Workers are preparing to remove a section of contaminated shoreline near downtown Bellingham.

The Bellingham Herald reports ( http://is.gd/Jw1ayw) that the petroleum contamination is from an old bulk fuel storage facility that operated from 1904 to 1987.

Crews from Bellingham's Ram Construction will start digging out about 80 truckloads of soil and sediment from a 5,000-square-foot portion of beach Monday night. Then they'll install a liner to prevent recontamination and rebuild the beach with clean material.

The work will take place at night, when tides are at their lowest, and it is expected to be completed in mid-February.

The project is part of a larger cleanup effort in the area, and it's expected to cost the city and Port of Bellingham $500,000. Half of that will be reimbursed by the state Ecology Department.