Marine Recovery Area background information

The Marine Recovery Area designation was implemented by Public Health Seattle & King County in response to State mandates and local policy plans as listed below:

• In July 2005, the Washington state Board of Health adopted Chapter 246-272A WAC, requiring local health officers to development plans for the management of on-site sewage disposal systems within their jurisdictions.
  
  
• In 2006, the Washington state Legislature adopted legislation, codified Chapter 70.118A RCW, requiring local health jurisdictions of the twelve counties that border Puget Sound, including King County, to identify Marine Recovery Areas where on-site sewage disposal systems contribute to marine water quality problems or threaten shellfish beds, and to develop management strategies to identify and repair failing on-site sewage disposal systems with the Marine Recovery Areas.
  
  
• Public Health - Seattle & King County with the guidance and recommendations of a Marine Recovery Area workgroup, adopted the King County On-Site Septic System Management Plan and a revised Title 13 regulating On-Site Sewage in 2008 to implement the mandates of the Washington state Board of Health and Washington State Legislature.
  
  
• The King County Comprehensive Plan requires that the County work with landowners, the State Department of Health, sewer districts, and the Puget Sound Partnership to develop more effective strategies and additional resources for addressing failing septic systems in shoreline environments (MRA excerpt.)
  
  
• The Action Agenda for the Puget Sound Partnership, a community effort of citizens, governments, tribes, scientists and businesses working together to restore and protect Puget Sound,, has made it one of their priorities to reduce sources of water pollution by effective on-site sewage management.
  
  
• The Vashon-Maury Island Watershed Plan completed in 2005 to define preferred water resource management strategies for the Island, identified OSS as a potential source of contamination to water quality and provides multiple recommendations reduce the risks from OSS.
  
  
• The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) oversees implementation of Puget Sound Marine Recovery Areas and performs the shellfish growing surveys that are part of the basis for designating the Vashon-Maury Island Marine Recovery area. Links to the relevant DOH sites are provided below:
  
  
  • Washington State Department of Health (DOH) MRA information page provides information and resources relating to all MRA’s for the Puget Sound
    
    
  • DOH annual shellfish growing area reports homepage:
    • Quartermaster Harbor 2008 report guided VMI MRA designation
      
    • East Passage 2008 report guided VMI MRA designation
      
      
  • DOH Recreation Harvest Shellfish Safety Information