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OLYMPIA – The Port of Pend Oreille is among seven Washington communities looking to develop industrial symbiosis parks or hubs that will receive technical assistance from the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure (CSI) thanks to the Washington Department of Commerce’s Industrial Symbiosis Technical Assistance Program (ISTA Program) established by the Washington Legislature.
Using Industrial Symbiosis principles, the Port of Pend Oreille is developing the Wolfred Industrial Park as an implementation- ready regional industrial symbiosis hub that will transform northeastern Washington’s abundant forest residuals into value-added products through shared infrastructure, complementary industries, coordinated resource utilization, and circular manufacturing.
The project builds upon strong public partnerships, existing infrastructure, and abundant regional biomass resources to advance a regional circular forest economy that supports economic development, sustainable forest man- agement, and greenhouse gas reduction.
“The Port is excited to take another step toward bringing the planning and infrastructure needed to Pend Oreille County,” said Jessica Garza, Economic Development Director for the Port of Pend Oreille. “This opportunity helps move the Wolfred Industrial Park project forward while creating space for future business growth.”
CSI’s team of engineers, industrial ecologists, infrastructure planners, and implementation experts – including the world’s leading IS experts in Denmark – will provide comprehensive technical assistance for these communities as they develop industrial symbiosis parks or hubs. The end-goal of CSI’s technical assistance is for each selected community to emerge with a first-in-line, prioritized Industrial Symbiosis capital project that is ready to advance into preliminary design, environmental review, and the pursuit of capital funding.
Industrial Symbiosis (IS) parks are typically shared sites or properties where organizations co-locate and partner to use resources more sustainably by integrating waste streams, such as waste materials, wastewater, or waste heat, into production processes.
CSI will implement the ISTA Program in a four-phase approach over about 10 months, with all work to be completed no later than June 30, 2027.
“We’re thrilled to be able to help more Washington communities to turn waste into wealth,” said Rhys Roth, Executive Director for the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure. “This is a golden opportunity to help local leaders apply Industrial Symbiosis principles to develop industrial hubs that make energy, water, and material resources more reliable, exchangeable, affordable, and sustainable.”
About the ISTA Program
Funding for technical assistance comes from a $1.825 million award to CSI from the Washington Department of Commerce through its Industrial Symbiosis Technical Assistance Program, with funds derived from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act in the 2025-2027 budget. The legislature created the program to provide communities with expert analysis of resources, waste streams, and sustainable infrastructure solutions for local Industrial Symbiosis Parks, to spur economic development, conserve resources, and reduce climate pollution.
CSI received applications for IS Technical Assistance from 22 eligible entities, including cities, ports, private businesses, tribes, and economic development councils, from throughout Washington. Other communities receiving IS technical assistance are the Ports of Bellingham, Camas-Washougal, Pend Oreille and Moses Lake, Thurston County EDC, Spokane-based Biomethane, LLC, and Wenatchee-based Our Valley, Our Future.
In the past two years, CSI has delivered similar IS technical assistance to projects in Port Angeles, Vancouver, Longview, Wenatchee, Pasco, and Spokane.
About Industrial Symbiosis
Industrial symbiosis is an innovative approach to infrastructure and economic development in which one facility’s waste streams—energy, water, materials, and residuals— become valuable inputs for other businesses. This model maximizes resource efficiency, reduces greenhouse gas (and other) emissions, and stimulates economic growth.
