The project engineer for the new Oak Harbor’s sewage plant project has lost count of how many times human remains have been found during construction.

The inadvertent discoveries, however, haven’t stopped the work on the large-scale project.

Brett Arvidson, project engineer, told the Oak Harbor City Council Tuesday that human remains were found at the site the week prior.

During an interview, Arvidson said such finds don’t interrupt the work, which is on schedule to be completed next year. He said he doesn’t know how many times remains were found.

Earlier in the project, for example, 28 sets of remains were unearthed in a period of a couple of weeks.

He explained that, in a memorandum of understanding between the city and six Native American tribes, a process was established for the city to follow with each discovery of remains.

The agreement is helpful in detailing the response, City Administrator Doug Merriman said, and has made everyone involved aware of the importance of cultural sensitivity with regard to the remains.

Arvidson said the first step is to summon a physical anthropologist to the site.

The police and coroner are notified so they can determine that it isn’t a crime scene.

The state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation is also notified and, ultimately, takes custody of the remains.

Arvidson said there have been as many as four archaeologists on site at one time; the city has its own archaeologist on staff.

An archaeological firm took core samples at the site and determined before digging began that the unearthing of culturally sensitive material was likely.

As a result, the city worked with the tribes to set up a process.

Photo provided Work at Oak Harbor’s sewage treatment plant in Windjammer Park involves digging in earth where remains of Native Americans were unearthed.