Snohomish County and six other organizations have given notice that they will challenge King County’s environmental study on the proposed $1.35 billion Brightwater sewage treatment plant.
The Snohomish County Council unanimously voted to authorize a "notice of appeal" on the study on Monday.
The actual appeal of the final environmental impact statement on Brightwater won’t be made until Jan. 20, but Monday was the deadline for appeals to be announced.
Snohomish County Councilman John Koster said King County’s study on the project’s potential problems wasn’t adequate.
"I think there are still some issues that are unresolved. Nothing that I want to be too specific about at this point," Koster said.
Six other organizations also submitted notices of appeal: the cities of Bothell, Woodinville and Shoreline, the Cross Valley Water and Sewer District, Olympic View Water and Sewer District and the Sno-King Environmental Alliance.
Eventually, the appeals will be held before a King County hearing examiner. No date for the hearings have been set yet.
The appeal notices were not unexpected. Snohomish County leaders had vowed earlier to file a challenge against the project’s environmental impact statement, a voluminous study of how the project may affect water and air quality. The analysis also addresses other issues, such as transportation.
"This is part of the process," said Christie True, King County’s project manager for Brightwater.
She said the appeal notices will give King County the chance to learn which agencies or organizations still have concerns with the environmental study and work out those differences.
The environmental study was quite expansive, she added, and some may have filed a notice of appeal to give themselves more time to review the analysis.
King County Executive Ron Sims announced his preferred location for Brightwater, near Highway 9 just north of Highway 522 in Snohomish County, on Dec. 1. The final environmental impact statement was released Nov. 19.
Also last week, the Snohomish County Council let stand a six-month moratorium that prevents the county from accepting permit applications for essential public facilities such as large wastewater treatment facilities.
Appeals on the environmental study will not slow down the project, officials said.
"We’re going to keep working ahead on our permits and final design of the facility. That work can proceed as this is going on," True said.
King County wants construction of the sewage treatment facility to start in 2005 and hopes to have Brightwater in operation by 2010. The plant will serve residents of both counties. While the plant itself would be in Snohomish County, the pipeline carrying treated sewage to Puget Sound for disposal will be in King County.
Koster said the County Council will continue to work on Brightwater issues in coming months. The council is planning a public hearing Jan. 7 so residents will have a chance to share their viewpoints, Koster said. The time and place for that hearing has not been determined.
Reporter Brian Kelly: 425-339-3422 or kelly@heraldnet.com.
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