I am writing with regard to the recent news article, “County ready to start Brightwater dickering” (Nov. 11). The article suggests that King County must spend $17 million to build new parks and its overall tone implied the siting of Brightwater in our county is a forgone conclusion. The Snohomish County Council is in the process of contesting the Brightwater sewage treatment facility and the county has not yet granted permits for its construction at the Highway 9 site.
The Snohomish County Council has authorized our executive, Aaron Reardon, to enter into negotiations with regard to the facility. This authorizes the executive to discuss potential mitigation if the facility is forced upon us by the courts. Final acceptance of a mitigation plan must be adopted by the council. By law, mitigation dollars are expected to be 10 percent of the total project cost. The current reported cost of the facility is now nearing $1.5 billion, which should require close to $150 million in mitigation costs. King County is proposing $88 million, with their executive holding final say over where those dollars are spent.
This is just wrong. The events that led to Brightwater extend back to 1957 and were intended to abate water pollution and help regulate the flow of sewage. I am not convinced that today’s decisions made by highly political growth boards who point to archaic laws truly do allow one county to site such a facility in another county without their input or consent.
As the councilman who represents the area where Brightwater is currently intended to be built, I am working first and foremost on every avenue that we have to stop the siting of Brightwater in Snohomish County.
Jeff Sax
Snohomish County Council
5th District
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