Snohomish County to receive its first Brightwater mitigation payment today

Today King County will deliver $33.5 million in mitigation funding to Snohomish County for projects that will enhance the community and benefit neighbors who live or work near the state of the art Brightwater Treatment plant site.

The funding is part of $70 million package of funds intended to mitigate the impact of the construction and operation of the treatment plant, which is currently under construction on a 114-acre site at the intersection of State Route 9 and SR-522 near Maltby. The funding is expected to help boost park projects, pedestrian and bike improvements, trails, and fish habitat preservation projects in Snohomish County.

Officials from the two counties approved an agreement in October 2005, authorizing the payments in exchange for a predictable timeline of permit approvals. The first payment was due 60 days following the resolution of all appeals stemming from the issuance by Snohomish County of the Binding Site Plan permit. The agreement also stipulates requirements for additional seismic studies and odor control commitments.

"I committed King County to being a great neighbor, and I am proud that this check is the single biggest investment ever made in trails, parks and open space of Snohomish County, " said King County Executive Ron Sims. "Brightwater ensures the economic future of Snohomish County, but this check also ensures a future with a better quality of life."

Countless community member ideas and suggestions have influenced the design of the plant and shaped the measures put in place to mitigate the impact of construction and operation. For more than five years, King County has made extensive efforts to inform and involve potential and future neighbors of the Brightwater plant in the siting, planning and design of the facility.

While King County conducted its siting and design process, Snohomish County officials listened to citizen concerns and studied the impacts. Snohomish County officials have proposed a list of projects to spend $30 million of the money in 2007.

"Our goal in selecting and designing the projects that will mitigate the impacts of Brightwater was to ensure that our citizens' desire for livable communities and environmental protection would be met," said Snohomish County Council Chair Kirke Sievers.

In addition to the $70 million in mitigation funding paid to Snohomish County, King County has also committed $54 million for a host of further mitigation measures. On top of that, another $50 million is committed to odor control.

Mitigation includes various measures taken to reduce impacts and enhance the community that hosts a project. There are a total of five construction sites that make up the entire Brightwater system, one of which is the treatment plant site. The communities hosting the conveyance or pipeline construction sites include Snohomish County, Shoreline, Kenmore, and Bothell. The agreement with Snohomish County is one of 11 mitigation agreements negotiated with tribal governments, jurisdictions, and local utilities.

People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater treatment program. The county's Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer utilities and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years.