Cleaning up: How a light rail project keeps a landfill site on track

How do you build light rail and widen a freeway along the edge of a well-managed former municipal waste landfill? Very carefully! 

And, with plenty of cooperation among public agencies.

We’re working to do exactly that with Sound Transit, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU).

A grassy meadow covers the Midway Landfill, next to the I-5 freeway southbound lanes between Seattle and Tacoma. White pipes behind the fence are part of the system to collect landfill gas, given off by decomposing municipal solid waste below.

The site: a former landfill

The City of Seattle’s 60-acre Midway Landfill site adjoins the west side of I-5 in Kent. The landfill closed in 1983. Under our oversight, and review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, SPU:

•  Covered the landfill with an engineered, multilayered waterproof cap and a top layer of grass.
• Installed a gas extraction system to control methane generated by material in the landfill.
• Controlled surface water.
• Fenced the landfill to limit access to the site.

These protective elements have been in place since 1992. SPU continues to monitor groundwater quality and landfill gas at the site, under a legal agreement with us, last updated in 2006.

Sound Transit will build light rail on the landfill's east side,
along I-5's southbound lanes. (Click or tap image to enlarge.)

Transportation projects

Two planned south King County transportation projects will run half a mile through the eastern edge of the landfill. Sound Transit plans to extend its Link light rail line from Angle Lake to Federal Way. WSDOT plans to widen a stretch of I-5 as part of its SR 509 Completion Project.  Preparation of the landfill for the two projects will be combined into a single project called FWLE/SR 509 Midway. FWLE stands for Federal Way Link Extension.

FWLE/SR 509 Midway will bring changes to the site. We’re developing legal agreements and engineering plans with all three parties – SPU, WSDOT and Sound Transit -- to ensure that the site’s environmental and public health and safety measures continue to function during and after construction.

The combined project will involve excavating some of the landfilled municipal waste, and will affect the landfill cap, the gas collection system, and surface water monitoring network. Because of this, we’re requiring:

• Transfer of excavated municipal waste to an authorized landfill.
• Restoration of disturbed portions of the landfill cap and other infrastructure.
• Documentation of all required work for our review and approval.

Some of the site’s land ownership will change. Sound Transit will acquire part of a strip – for the light rail tracks – that now belongs to WSDOT and will assume responsibility for maintaining that portion of the landfill cap. Seattle will continue to operate surface water controls, the gas extraction system, and the ongoing monitoring program.

Plans and agreements available

We’re asking the public to review and comment on four documents that will govern how the FWLE/SR 509 project will be built, and how the site will be reconfigured:

• Consent Decree Amendment:  update to our existing legal agreement with SPU.
• Prospective Purchaser Consent Decree:  new legal agreement between us and Sound Transit.
• Cleanup Action Plan Amendment:  describes actions we will require to maintain the integrity of the site’s protective elements during and after the proposed construction.
• Public Participation Plan: explains how people can participate in the cleanup process.

Looking south across the Midway Landfill where it adjoins I-5.

Comments invited; public meeting planned

The comment period begins on Jan. 27 and concludes on Feb. 25, 2020. Comment online or mail comments to: Mark Adams, Site Manager; Dept. of Ecology; 3190 160^th Ave. SE; Bellevue WA, 98008-5452.

We’re also inviting the public to a meeting and hearing. We, SPU, Sound Transit and WSDOT will give a short presentation and answer questions about the site and the projects. There will be time for giving oral comments.

•  Tue., Feb. 11, 2020; 7 - 9 p.m.
• Des Moines Elementary School, 23801 16^th Ave. S.
• Interpreter services will be available in Spanish, Korean, and Somali.

 We’ll review and respond to all comments received. We expect the new plans and agreements to be in place by mid-2020.

