Edmonds shouldn’t be on Brightwater short list

When the reality of King County’s upcoming sewage treatment plant project — referred to as Brightwater — hit the radar screens, groups started sounding the rally cry, "Not in my backyard."

Except for one group. The quiet little city of Woodway told King County, "Go ahead and put it in our backyard." They were referring to Point Wells, a 90-acre piece of land in unincorporated Snohomish County owned by Chevron with an asphalt plant located on it. But their invitation was soon rejected when the city of Shoreline (in King County) screamed, "Not in our front yard." Residents south of the county border protested the site near Richmond Beach and, sure enough, it was taken off the list.

Whether Point Wells is indeed the best site for King County’s sewage treatment plant, it certainly deserves more exploration just as surely as the city of Edmonds deserves to have its name taken off the short list.

King County Executive Ron Sims has said he’ll make an announcement about the preferred site in August. Only two sites, the Edmond’s Unocal site and one in Woodinville near Highway 9 and 228th Street SE, remain on the list.

While the Edmonds site might look tempting to King County, it has some fatal flaws. It is not big enough and there is no room for expansion. The project requires at least 25 acres of land and the Unocal site offers that, but no more. The lot simply isn’t big enough to accommodate the plant and necessary buffer zones.

Environmental regulations are likely to thwart or significantly tie-up prospects of building on the site. The land is next to wetlands and a salmon stream hatchery, not to mention the Edmonds waterfront. And the site has a steep slope, which would have to be altered significantly.

Opponents of the Unocal site offer many objections — aesthetics and odor ranking at the top. A sewage treatment plant is unlikely to be sweet smelling or a beauty mark in any area, so those arguments weren’t as convincing to us. But opponents raise interesting issues about exactly how much of their sewage King County would be treating. Edmonds Mayor Gary Haakenson insists that Edmonds treats all its own sewage and has the capacity to continue to do so. Mountlake Terrace has an agreement with King County and sends its flow down south for six months a year. In return, Edmonds takes 12 months of flow from King County. Haakenson said his city can process all of it without King County’s help and that they wouldn’t need the new facility. Besides, it would cost Edmonds ratepayers considerably more to join Brightwater, he said.

Of the two proposed sites, Edmonds is by far the least expensive, according to King County Executive Sims. Opponents of the Edmonds site question the price tag, but the considerable amount of pipe work that would be required at the Woodinville site supports Sims’ claim. Despite that, it doesn’t seem practical to build on the Unocal site.

Nobody likes these kinds of facilities in their yard. Well, almost nobody. King County shouldn’t have been so hasty to take Point Wells off the list and so determined to keep Edmonds on it.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Tuesday, Feb. 18

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, file photo, a man using an electronic cigarette exhales in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, the American Medical Association said it is calling for an immediate ban on all electronic cigarette and vaping devices. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
Editorial: Shut down flavored tobacco’s gateway to youths

Legislation in Olympia would bar the use of flavors and menthol in vape products and cigarettes.

Herald report of Everett protest inaccurate, biased

I was at the rally and protest in Everett last on Feb.… Continue reading

Media shouldn’t use ‘she’ for trans people

About 79 percent of Americans oppose those observed male at birth from… Continue reading

USAID freeze halts vital aid work

I am outraged the Trump administration is making the U.S. weaker in… Continue reading

Goldberg: Trump declares war on higher ed, not just woke parts

The move, aided by Elon Musk, to gut NIH funding, is part of a larger and debilitating attack on academia.

Comment: Trump’s Kennedy Center will narrow exposure to art

Trump’s move to takeover the Kennedy Center is not about the arts but about celebrating his tastes.

Rivian, based in Irvine, Calif., has introduced its new R2 models, smaller and more affordable SUVs. (Rivian)
Editorial: Open electric vehicle market to direct sales

Legislation would allow EV makers to sell directly to customers, making lease or purchase easier.

People walk adjacent to the border with Canada at the Peace Arch in Peace Arch Historical State Park, where cars behind wait to enter Canada at the border crossing Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in Blaine, Wash. Canada lifted its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit, but America kept similar restrictions in place, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from coronavirus travel bans. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Editorial: U.S. and Canada better neighbors than housemates

President Trump may be serious about annexing Canada, but it’s a deal fraught with complexities for all.

CNA Nina Prigodich, right, goes through restorative exercises with long term care patient Betty Long, 86, at Nightingale's View Ridge Care Center on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Boost state Medicaid funding for long-term care

With more in need of skilled nursing and assisted-living services, funding must keep up to retain staff.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, Feb. 17

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Comment: No one saw Musk’s DOGE rampage coming or its threat

With no formal grant of authority, Musk is making cuts without fully understanding the consequences.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.