OLYMPIA – The state Department of Ecology is proposing to write a cleanup plan for polluted Little Bear Creek and Old Stillaguamish Channel in Snohomish County.
But before a final decision is made in July, department officials want residents to tell them if other creeks are in worse shape and need to be cleaned up sooner.
The public has until June 24 to comment on the sites and suggest other locations instead.
Washington has nearly 700 polluted lakes, rivers and streams, with 28 in Snohomish County. Since 1998, the department has prepared cleanup plans for 270 waterways, including the Snohomish River, its tributaries and estuaries.
Approved cleanup plans take more than a year to prepare. They include scientific studies of what pollutants are in the water, where they are coming from and how best to reduce or eliminate them to meet federal clean-water standards. Actual cleanup work is scheduled after a plan is submitted.
To comment, contact Ron McBride of the Department of Ecology at 360-407-6469 or at rmcb461@ecy.wa.gov, or go to www.ecy.wa.gov.
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