2011 Clean Water Jobs Act Gets First Hearing Thursday

One of the most important Environmental Bills this session in Olympia will be the 
2011 Clean Water Jobs Act. It is one of the four Environmental Priority Bills,
sponsored by the Environmental Priorities Coaliton.

Scientists have discovered that the most significant contributor to water quality problems, pollution, fish habitat degradation and health problems for Puget Sound is STORMWATER.  The stormwater not only causes damaging floods like the below image in the "100 year storm", but the more frequent rainstorms that wash pollutants into streams, lakes and poison our waters.

Ronald Bog during 2007 storm

It’s a murky combination of oil pollution, pesticides, herbicides, and other hazardous substances.

Washington's waterways are central to our way of life here in the Pacific Northwest. From Puget Sound to the Spokane River, they play a big role in our economy, our food system, and our quality of life. They are important 

places for us to hike, fish, and enjoy nature. Right now, they are under serious threat. Every time it rains, millions of gallons of toxic runoff wash into Puget Sound and our lakes and rivers, spreading poisons that threaten our health, environment, and economy.

The 2011 Clean Water Jobs Act offers solutions. The Bill will help cities and communities with funding for infrastructure to implement the projects that are needed to address these flooding problems. The Cities need this funding to help them deal with fixing the drainage problems and implementing "Low Impact Development" techniques to reverse the situation.

The first hearing on the Bill is this Thursday, 2/10 in Olympia at the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Washington Conservation Voters site has the facts and encourages supporters to contact their legislators.

Bill Numbers: SB 5604 / HB 1735

Clean water, good jobs, healthy Washington

• Washington’s water is under threat
• Putting people back to work
• Polluters should pay their fair share
• The right solution for Washington

Washington’s water is under threat

Washington's waterways are central to our way of life here in the Pacific Northwest. From Puget Sound to the Spokane River, they play a big role in our economy, our food system, and our quality of life. They are important places for us to hike, fish, and enjoy nature. Right now, they are under serious threat. Every time it rains, millions of gallons of toxic runoff wash into Puget Sound and our lakes and rivers, spreading poisons that threaten our health, environment, and economy.   

Putting people back to work

The 2011 Clean Water Jobs Act will directly fund local projects to clean up toxic runoff before it enters our water.  This means thousands of good-paying new jobs in our communities on projects like retrofitting urban streets in Bremerton or building storm drains in Puyallup. Cities and counties know what they need to build and local businesses are ready to get to work. Meanwhile, our construction industry is facing record unemployment rates with thousands of workers looking for jobs.

Polluters should pay their fair share

Toxic runoff from our roads and urban areas is the number one water pollution problem in Washington and it’s only fair that polluters of our water pay to clean up after themselves. A small fee on toxic runoff pollutants, like oil, pesticides, herbicides, and other hazardous substances, would provide a polluters-pay approach to creating new jobs in communities across Washington.

The right solution for Washington

The 2011 Clean Water Jobs Act will create jobs, rebuild our local economies, and clean up polluted waterways like Puget Sound and the Spokane River. By levying a small fee on the wholesale value of toxic runoff pollutants, this legislation will generate $100 million annually to pay for local projects through a competitive grants process. It’s time for polluters of our water to pay their fair share to clean up after themselves. It’s time to create jobs, clean up our water, and protect our quality of life. 

Our 2011 Priorities are

• Budget Solutions for Our Environment
• Coal Free Future for Washington
• Clean Fertilizers, Healthier Lakes and Rivers
• 2011 Clean Water Jobs Act

Heads up! Next Week, Tuesday, Feb 15th is 

Environmental Lobby Day! 

Join your neighbors who care about improving our 

state's environment and about creating jobs! 

2011 Lobby Day - Feb. 15th

Please join the state’s leading conservation groups and hundreds of citizen lobbyists on Feb. 15th to push for the passage of the Environmental Priorities Coalition’s legislative package.

Test your powers of persuasion as you meet face-to-face with all three of your state legislators.  Receive detailed briefings on each priority and training on how to lobby from top environmental lobbyists.  We’ll fuel your activism with a breakfast and lunch and all the coffee you can drink!

Register today!

What: 2011 Environmental Lobby Day

Where: Olympia

When: Tuesday, Feb. 15th

Who: You and hundreds of other citizen lobbyists  

Check out this great video from last year's Lobby Day.

Click here for additional details and to register.

Shoreline Surface Water Master Plan Open House TONITE!

Floodwaters from Aurora Ave overwhelm constructions site
next to Echo Lake in 2007 storm 

City of Shoreline will host an Open House this evening at City Hall to discuss citizens concerns about addressing and updating the Surface Water Master Plan, 6-9pm.

