Energy Ferndale Facility Prior Projects Stormwater Review Memo
  27. Appendix D.5 ALA Energy Ferndale Facility Waste Gas Recycling Project Stormwater Memo
  28. Appendix D.6 ALA Energy Ferndale Terminal Flare Stormwater Memo
  29. Appendix D.7 ALA Energy Facility Site Development Report Unpermitted Prior Projects
  30. Appendix D.8 ALA Energy Flare and Waste Gas Site Development Report
  31. Appendix F Cost Reimbursement Agreement
  32. Appendix F.1 Insurance Certificate ALA Energy LLC - 570106509057 - Liab-Auto-Excess CBI_REDACTED
  33. Appendix F.2 Insurance Certificate ALA Energy LLC - 061924 - MTOL-WC CBI_REDACTED
  34. I. Major Project Permit Application Form
  35. I. MPP Attachment 1 Project Description and Compliance Narrative
  36. I. MPP Attachment 2 Additional Elements
  37. MPP2024-00002 Notice of Application
  38. mpp2024-00002 Vicinity Map
  39. Revised - Appendix G Table of Avoidance, Minimization, and Mitigation Measures 20240819
  40. SEPA Checklist
  41. Subdivision Guarantee - Effective 7.11.2024 - File No. W-210524
MPP2024-00002 vicinity map 20240801