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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2009
Contact:
Jim Bachmeier, Water Resources Program Manager, 754-4275
Open house on
county
stormwater
program and rates set for June 30
OLYMPIA
– Learn about
Thurston
County
’s Water Resources Program at an open house on Tuesday, June 30, from 6 p.m.
to 8 p.m. at
Tenino
Middle School
,
301 Old Highway 99
. The open house will include
information about county programs to protect groundwater, rivers, streams and
Puget Sound
from polluted stormwater runoff. A
proposal to gradually increase
county
stormwater
utility rates to meet new federal permitting requirements will also be
presented at the meeting.
The
federal Environmental Protection Agency now requires cities and counties of a
certain size to adopt stormwater management programs to reduce the amount of
pollution that enters water bodies.
Thurston
County
officials say they’re considering the rate increase to improve the
county’s ability to meet those extensive mandates.
Under
the proposal, the base stormwater rate for an average single-family residence
would increase from the current equivalent of $2.75 per month to $3.70 per
month in 2010, and continue to increase gradually up to $5.33 per month in
2014. Commercial properties would also see an increase, but the rates could be
offset by a proposed credit program to reward commercial property owners who
take extra steps to reduce polluted stormwater runoff.
The
proposal would affect only the base stormwater rate, which pays for programs
and services. A separate, existing capital rate that finances stormwater
construction projects would remain unchanged. The two rates appear as a single
item on property tax statements every year.
The
federal Environmental Protection Agency has named stormwater runoff as the
leading cause of pollution in the nation’s waterways. Stormwater runoff
washes pesticides, fertilizers, motor oils and other contaminants into water
bodies through storm drains and other conveyances.
“Our
rivers and streams might look beautiful, but they’re contaminated with
pollutants left on the ground,” said Jim Bachmeier, manager of the Thurston
County Water Resources Program. “It’s extremely expensive to clean up
pollution. Prevention is much more affordable and it helps protect the water
resources that make
Thurston
County
such a great place to live.”
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