Stormwater in Littles Creek Basin overflows on
12th NE - 2007

Shoreline has made many improvements to begin to address these flooding problems since the last Surface Water Master Plan was passed, such as the Cromwell Park project and the newest Green Streets
project in Briarcrest. But, there is still a lot more to do to retrofit our many watershed problems created by decades of unfortunate misunderstandings and neglect by previous public works projects. Much of the infrastructure was created back when there was more concern with just building neighborhoods, but little attention was paid to the impacts of those developments to the ecology of the waterhseds.

http://www.shorelinewa.gov/index.aspx?page=707
Why is this something to be concerned about?
• If you ever have experienced problems in your neighborhood resulting from localized flooding, then here is your chance to help influence policies to address the issues.
• If you are concerned about how Stormwater affects watersheds or Puget Sound, this is your chance in Shoreline to impact these policies.
• If you are concerned about how Stormwater affects salmon or other wildlife habitat , this is a chance to get involved.
• If you'd like to see Shoreline make changes to improve surface water policies and planning, here is your chance to make a difference.

Cromwell Park Project completed last summer (2010) with funds from Parks Bond and
grants, restored several acres of wetlands upstream
from Ronald Bog. This project can retain over 2 "acre ft" of stormwaters,
 infiltrates and detains them with Natural Drainage techniques to prevent
flooding such as the 2007 storm

• If you are concerned about pollution and its impacts to streams in your neighborhood, this is the time to speak up.

Flooding in Ronald Bog Neighborhood during
2007 storm

Impacts of the Big Storm on Shoreline Area

Cromwell Park is at the Headwaters of Thornton Creek.
The restored wetlands are retaining over 2 acre ft of stormwater,
that would otherwise have rushed into Ronald Bog downstream. 

This Week's Rainstorm Definitely Made 
an Impact of the Community for a few Days.

Ronald Bog was overtopping its normal
bank and was nearly up to the roadway at 175th and Meridian
photo credit-Janet Way

Close-up of Mallards enjoying the larger
Ronald Bog
Photo credit-Janet Way

Maybe it wasn't the worst storm ever, but the stormwater runoff was encroaching into people's consciousness more than last week's storm.

Shoreline is constructing a "flood containment" wall
just south of the Bog at Corliss Ave.
They do seem to have a muddy water problem though
on this side of the wall, and it's running
into this storm drain just below

Stormdrain does contain a water quality
"sock" or filter that is supposed to contain the
sediment, but I wonder if this one is
really doing the job?

Thornton Creek is the largest watershed in Shoreline and Seattle and is beset with many problems due to the impacts of stormwater.  It is a salmon stream, but one that has suffered many setbacks due to the impacts of unwise development over the last century. The stream provided habitat to 5 species of salmonids, and there were large numbers of these fish even until about 30 yrs ago. But as the cities and county permitted development and undetained stormwater runoff to detract from the water quality the fish need, it has been tough for the fish to survive. But they still want to come back and the cities are now trying to undo some of the damage of the last century.

Here, Littles Creek emerges from a culvert under 12th Ave NE and takes a sharp right turn heading for Paramount Park. 

Littles Creek was running very high on Sunday
Its volume of water is obviously overtaxing
this channel and culvert

Sunday, at Paramount Park, Littles Creek was overtopping
the crossing and making  temporary waterfall.
Every year these medium sized storms cause erosion
at this location and cause massive sedimentation in
the creek. The sediment is one of the most
destructive factors for salmon morbidity.
The salmon eggs ("reds")get smothered
by the sediments.

In another nearby watershed, MacAleer Creek is also running very full and caused some flooding downstream in Lake Forest Park.

MacAleer Creek emerges from under the
bridge and rushes into LFP with
heavy flows

Check Dam structure on MacAleer Creek.
Creek water is over topping the banks of the upstream section.

Residents and LFP City officials have been striving for many years to address the flooding and water quality problems which are caused by the stormwater runoff that impacts both MacAleer and Lyon Creek. Property damage, wildlife habitat and water quality issues are the subject of the Lake Ballinger Forum. Five Cities have been meeting for several years to work on solutions to these stormwater problems.

Also Lake Forest Park is trying to address these problems from several angles. Their Environmental Quality Commission and Urban Forests Task Force has championed a new Tree Ordinance which is based on increasing Tree Canopy. They acknowledge the need to utilize trees as a part of their infrastructure to combat stromwater problems.

There is clearly still a lot of work to be done to really get these problems under control, when the bigger storms come. It will take a lot of courage and concerted effort for municipalities to really get these problems under control. 

