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Background
Background information on the Nisqually Reach
Shellfish Protection District.
...more
What is the Project?
Thurston County has received a Centennial Grant from
the Washington Department of Ecology to examine
pollution from septic systems and develop a septic
system operation and maintenance program in the
Nisqually Reach watershed.
County staff worked with property owners and other
stakeholders to discuss water quality issues and develop
a draft proposal.
A pilot septic system operation and maintenance
program, started in January 2007 for the Henderson
Watershed Protection Area, was used as a model to
discuss a similar program for Nisqually Reach. The pieces of the
Henderson program
- including inspection criteria, monitoring
requirements, compliance, funding mechanisms and
enforcement – will be examined and used by a Nisqually
Reach citizen advisory group to build a Nisqually Reach
proposal.
The draft proposal
was completed October 2010. A public meeting was held on
January 25, 2011 for citizens to learn about the
proposal and provide input.
Click
here to see the questions and answers from the
January Meeting.
Project Purpose
The purpose of this project is to ensure that on-site
sewage systems are properly operated and maintained to
protect the health of county residents and to preserve
the water quality of Nisqually Reach.
Draft Ordinances
The Thurston County Boards of Health and County Commissioners held
a Public Hearing at 6:30 p.m. on October 13, 2011 at the Expo Center,
Thurston County Fairgrounds. The purpose of the hearing
was to receive
testimony and comment on the proposed ordinances to adopt the Septic System
Operation & Maintenance Program for the Nisqually Reach Watershed Protection Area.
The ordinance before the Board of
County Commissioners is to amend the Shellfish Protection District boundaries
and establish financing for an on-site sewage system operation and maintenance program. A
second ordinance
before the Board of Health is to amend the Thurston County
Sanitary Code to designate marine recovery areas and
establish an on-site sewage system operation and maintenance
program in the marine recovery area of the Nisqually Reach
Shellfish Protection District.
Click here to view the comments and questions from the
public hearing and the responses.
Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Follow the advisory committee's progress: see a list
of members, meeting dates with agendas for upcoming
meetings, and notes from previously held meetings.
| Project Duration |
| Start date: |
December 17, 2009 |
| End date: |
December 31, 2012 |
| Project Timeline (through 2011) |
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February, 2010 |
Stakeholder Committee formed |
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Mar - Oct, 2010 |
Committee develops proposal |
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July, 2010 |
Newsletter to watershed residents |
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January 25, 2011 |
First open house |
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February, 2011 |
Consider public comment |
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March 30, 2011 - 3:00 p.m. |
Commissioner Briefing |
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Spring, 2011 |
Revise proposal |
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Summer, 2011 |
Prepare draft ordinances |
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October 13, 2011 |
Public Hearing |
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December 13, 2011 |
Public Workshop |
| Risk-based on-site Sewage System O &
M Program Development |
| Activities: Project Years 1 & 2 |
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Convene a Stakeholders Advisory Group. |
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· |
Draft a Risk-based On-Site Sewage System O &
M Program. Submit to elected officials for
consideration. |
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Convene public meetings and hearings. |
| Public Involvement |
| Activities: Project Years 1 & 2 |
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Publish at least 3 newsletters and mail
directly to watershed residents. |
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Develop and maintain a website with program
development details. |
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Set-up e-mail mailbox to receive citizen
comments and information requests. |
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Hold at least 2 open houses about the
project. |
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Issue at least 3 press releases. |
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Prepare and air one program on the local public
television station. |
E-mail contact
Please feel free to
e-mail with comments, questions, or requests to be on a
mailing list to receive proposal drafts.
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