ENV Op-ed #2

Taking Care of our Resources
I’ve lived in Port Angeles since 1974 and have witnessed the decline of logging, fishing, and mill work. Back then loaded log trucks from the west end were a never-ending, 24/7, train along Lake Cresent and Hiway 101. It was no surprise when logging came to a near halt. It appeared management of that resource wasn’t thought out as well as it should have been. I was angered when talks were about allowing logging in the National Park Thank goodness that didn’t happen.
Salmon used to be plentiful as well. Every September Port Angeles hosted a Salmon Derby Labor Day weekend that drew fisherman from far and wide. Prizes for who caught the biggest fish included a new truck or boat. They were paraded along with marching bandsand floats in the annual Derby Days Parade. Those festivities came to an end in the early 80’s with the decline of the salmon population. People wanted to blame the natives for over fishing and were angered about the native’s special fishing rights. Again, people thought fish were a never-ending resource and were wrong.
In the Spring of 1987 I purchased my second home a half mile up Mount Pleasant Road. I thought this would be a great place for my three kids to grow up. It was an acre with a mountain view and 16 old fruit trees, a garden, and greenhouse. As we were moving in a neighbor drove by and yelled out his window “you’re going to hate the air pollution!” I should have done more research because sure enough, every summer the wind direction changed, and Rayonier Mill’s emissions swathed the whole Mount Pleasant, Monroe Road area with a smell that burned the eyes and was so strong you could taste it. At times it made our lives miserable. We couldn’t go outside to do anything. During the nicest weather of the year, our air was the worst. Activists protested with Clean Air Now! They went un-fined when they had their “accidents”. The pollution caused paint to peel off houses in Gale’s Addition and a rare form of brain cancer that is found only in Port Angeles.
Rayonier shut down 10 years ago which was another blow to the economy of this area but certainly improved the air quality. They tore down the buildings and smoke stack with intentions of selling their prime water front property at the mouth of Ennis creek. This property was originally the site of an ancient Indian village. Before Rayonier can sell it’s their responsibility to clean up the toxic mess they’ve been producing there since 1930. Land owners are responsible for their property. There are laws that say we can not have junked vehicles or garbage lying around. Our pets must be under control. We can’t make too much noise. We can’t keep chickens or livestock inside city limits. If we have to abide by the law, so should Rayonier. Rayonier should pay for cleaning up their mess.
A partnership was formed, made up of the DOE, Rayonier, and the Clallam Tribe to help facilitate the clean up. In 10 years what has been accomplished? They made a plan for how to go about sampling for toxins in the soil. A sampling area of 4.2 square miles was decided upon. A plan was made on how to go about the sampling. This included where the sampling sites would be, how to get permission from land owners, how to mark off the chosen area, how to scrape vegetation away from the surface of the soil, using a spoon, make a 3” diameter clearing, dig down three inches removing the soil, place a piece of foil in the bottom of the hole, scrape around the side of the hole allowing the dirt to fall on the foil, put the soil in sample jars, refill the hole with potting soil if necessary, replace the vegetation, and so on. After 10 years the process can now begin for making a plan on how to go about the clean up. It’s understandable the process will take time but most agree this is taking too long.
The Port Angeles sanitary sewage treatment plant happens to be adjacent to the Rayonier property. Port Angeles is having problems with CSO (Combined Sewage Overflow). When we have heavy rains, our treatment facility can’t handle the volume of water it receives. Part of the problem is roof drain down spouts are connected to the sanitary sewage system. It’s called a co-mingled system. Storm water is flowing into our sanitary sewer system and flooding the treatment facility, which can not handle it. This causes an overflow of untreated sewage into the Straits of Juan de Fuca, violating the Clean Water Act and the Puget Sound Initiative. We are allowed ONE overflow event per 15 years.
We have city planners, county planners, The Port of Port Angeles authorities, a Public Development Athority, the Port Angeles Business Association, an Economic Development Council, County Commissioners, a City Council, and yet we apparently need to another entity approved by the City Council and Port of Port Angeles Commission, called The Harborworks Public Development Authority, who will be in charge of the acquisition and redevelopment of the Rayonier property, as well as harbor planning.. Remember it is the responsibility of the land owner to pay for the clean up of that property. It will cost tens of millions of dollars. The DOE has announced that there will be no money available from them for at least two years. If this new authority acquires the Rayonier property with our money, do tax payers realize they will be paying for Rayonier’s clean up too? It will cost tens of millions of dollars.
The newspaper is misleading us to believe that the CSO issue and Rayonier’s big tank were originally part of Harborwork’s concern. They have recently added this issue to pad the original intentions which is strictly about real estate and development. The tribe has not been invited to the table of any discussions. This violates the original plan set forth when the clean up process started 10 years ago.
I don’t understand why the disconnection of downspouts has not been explored as an option. New construction is not allowed to connect roof drains to the sanitary sewer system but for a long period of time it was required to connect them. If downspouts were disconnected, rain gardens and rain barrels installed, and other means of diverting water to the aquifer put to use, we would not need Rayonier’s 50 million gallon tank. There would be no need to criss cross that prime waterfront property with pipes covered with six foot earthen berms. The pipes can’t be buried. There can be no digging because it’s an archeological site. Disconnecting downspouts would cost less money, is more progressive, a greener approach, and is more in keeping with Obama’s “Yes We Can”, do it right attitude and plans for America’s future.
Water is becoming more and more of a precious resource and we must take care to guard it well. Poet Angeles is included in the Puget Sound Initiative. We need to comply with the 1998 Watershed Management Act and follow through with the WRIA 18 Elwah-Dungeness Watershed Plan. Buying/leasing Rayoneir’s 50 million gallon tank and going ahead with the most expensive public project in Port Angeles’s history as if it’s the only option is not in the public’s best interest.