Brightwater heat hits port

By Bill Sheets

For The Herald

EDMONDS — The Port of Edmonds has not taken an official position on the siting of the proposed Brightwater treatment plant in Edmonds.

That doesn’t sit well with the Washington Tea Party, the group of residents fighting King County Metro’s proposed plant.

"The Tea Party feels that the port should come out as the city (of Edmonds) has" and pass a resolution opposing the plant on Unocal property, said Robert Freeman, who has been monitoring the port for the Tea Party.

Most of the five port commissioners say they believe waiting until all the information comes in, especially through the draft environmental impact statement soon to be conducted by King County, will strengthen whatever position they take.

"We believe the most effective way to represent our constituents is by taking a studied position and gathering information as opposed to just being another hand in the back of the room, waving and saying, ‘Yeah, we think it’s a bad idea,’ " Commissioner Bruce Faires said.

Commission President Ken Reid said the port is different from the city and Snohomish County primarily because the proposed plant is next to, rather than within, the port’s jurisdiction.

That means the port, unlike the city, has no land-use or permitting authority over the plant, Reid said.

"What bullets we do have, we don’t want to waste," he said. "This is not to say there is support on the commission for Brightwater, because that’s clearly not the case."

The port has taken heat for allowing King County Metro to site a weather station on its property. The decision stands in contrast to the city’s strategy of refusing to allow King County access to city rights of way to conduct soil tests, a strategy the Tea Party supports.

The $15,000 weather station, scheduled to be installed beginning next week, will be used by King County to gather information about rain and wind patterns.

The port, which was planning to install a weather station anyway, Faires said, will have access to the information as well, commissioners said.

"I believe in getting information and learning what’s going on," said Commissioner Dean Nichols, elected with Mary Lou Block to one of the two new commission positions last fall.

Regarding the prospect of passing a resolution against the plant, Nichols said, "I frankly question what effect these resolutions have. They make you feel good for a few minutes, but do they do anything?"

Commissioner Fred Gouge is the one member who has expressed a willingness to come out against Brightwater. He has made a couple of motions but has yet to receive a second.

"I personally have never been for putting a sewage treatment plant on that site," Gouge said. However, "I do respect my fellow commissioners wanting to look more at it."

Two commissioners said the key to the issue could be whether the Brightwater plant could be compatible with the Edmonds Crossing transit center planned for the same site.

The port officially supports Edmonds Crossing, Faires said, and if Brightwater were to preclude development of the transit center, Faires said he believes the port would oppose the plant.

Nichols said he doubts both facilities can fit on the same site, as King County has contended.

"I’m skeptical," he said.

Bill Sheets is Edmonds editor for The Enterprise newspapers. He can be reached at 425-673-6525 or by e-mail at sheets@heraldnet.com.

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