Low Impact Development (LID) is prescribed as the solution. It is mandated in the stormwater standards.

Let's look honestly at getting the ball rolling to put this technology to work. This is one way to bring green jobs to our communities to address a serious problem.

Thornton Creek North Branch After the Rain

Somewhere Under the Rainbow in Shoreline Today

Today, after a 24 hr substantial rain, Thornton Creek's North Branch 
seems to be managing quite well. (But it is just the beginning of what needs to be done.)

Thornton Creek at Twin Ponds Park,
creek is running "bank full".
This section was "daylighted" in last decade
with grant funding from King Conservation District
and KC Waterworks

Thornton Creek has been the site of many problems over the years due to drainage and stormwater impacts. There has been litigation, flooding and challenges on  impact to fish habitat. The cities of Shoreline and Seattle have been facing many of these problems and attempting to resolve some of the problems. 

Shoreline needs to keep going in this direction. More pervious pavement, LID projects, open space,
tree canopy, drainage infiltration, and many more projects like the Green Streets project reviewed a few days ago on this blog and republished in Shoreline Area News. There is still a lot of work to do to undo
the problems of the past century of development. We now know what will work.

Let's get more grant funding and keep it up! 

Thornton Creek as it enters Twin Ponds (upper pond)

Ducks seem happy at Twin Ponds
after the storm

Shoreline has been working for many years to address the stormwater problems in the Thornton Creek Watershed.  In 2006 voters approved the Parks Bond projects, including the wetland restoration at

Cromwell Park.  Council approved the project in 2008 and the public process commenced. Peggy Gaynor, of Gaynor, Inc designed the project for Susan Black Associates. Over 2 acre feet of wetland detention is provided at the headwaters of Thornton Creek. Previously all these waters were piped and ran directly into Ronald Bog which has experienced many flooding events into the neighborhood. 

Now the park provides many benefits, including recreational trails and interpretive areas, playground, playfields and magnificent restored wetlands and wildlife habitat. Over 400 trees were planted in the project.

Cromwell Park Project next to King County Courthouse
provides many acres of wetland retention and recreational
opportunities

What is one of the major benefits of the project? 

Clean Water! 

Five of the 23 ducks seen at Cromwell Park wetland today

Just ask the Residents! 

Silva Cells - Aurora Phase II Is Top Project

Shoreline's Aurora Phase II Project is now the largest ever use in state of "Silva Cell" Deeproots System for tree planting. 

City of Shoreline Aurora Project Silva Cell Installation

The Silva Cell application allows a tree to achieve maximum root growth.

Photo credit - Google images

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.stormh2o.com/editorial/issues/march-april-2010/reshaping-downtown-minneapolis/easset-upload-file180-64078-e.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.stormh2o.com/march-april-2010/reshaping-minneapolis-project.aspx&usg=__29OgXYiphpI4PfM7f17FEcbcsIs=&h=360&w=270&sz=118&hl=en&start=19&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=LxaJxKmdI50t0M:&tbnh=121&tbnw=91&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSilva%2BCells%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26tbs%3Disch:1

 The concept is designed to allow the street trees to thrive and let their roots expand without disrupting sidewalks or pavement. Street trees traditionally have a difficult time because of the conflicts that will result with adjacent paved areas.  This technique allows the trees to grow naturally, because of the surrounding gravel beds and pervious sidewalks, which are supported by the "cells".  It also combines stormwater runoff infiltration technology and water quality benefits. 

The City of Shoreline is undertaking a huge remodel on the second phase of the Aurora Project with additional state of the art technologies to better address stormwater issues. The Shoreline City Council approved the "Hybrid Plan" Phase II project unanimously in 2007, and one of the major factors in arriving at a consensus was inclusion of this suite of Stormwater Control techniques. The Silva Cell Deeproot System is just one of many technologies being utilized including natural stormwater treatments such as pervious pavements and filtration concepts.  The business community worked with the City to achieve working solutions to connect the highway to local businesses. The project is supported by grant funding from the State and Federal governments.

Providing Street Trees and landscaping was one of the goals of the project along with BRT(Bus Rapid Transit), safety and improved pedestrian facilities. Silva Cells are a great way to achieve this goal and allow the trees to prosper. That way they will hopefully avoid the fate of other street trees in our community recently.

Photo credit - Vicki Westberg

Former Shoreline Mayor Cindy Ryu, made a statement at a recent "Complete Streets" event hosted by Cascade Land Conservancy about the techniques Shoreline is deploying. 

In 2006, Shoreline  adopted a goal “to create an environmentally sustainable community” and in 2008 an award winning comprehensive Environmental Sustainability Strategy.  We have been incorporating elements of Complete Streets in our “environmental tool kit” for Capital Projects.   

