Port Angeles: Digging of 200,000 cubic foot graving yard awaits archeological plan

PORT ANGELES — Excavation on the 22.4-acre Hood Canal Bridge graving yard site remains postponed until an archeological plan is developed.

The discovery of Native American remains shut down the graving yard project Aug. 26, just three weeks after groundbreaking was held on the $17 million project.

Instead of heavy equipment excavating and hauling out 200,000 cubic yards of soil, the Marine Drive construction site is silent.

“I will stand firm that heavy machinery will not be used until it is certain that damage to unknown archeological finds will not occur,” said Dennis Sullivan, chairman of the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, on Monday.

State Transportation and tribal officials say information about a new plan to protect the Native American burial ground found on the site could be released later this week.

No date for the meeting has been set.

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The rest of the story appears in Tuesday’s Peninsula Daily News.

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