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Department of Ecology News Release - August 15, 2007
07-233
BELLINGHAM - The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has fined Whatcom County Fire District 18 a total of $21,000 for allowing soil to erode into Lake Whatcom during un-permitted construction activities.
Lake Whatcom is the drinking water source for approximately 95,000 people.
On June 29, 2007, Fire Chief George Henderson began clearing, grading, and filling the shoreline behind the fire station at 3250 South Bay Drive in Sedro Woolley. Vegetation was cleared from the shoreline, the bank was removed and soil entered the lake along the shoreline. Wave action caused the exposed soil to erode into south Lake Whatcom.
Ecology received a citizen report on July 2 describing a plume of mud in the lake, coming from the fire district's construction activity. An Ecology inspector responded on July 3 and coordinated with staff from Whatcom County and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Ecology informed Chief Henderson that immediate action was required to prevent wave action along the shoreline and avoid further water quality violations.
"Ecology's express concern is the health of Lake Whatcom," said Richard Grout, manager of Ecology's Bellingham Field Office. "The water quality of Lake Whatcom is dependent on the individuals within the watershed behaving responsibly to prevent pollutants of any kind from entering the lake."
Chief Henderson told state inspectors that the project was intended to create a landing zone for an emergency medical helicopter. No written plans, designs or dimensions for the helicopter pad were available. No permits had been acquired from local, state or federal agencies to conduct either the near shore or in-water work.
Ecology inspected the site again on July 10 and found the Fire District had taken some measures to stabilize soils on site, but nothing had been done to reduce the wave activity along the shore. Soil was still eroding into Lake Whatcom.
Portions of Lake Whatcom are named on the state 303d list of impaired water bodies for dissolved oxygen and total phosphorus. Soil transports phosphorus into the lake feeding the growth of algae and resulting in a reduction of dissolved oxygen. Increased algae levels increase the cost of treating drinking water from the lake.
Muddy water can also harm fish and other aquatic life. Cutthroat trout and kokanee are fish species present in the vicinity of the Fire District 18 site.
Fire District 18 can appeal this fine to Ecology or the Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board within 30 days.
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Media contact: Shannon Sullivan, Regional Communication Manager, 360-715-5205, e-mail: ssul461@ecy.wa.gov
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
