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Department of Ecology News Release - November 2, 2006
06-221
OLYMPIA - The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has announced the agency will provide $2.5 million to 10 local governments in the Puget Sound region to help fund innovative, low impact development stormwater management projects.
The low-impact development (LID) grant program is part of Governor Chris Gregoire's long-term effort to help protect and restore Puget Sound. The grants can be used for projects on local government property, including rights-of-way or easements to meet stormwater-management needs and protect or restore water quality.
Low-impact development sites are designed to have fewer impervious surfaces and use vegetation, healthy soils, permeable pavement, dispersion and other infiltration techniques to manage stormwater close to where it originates.
The result is less polluted runoff that needs to be managed in smaller, centralized stormwater facilities, such as ponds. In some cases, centralized stormwater facilities may not be necessary.
Examples of LID projects include permeable pavement, rain gardens, vegetated roofs, reverse-slope sidewalks and rainwater-harvest projects.
"The grant program is designed to help local governments meet their stormwater run-off goal," said Dave Peeler who oversees water quality activities for Ecology. "Our grant program attracted a total of 28 applicants. It is clear that communities around Puget Sound want to make sure that they are not adding more pollutants to the Sound. We made some tough decisions about which pilot projects to fund this year."
Peeler said he hopes Ecology will be able to make additional money available in the future to fund other, innovative LID projects.
The following Puget Sound public entities will soon receive the $2.5 million LID grant offers:
Other recent Puget Sound Initiative milestones:
Oct. 27 - Ecology fined Puget Sound Transit Authority $66,000 for 26 violations of the light rail project's construction stormwater permit between August 2005 and June 2006. Ecology also issued an order directing the transit agency to make construction-practice changes with its contractor aimed at preventing stormwater problems from occurring again as the fall and winter rains arrive. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-219.html
Oct. 13 - Polar Tankers, Inc. and ConocoPhillips will pay a $540,000 fine levied by Ecology after the oil tanker Polar Texas spilled more than 1,000 gallons of crude oil into Puget Sound's Dalco Passage on Oct. 13, 2004. The $540,000 fine was the maximum possible penalty under state law and is the largest Ecology has received for a spill to marine waters. Negotiations are continuing on a state-federal-tribal damage assessment separate from the penalty that will be used to support environmental restoration projects to compensate Washington citizens for damage to the public's resources. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-208.html
Oct. 2 - Department of Natural Resources removes 150 tons of toxic creosote logs from Dungeness Spit National Wildlife Refuge in Clallam County. http://www.dnr.wa.gov/htdocs/adm/comm/2006_news_releases/nr06_111.html
Sept. 28 - The Department of Ecology (Ecology) delivers the first oil-spill-response supplies to the Port of Seattle, King County, and Seattle Fire Department. Ecology will deliver about 40 sets of response equipment in various locations around Puget Sound, Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca by June 2007. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-198.html
Sept. 25 - Ecology adopts new oil transfer and oil spill contingency plan rules that become effective Oct. 26. The rules are aimed at preventing oil spills in Puget Sound and reducing adverse environmental effects for any spills that may occur. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-197.html
Sept. 14 - State and federal agencies announce that dioxins have been found in sediment samples taken from areas slated for maintenance dredging in South Sound's Budd Inlet. The state departments of Ecology and Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Port of Olympia will determine the best course of action through a full public participation process. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-186.html
Sept. 14 - Ecology enters into landmark agreement with Marine Spill Response Corp. to help respond to and clean up oil spills in state marine waters, including Puget Sound. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-187.html
Aug. 22 - Ecology announces $7.5 million grant and low-interest loan program to help Puget Sound homeowners in the 12 counties that border Puget Sound repair or replace failing, or improve existing septic systems to help Sound beaches, shellfish beds and streams stay clean in the future. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-163.html
Aug. 18 - Ecology begins crafting the first geographic oil-spill response plan for tackling oil spills in the Snohomish River basin. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-158.html
Aug. 14 - Ecology hires new vessel and facility inspectors, spill responders, and oil spill contingency planners. Most of the positions are in Puget Sound. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-155.html
Aug. 1 - Tribal, state and federal officials commemorate completion of a $5.2 million habitat restoration plan to offset damages to Washington's fish and wildlife populations during the 1991 Tenyo Maru oil spill. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-140.html
July 21 - Ecology provides $140,000 to place special software and equipment on two King County Sheriffs Office helicopters. The new equipment has the ability to spot and track oil spills at night and during storms. http://www.metrokc.gov/sheriff/news/article.aspx?id=252
July 14 - Ecology announces a new $2.5 million grant program to help local governments in Puget Sound fund innovative, low impact development stormwater management projects. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-125.html
July 11 and 13 - Ecology holds workshops in Tacoma and Seattle seeking public help to update the department's geographic response plans for tackling oil spills in central Puget Sound. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2006news/2006-120.html
July 5 - the U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, and Ecology, announce 14 Puget Sound cleanup and restoration projects that will be funded by a $1.7 million settlement agreement regarding the Evergreen International Shipping Line criminal case. http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/waw/press/2006/jul/marine.htm
April 25 - State Parks and Recreation Commission announces that the campground at Twanoh State Park will be closed while the commission replaces the park's existing wastewater collection and treatment system to keep. The action is part of the Governor's broader initiative to help upgrade or replace wastewater systems at other state parks in Puget Sound and Hood Canal to prevent possible water quality problems. The parks include Belfair, Birch Bay, Blake Island, Camano Island, Deception Pass, Dosewallips, Fay Bainbridge, Fort Casey, Fort Ebey, Fort Flagler, Fort Worden, Illahee, Kitsap Memorial, Kopachuck, Larrabee, Penrose Point, Pleasant Harbor, Possession Point, Potlatch, Scenic Beach, Sequim Bay, Shine Tidelands/Wolfe Property and Triton Cove.
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Media contact: Curt Hart, public information manager, 360-407-6990; cell 360-480-7908
For more information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/funding/NewLowImpactProgram.htm
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