What started out as a beautification and safety road project in the first mile of Aurora Avenue project was made even better for the 2nd and third miles of this State Highway because of our focus on environmental sustainability.

In addition to the great start of sidewalks for pedestrians, the completion of the adjacent Interurban trail for bikes,  and a dedicated Business Access Transit lane, it will be "complete" with natural drainage systems, pervious sidewalks and installation of Silva Cells to improve the quality of water being released into Lake Washington.  In fact, it is the largest project using the Silva Cell tree well technology in the State to give trees the room to grow to their potential.

From BuildingGreen.com site -

Silva Cell

DeepRoot Partners, LP

The Silva Cell system holds soil for tree growth and stormwater management in a structure strong enough to support paved surfaces. Growing trees in urban areas can reduce the heat island effect, replenishes oxygen, and connects us with the natural environment. Silva Cells support this by creating a space that holds ten cubic feet of soil, enough for tree roots and most utilities. With the proper drainage medium they can also manage stormwater runoff to reduce flooding and erosion. The 48” x 24” x 16” fiberglass and polypropylene cells have galvanized steel supports and, to provide additional space, can be stacked up to three cells high before the decking is attached. Silva Cell meets the American Association of State Highway and Transportation H-20 standards for highway loading, so it can be used under most paved surfaces, from parking lots to streetscapes. Though the company does not recommend these under roadways. For use with new trees only and may require root barrier.

What makes this product green:

• Building components that reduce heating and cooling loads
• Reduces stormwater pollution
• Enhances community well-being
• Enhances well being through connection with nature

Thornton Creek Alliance Meeting - Floodplain Mapping

Thornton Creek Alliance Presents

A FLOODPLAIN UPDATE

SPU shares latest information on floodplain designations
Learn from a Seattle Public Utilities Representative of updates and new info on the floodplain designations. What's new at SPU? Please e-mail
in advance any questions you would like answered to:
thorntoncreekalliance@gmail.com. Answers will be incorporated into the speech which will be tailor-made for us.

When - Thursday, March 25th

Time - 6:30 PM - Come in and chat with your friends and neighbors

7:00 PM - Meeting begins

Where -

Lake City Presbyterian Church
use NE 123rd & 40th NE entrance
3841 NE 123rd St.

The Thornton Creek Alliance, which has been providing advocacy and stewardship for Seattle's largest watershed since 1993, is pleased to invite the community to this program which is free and open to the public. Our annual Membership Meeting will begin with elections, followed by the SPU Program and conclude with a brief business meeting.

More information: Ruth Williams, 2nd VP

(206-365-8965)

Update - Working for Clean Water Bill

Update - The Working for Clean Water Bill

As our State Legislators and Senators are winding down their 2010 session, they are grappling with many important issues for the Budget, but one issue stands out as the central environmental effort this year. That is the Clean Water Bill SHB 3181.

It has thus far gone through several iterations. Supporters of the Clean Water Bill have now proposed a new version, because the House Finance Committee has unfortunately, altered the original in such a way to make it ineffective in raising enough funding to make a difference.

Puget Sound and our other important waterways MUST be cleaned up to support our way of life here in the Northwest AND provide the water quality necessary to sustain life for wildlife and people. The new version would provide a .85% increase in the Hazardous Substance Tax for clean water. This Bill will make a difference by addressing our stormwater runoff problems and provide the funding needed by our local cities and towns to fix these problems.

The Bill is supported by the 2010 Environmental Priorities Coalition which includes, People for Puget Sound, Seattle Audabon, Washington Conservation Voters, Sierra Club- Cascade Chapter, Washington Toxic Coaltion, labor groups, Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and many others.

Key Points about the New Proposal:

· Generates $100 million a year (.85% increase in the Hazardous Substance Tax) for stormwater and other essential clean water programs.

· This bill is a significant job creator – building new clean water infrastructure and putting Washingtonians to work.

· The new proposal has broad support from the continuing coalition of environmental organizations, labor, cities, and counties. It is also strongly supported by commercial fisherman and shellfish growers.

Can you please call you legislators and senators and tell them it is vitally important to your community to address these problems and this Working for Clean Water Bill will make that possible? It's quite easy to call the legislative hotline and leave a message. Your representatives really WANT to hear from you, their constituents.

Just call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000.

Sample Message: "My name is ______ and I live in (name of your town) and I urge you to support a .85% increase in the Hazardous Substance Tax to generate $100 million for stormwater pollution cleanup."

Thanks! It makes a difference!

Janet

Photo Credit - Janet Way