|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, November 9, 2007
Contact:
Sue
Davis, Senior Environmental Health Specialist, 360-754-4111
Public
Workshop Set on Woodland Creek Report
OLYMPIA
– A
special workshop will be held on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 for those living
in the area near
Martin Way
and Woodland Creek. The meeting
will be a chance for residents to hear the results of a consultant’s
analysis of pollution impacting the creek, groundwater and Henderson Inlet and
to learn how effective different actions would be at improving the water
quality conditions.
Studies by the Washington Department of Ecology have
shown serious fecal coliform bacteria pollution in Woodland Creek downstream
of
Martin Way
. Shallow groundwater in the area is also contaminated with nitrates at
amounts over the drinking water limit in some places. Fecal coliform
bacteria and nitrate contamination indicate that human sewage, animal waste,
and other pollutants such as fertilizer are seeping into the groundwater and
flowing into the creek.
Woodland Creek flows into Henderson Inlet. Over
the past 5 years, increasing fecal coliform bacteria levels have caused the
State Department of Health to close more of the Henderson Inlet tidelands to
shellfish harvesting. The nitrate problem has forced several small
private water systems to abandon their wells and connect to the city water
system. As required by the Federal Clean Water Act, the State Department
of Ecology has mandated reductions of fecal coliform bacteria in Woodland
Creek and storm pipes that drain into the creek.
Ecology has also directed that nitrate levels in groundwater be
reduced.
Thurston
County
, in partnership with the City of
Lacey
and the LOTT Wastewater Alliance, began a two-year project in January 2006 to
examine this pollution problem and plan steps to correct it. The project
is funded in part with a grant from the Washington State Department of
Ecology.
On the evening of November 14th the
consultants will present the results of a model used to estimate the amount of
pollution reduction that could be achieved by taking three different
combinations of actions. The types
of actions considered include upgrading septic systems, converting septic
systems to sewer, infiltrating stormwater into the soil rather than
discharging it to Woodland Creek, and educating citizens on better ways to
manage pet waste and yard landscaping. (The
general project area is east of Woodland Creek along Martin Way to Marvin
Road, including the Tanglewilde and Thompson Place neighborhoods. It
also includes an area west of Woodland Creek along
15th Avenue
to
Sleater-Kinney Road
, including the Woodland Creek Estates,
Westminster
, Alonda Villa, and Midway neighborhoods.) Those attending will also be able
to ask questions, express concerns about conditions in their neighborhoods,
and offer opinions about the pollution-reducing options examined by the
consultant.
A public workshop on the pollutant model results for
the Woodland Creek Pollutant Load Reduction Study will be held at 6:30 PM,
Wednesday, November 14th at the Expo Center at the Thurston County
Fairgrounds located at 3054 Carpenter Road SE.
Those interested can read a summary of the results and complete an
opinion survey, by visiting the
Thurston
County
web site at -
http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehrp/woodland.html
| 