Brightwater project

Brightwater Environmental Review

Court of Appeals decision on Brightwater SEIS

On October 2, 2006 the Court of Appeals issued a decision agreeing with King County that its hearing examiner exceeded his jurisdiction when he ordered additional seismic studies and the preparation of a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Brightwater treatment facility at the Route 9 site. The Court's decision directs the superior court to prohibit the hearing examiner from conducting an appeal of the adequacy of the SEIS that was filed by the Sno-King Environmental Alliance.

Before this dispute was resolved by the Court of Appeals, King County prepared the SEIS, and last December Snohomish County determined this SEIS to be adequate for permitting decisions, and no appeal was filed of this determination. King County has continued to perform additional seismic studies on the site pursuant to its Development Agreement with Snohomish County and Snohomish County's Seismic Ordinance, to ensure that the Brightwater project meets or exceeds all requirements of the International Building Code and Snohomish County's Code.

King County has conducted a formal environmental review of the Brightwater project under the State Environmental Policy Act SEPA). This review evaluated wastewater system alternatives in an environmental impact statement (EIS).

The purpose of an EIS is to inform decision makers and the public about the probable significant adverse environmental impacts and potential mitigation measures for the proposed project.

On November 19, 2003 the county issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for this project. The county has also issued four addenda to the Final EIS document to provide additional information or analysis that does not substantially change the analysis of significant impacts and alternatives in the Final EIS.

On July 27, 2005 the King County Executive reaffirmed the county's choice of the Route 9 treatment plant and 195th Street conveyance alternative for the Brightwater project. A Notice of Action was issued for this action on August 11, 2005.

The Final EIS, Final EIS addenda, and the Final Supplemental EIS are provided on this web site.

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Brightwater Environmental Review

Court of Appeals decision on Brightwater SEIS