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Department of Ecology News Release - November 16, 2007
07-342
OLYMPIA - The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has given Island and King counties $250,000 each to achieve better compliance with existing environmental laws to protect watersheds.
Watersheds are the lifelines for salmon, people, communities, agriculture and wildlife. Everyone lives in a watershed.
The money is part of Gov. Chris Gregoire's broader effort to help local governments in the region restore and protect Puget Sound. Of the region's 12 counties contiguous to the Sound, 10 counties competed for the compliance grants.
The grants will be used to supply information to individuals and the general public about environmental requirements to protect watersheds, to provide technical assistance aimed at voluntary compliance, and to evaluate how and where enforcement action might be necessary.
"The Puget Sound Partnership and Ecology have identified better implementation and enforcement of existing laws as a key strategy for recovering and protecting the Sound," said Josh Baldi, Ecology's point person for the Puget Sound Initiative.
Island County will use its $250,000 grant to track and correct pollution problems in priority basins. The county will monitor its waters to identify likely pollutant sources and provide education to land owners who are the likely sources of pollution.
Where education and outreach are not effective in correcting documented pollution, enforcement actions may be pursued.
If land-use activities are in compliance with current codes and requirements, yet surface waters remain polluted, Island County will assess and alter ineffective rules or regulations. Alteration of the rules or regulations may be targeted to specific land-use activities or certain areas were additional protections are required.
"We are actively working with our watershed partners to ensure the long-term protection of our water resources," said Island County water quality manager Chris Wilson. "We will use science to accurately identify sources contributing to water pollution."
"We feel education and outreach can be used effectively to obtain compliance with environmental rules. Most people want to do the right thing," Wilson said. "They just don't know what the right thing is. Our job is to provide our citizens with good information so they can make appropriate choices."
King County will use the $250,000 grant to monitor compliance with environmental conditions on building permits. The county will then identify specific barriers that impede compliance, such as poorly written requirements, cumbersome internal processes, and lack of appropriate education of applicants.
A site inspector funded by the grant will review all residential building permits within the Snoqualmie Basin. The inspector will assess how the county's permit application, review and inspection process affect environmental outcomes. The final phase of the project will involve crafting a strategy to improve environmental outcomes without adding cost to permit review. The key findings in the pilot review will be shared with other jurisdictions.
"It's exciting to have an opportunity to evaluate our process and develop improvements that will increase environmental compliance," said King County senior ecologist Betsy MacWhinney. "King County issues thousands of development permits each year, and this provides an important chance to step back, see how we're doing, and make improvements that will increase protection of our natural communities."
Ecology's Baldi said that the state has a role in helping local governments get information out about the laws that are in place to protect our watersheds.
"Land use and development affect the water quality of our streams, rivers and underground (water sources that drain to Puget Sound," he said. "State and local governments need to find innovative ways to partner in protecting this national treasure. We hope this new grant program sheds light on better approaches to achieve environmental compliance."
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Media Contacts:
Curt Hart, Ecology media relations, 360-407-6990; cell, 360-480-7908 char461@ecy.wa.gov
Chris Wilson, Island County water quality manager, 360-678-2348 chrisw@co.island.wa.us
Betsy MacWhinney, King County senior ecologist, 206-296-6793
Betsy.MacWhinney@kingcounty.gov
For more information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/puget_sound/index.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
