| November 22, 2002
News Release King County wants to find out what people think of the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Brightwater wastewater treatment system. Residents can comment at four public hearings in early December. The Brightwater facilities will protect public health and water quality by treating wastewater from the growing number of people in south Snohomish County and north King County. About 63 percent of the wastewater will come from cities and sewer districts in Snohomish County. King County's Wastewater Treatment Division has operated two regional plants in Seattle and Renton for more than 40 years. Those plants will reach capacity by 2010, when Brightwater must begin operating. "One reason we need to build a new plant is that we cannot rely on our older systems to meet all our future needs," said Christie True, capital improvement program manager. "The new plant and pipelines will be designed to meet stringent standards that protect Puget Sound, groundwater, and our lakes and streams." The four public hearings will run from 5-8 p.m. on the following days:
During the hearings, people can comment on findings in the draft environmental impact statement, or EIS, about building and operating any of the three Brightwater alternatives for conveying, treating, discharging and reusing wastewater. Court reporters will be at all the hearings to record testimony in the hearing room or in a private setting. Speakers will have three minutes to comment. More extensive comments can be submitted in writing. The format will include informal open houses so people can learn more about the project. Wastewater treatment staff will answer questions about the project. People can send written comments to Environmental Planning, King County Wastewater Treatment Division, KSC-NR-0505, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104-3855. People can also comment in an online form at the Brightwater Web site: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/brightwater/env/. The deadline for comments is Jan. 21, 2003. King County will use comments to prepare the final EIS by mid-2003. County Executive Ron Sims plans to choose one alternative system after all impacts and mitigation measures for all alternatives have been considered equally in the environmental review process. "We are committed to being a good neighbor and an asset to the region," said Wastewater Treatment Manager Don Theiler. "Although there will be impacts with a project of this size, we also are proposing substantial mitigation to reduce those impacts." The Wastewater Treatment Division will work with affected landowners and local, state and federal regulatory agencies to carry out the selected alternative. Design and construction will follow, with completion in 2010. The draft EIS describes the characteristics and probable environmental impacts of the following Brightwater alternatives, and a no-action alternative:
Depending on the route, the pipeline could run beneath Bothell, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, Brier, Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds and Woodway. Multiple paper copies of the draft EIS are available for review at public libraries. They also may be bought at a reduced cost of $50 each. Compact discs containing the EIS will be given free to anyone who asks for one. The entire EIS is also be available in PDF files on King County's Brightwater Web site. To buy a copy of the EIS, request a free CD, get other information or request reasonable meeting accommodations for people with disabilities, call (206) 684-6799, (888) 707-8571 (toll free) or 711 (TTY). King County's Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 16 cities, 16 sewer districts and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Related Information |
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