Flooded coal mine under Bellingham could become heat source for college

An old coal mine under Bellingham could become a heat source for Bellingham Technical College. 

A couple of years ago, Western Washington University professor Eric Leonhardt’s neighbor showed him the City of Bellingham’s detailed map of the Bellingham Coal Mine. Already working on a geothermal project at the time, Leonhardt had an idea. He connected with fellow professor Deborah Glosser, and then reached out to former professor Pete Stelling, Herman, and Judson Morse, who spent 20 years working on large-scale HVAC systems and has a ground source heat pump at his home. The group connected with local leaders around Bellingham and applied for grants, trying to make the project a reality.