No major changes needed in environmental impact statement for Brightwater wastewater treatment system

2005 Archived News

After considerable further analysis of seismic issues, King County has determined no substantial changes are needed in its supplemental environmental impact statement for the Brightwater wastewater treatment system.

The final supplemental EIS, issued today, examines potential impacts if an earthquake anywhere on the proposed Route 9 site were to damage new treatment plant facilities -- and it proposes mitigation measures to lessen the impacts. King County is planning the future Brightwater system to treat wastewater from the growing population in south Snohomish County and north King County.

"We cannot prevent a major earthquake nor predict when or where it will occur," said Don Theiler, director of the King County Wastewater Treatment Division. "But we can protect public health by designing Brightwater to withstand strong seismic activity, coordinating plans with emergency responders and training staff to respond to situations that could occur."

The final document contains responses to public comments, clarification on the analysis in the draft supplemental EIS, and some corrections of how materials were referenced in the index of the draft document.

"Though the comments were substantive and offered insight into the type of questions and concerns community members had," Theiler said, "responses to the comments did not necessitate any substantial changes of the analysis presented in the draft supplemental EIS."

King County issued the draft document on April 11, 2005. During a 30-day comment period, King County got more than 600 individual comments from two agencies, three organizations and 26 people. Responses to all those comments are in the final supplemental EIS.

"We appreciate the participation of community members during the Brightwater environmental review process," Theiler said, "because it has helped us design a stronger, safer treatment plant."

King County decided to issue the supplemental EIS after studies confirmed an active strand of the South Whidbey Island Fault extending across the north part of the treatment plant site. No facilities are planned in that area of the site. King County and the U.S. Geological Survey conducted those studies in 2004.

A fault in the Puget Sound region is considered active if it has moved within the past 16,000 years. The supplemental EIS explains that the probability of an earthquake on the treatment plant site during the 50-year design life of the facilities is extremely remote.

"Scientists are continuing to learn more about earthquake faults that are located throughout the Puget Sound region," Theiler said. "And we are using that information to improve the design of Brightwater facilities."

After reviewing the analysis presented in the supplemental EIS and considering other relevant information, King County Executive Ron Sims will make a decision about moving forward with Brightwater. That decision is expected within a couple of weeks.

Copies of the document are being sent to affected jurisdictions and agencies and to people and community groups that commented on or bought copies of the draft EIS in 2002.

Paper copies of the document are available for review at public libraries in Bellevue, Bothell, Shoreline, Woodinville, Kenmore, Kingsgate (Kirkland), Lake Forest Park, Richmond Beach, Mountlake Terrace and downtown Seattle.

In addition, the document can be viewed on the Brightwater project Web site. A 16-page summary of the document is also available for downloading from the Web site.

Compact disks and a few paper copies of the document are available at the Brightwater Project Office, 22509 State Route 9 S.E., Suite 101, Woodinville, and Wastewater Treatment Division headquarters, 201 South Jackson St., fifth floor, Seattle.

People can also request copies by mail by contacted the Brightwater office at 206-684-6799 (voice), 1-888-707-8571 (toll free), 711 (TTY relay), or brightwater@kingcounty.gov.

When Brightwater begins operating in 2010, it will serve Bothell, Brier, Kenmore, Mill Creek, Redmond, Sammamish and Woodinville. It will also serve unincorporated areas of Snohomish and King counties in the Alderwood, Cross Valley, Northeast Sammamish, Northshore, Silver Lake and Woodinville sewer districts.

Formerly known as Metro, the wastewater-treatment utility now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for 40 years. The regional clean-water agency serves 17 cities, 17 local sewer utilities and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.