The Port of Olympia recognizes the value of the natural environment in which we operate and the importance of creating economic opportunities that are environmentally sustainable.

That’s why we participate in Green Marine, a voluntary certification program that aims to reduce the environmental footprint of operations on our marine terminal. The Port joined Green Marine in 2016 as one of the first 40 port authorities to participate in the program. There are now over 490 members worldwide.

Performance Measures

Green Marine requires its participants to adopt practices that have a direct impact on the environmental footprint of their operations. Areas of Green Marine evaluation include performance measures in:

• Air Emissions (Pollutants)
• Greenhouse Gases
• Spill Prevention
• Stormwater Management
• Dry Bulk Handling and Storage
• Community Impacts
• Environmental Leadership
• Waste Management
• Underwater Noise
• Community Relations
•  Aquatic Ecosystems

Performance Indicators

Each year, we strive to either meet or exceed requirements in each performance measure by maintaining strict management practices for stormwater, air quality and recycling. We also work closely with state and local agencies on multiple programs and initiatives, such as the Budd Inlet Cleanup, a long-term remediation effort to clean up legacy contamination that will provide a clean, healthy bay for generations to come.

Each performance measure has performance indicator levels that are evaluated from level 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest level of performance achieved. Participants must show an increase of at least one level in one performance measure annually. For example, last year we focused on increasing the performance measure of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the Port from Level 2 in 2023 to Level 3 in 2024.

We did this by creating an inventory of Port-owned equipment and calculating our GHG emissions from fuel use and cargo operations. We use the Puget Sound Maritime Air Emissions Inventory (PSEI) to track past and present data of maritime-related air pollutants and GHG emissions to assess which areas need improvement and which petroleum-based products we can replace with ecofriendly biofuels.

Green Marine Goals for 2025

Our goal this year is to expand outreach and communication efforts to inform the community about the Port’s environmental programs and initiatives. We want to foster open communication and collaboration with all of Thurston County, an effort that began with Vision 2050, our community engagement and action plan to ensure that Port investments align with community priorities. In addition to moving forward with the next phase of the Budd Inlet Cleanup, we are also exploring ways to expand the use of renewable energy resources and address climate and sea level rise concerns.

To learn more about the Green Marine Environmental program, go to www.green-marine.org.

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If you’d like to receive this blog series to your inbox, sign up for our Environmental Blog Series email. Some of the topics planned for upcoming issues include: salmon and shellfish management practices, renewable energy programs and issues related to climate change and sea level rise.