Clallam county is apparently trying to get out of Phase II stormwater runoff processes in new urban growth areas to the east of Port Angeles. If I’m not mistaken, these are the areas out where the new Walmart is located. Stormwater is essentially raw runoff that ends up untreated in the Strait. Given the findings over the last number of years of how much pollutants get dumped into the Strait and Sound via stormwater runoff, it would seem that making sure that new areas get properly developed in the first place makes more sense. Many of these can be designed as Port Townsend did recently, as “rain gardens” or other holding systems that can deal with the overflow via evaporation. Retrofitting infrastructure is vastly more costly than doing it right in the first place. It seems it should be a cost of doing business. Otherwise it’s a cost to the taxpayers to fix, including taxpayers who don’t use the businesses service. Since PA is looking to expand to the east, it would seem they need to get this right the first time.
Again, we find that Representative Tharinger is taking a stand against stronger environmental rules, which is odd given that he’s on the Puget Sound Partnership’s Strait Ecosystem Recovery Network, and has chaired meetings on these issues. He has been in support of biomass burning, about as dubious a ‘clean energy’ as imaginable and now this.
I’ll be glad to offer both Representative Tharinger and C.D.D. Ms. Roarke-Miller a forum if they want to clarify why this is going to help restore the Strait and our salmon runs. Like the old blues song says, “everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die.” If we want our salmon runs back, we need to make changes in future development to avoid doing the wrong things. And the new regs are the right things to do.
Also wondering where the Puget Sound Partnership is standing on all this. It would be great to see them take a position on this contentious issue.
But I’m willing to hear a reasonable argument as to why that doesn’t make sense, and will be willing to post whatever logical and civil argument people want to make.
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7/7 Peninsula Daily News
Clallam says no thanks to phase II stormwater permit
By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — Clallam County told the state Department of Ecology in a letter signed by the commissioners Tuesday that unincorporated Port Angeles urban growth area shouldn’t be covered by the 2012 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System phase II municipal stormwater general permit.
Ecology is evaluating the east Port Angeles urban growth area — or UGA — for possible inclusion in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
Such a designation would require “more restrictive and more stringent” stormwater regulations, Clallam County Community Development Director Sheila Roark Miller said.
More at
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110707/news/307079991/clallam-says-no-thanks-to-phase-ii-stormwater-permit
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound |
Perhaps we can ask Rep. Tharinger his thoughts on this at the annual Democratic Fish Fry. He usually shows for this.
I don’t what fails to be understood the GMA is very clear ,”The Growth Management Act (GMA, Chapter 36.70A Revised Code of Washington) requires comprehensive land use planning by counties and cities.” . My belief and understanding is was effort to end the half baked efforts to allow development on unsuitable lands with out the suitable infrastructure for the intended purpose and environmental controls.
me thinks that Steve-o has moved on to the bigger pond in Olympia and has already forgotten how he got there… when he started missing Commissioner’s meetings, even by phone, the writing was on the wall… his move to a more Corporatist viewpoint will likely continue, sad to think… let us see if we can “comment” some sense back into him…
I would like to give Rep. Tharinger the benefit of the doubt, particularly because he campaigned so heavily pro-environment – at least in Jefferson County where the votes he received put him enough over the top to win. However, with his decision to back biomass, even after all the overwhelming evidence given to him by several of the OP environmental groups and documentation from health agencies, it is now even more disturbing to learn that he is not supporting strong regulations on stormwater runoff.
As for the Puget Sound Partnership, the jury is still out on how effective of an agency it truly is. I need to be convinced.
How the new Phase II incorporation of LID requirements plays out will be interesting and instructive. It seems like there is a Pollution Control Board requirment to put it in … also seems like UGA’s in unincorporated county areas should be leading the charge rather than dragging their feets. Maybe they have a good reason – keep asking hem!!!