Residents urged to take part

I’d like to clarify a few of points about the proposed Carnation wastewater treatment facilities that were made in a letter published July 28 in The Valley View.

The public process is under way for siting wastewater treatment facilities for people who live, work and shop in Carnation. And it will continue until a final decision is made next summer. We are working closely with local officials and residents in this rigorous siting evaluation to identify the best sites for treating and discharging wastewater.

We’ve held two public meetings plus a third meeting on Aug. 6. City Council briefings on the project have been open to the public. We’ll continue to hold public meetings and other opportunities for public comment at all key points in the siting process.

One part of the overall outreach effort for the project has been a citizens’ advisory committee to provide advice and comment on siting criteria and options. When the committee was formed in March 2003, no discharge options for either the Snoqualmie River or the upland infiltration had been identified.

Carnation and King County jointly appointed members to the committee, which held four meetings between April and July. We identified the discharge areas in April and told the committee about them in May. Simultaneously, we contacted property owners in the upland infiltration study area. We held a meeting specifically for those property owners on May 29.

On request of property owners in the upland area, we added a representative they nominated to the committee. That member was able to take part in the third and final meetings of the committee. Potential upland infiltration sites for evaluation in the environmental impact statement were identified at the final meeting.

King County is looking at both a discharge of highly treated wastewater to the river and infiltration ponds that would allow the highly treated wastewater to seep back into the groundwater. Infiltration ponds can be attractive areas that also offer habitat to birds and animals. This has been done in many other parts of the country. To identify potential upland infiltration sites, our site screening process looked at soil conditions within the city’s urban growth area (UGA). We applied coarse screening criteria to areas both inside and outside the UGA, and we found no suitable parcels of land inside the UGA.

With identification of the potential treatment plant and discharge sites, we’re now in the environmental scoping process. This month-long process is open to the public, agencies and other interested parties. People can offer opinions about the project alternatives, potential impacts, and possible mitigation measures that should be considered in an environmental impact statement for the project.

The city is continuing to update its sewer comprehensive plan in parallel with the siting studies. King County is working with the city to evaluate flow projections and needs. And we’re working with the city to evaluate technology requirements and processes for wastewater treatment. The environmental impact statement will include more detailed technology information and process descriptions. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the draft EIS in early 2004.

The City Council has decided that a sewer system is necessary to ensure the long-term economic and environmental health of Carnation. A state-of-the-art treatment plant will protect the environment. Future development must comply with the vision established in the city’s comprehensive plan.

We encourage all residents to take part in siting a wastewater treatment system that will protect public health, water quality and the environment in and around Carnation. For more information on the scoping process, please visit our Web site at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/carnation or call (206) 263-5212 or 1-800-325-6165, Ext. 35212 (toll-free).

Christie True, Manager, Major Capital Improvements Program, King County Wastewater Treatment Division