By Larry Altose, communications manager, Northwest Regional Office

More information

• Midway Landfill site
• Online comments
• Fact sheet in English, Korean, Somali and Spanish
• Sound Transit Federal Way Link Extension
• WSDOT SR-509 Completion Project

Protecting human and environmental health with Safer Products for WA

Many of the products we use on a daily basis contain toxic chemicals that escape into our homes and the environment when we use and dispose of them. Even small amounts of chemical releases are steady, and when combined, they make up one of the biggest sources of toxics entering Washington’s environment.

New law

In spring 2019, the Washington Legislature passed a law that creates a new way to keep toxic chemicals out of consumer products. Ecology named the law’s implementation program Safer Products for Washington.

It directs us to work with Department of Health to:

·       Choose priority chemicals.

·       Identify products that contain these chemicals.

·       Decide whether or not to regulate those chemical-product combinations by requiring reporting or chemical restrictions.

·       Adopt rules to implement those regulatory actions.

Our team in the Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction program has been collaborating with statewide partners, diving into the research, and hearing from stakeholders to implement this law.

Why it matters

The law has important consumer impacts—especially for sensitive populations like our children. We all benefit from the convenience and services of consumer products. But those products shouldn’t harm us, our kids, or our environment.

In Washington, millions of dollars have been spent removing toxics from contaminated water bodies, yet some fish are still unsafe to eat and sensitive species like our orcas continue to dwindle due, in part, to chemical contamination.

Under Safer Products for Washington, we can make consumer products safer. It’s the right thing to do to protect the future of Washington’s residents and wildlife.

What’s new

In partnership with Department of Health, we released a draft report that identifies nine consumer products for further evaluation and potential rulemaking. The report release started a 45-day public comment period that ends March 2, 2020.

Cross-section of cut pile
plush carpet and carpet backing.

In the report, we proposed these priority products:

·       Carpet and aftermarket carpet treatments containing PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

·       Vinyl flooring and cosmetic fragrances containing phthalates.

·       Laundry detergent, thermal paper, and food cans containing phenolic compounds.

·       Printing inks containing PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

·       Electric and electronic equipment containing organohalogen flame retardants.

Why we’re looking at these products

We chose these consumer products because research demonstrates that they are exposing people and the environment to priority chemicals. We evaluated reports from Health and Ecology, research from Ecology’s product testing program, and peer-reviewed literature.

When the public comment period ends, we will evaluate the feedback and finalize this list of products. Then, we’ll begin the research to identify whether safer alternatives are available, and to determine regulatory actions, if any.

Get involved

Reach out to the Safer Products for Washington team at SaferProductsWA@ecy.wa.gov to share data, learn more or get involved.

Public invited to participate in early comment period for statewide biosolids general permit

The Department of Ecology’s public processes can be wide reaching, often impacting many communities or sometimes just a few people. From permitting a long-time industrial facility to measuring the environmental impacts of a project proposal, Ecology acts throughout Washington on behalf of residents to protect and enhance this remarkable state where the environment and economy go hand-in-hand.

Most of Washington's biosolids are created at wastewater treatment plants
like this one in Wenatchee. 

One of the processes we undertake every five years is the redevelopment of a statewide biosolids general permit. Biosolids are a product of wastewater treatment systems, rich in organic material and nutrients, and used by farmers across Washington to grow a variety of crops. With Ecology’s oversight, proper testing and application ensures this product benefits farmers and soil without leaching nutrients into surface or groundwater.

We begin the permit development process by engaging stakeholders – both the regulated community and the general public – to first answer a question and then move forward on the development of our fifth biosolids statewide general permit.

Through January 24, Ecology is asking the public to weigh in on that initial question: “Is a statewide general permit appropriate for the regulation of biosolids under state rules?”

Responses, comments, questions, and requests can be sent to:
Emily Kijowski, Department of Ecology
Solid Waste Management
P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.

Comments must be received or postmarked no later than Jan. 24, 2020. Visit our biosolids page for more information.

What do you think?

If a member of the public believes that biosolids cannot be properly managed under a statewide general permit, they should explain their concern and how an individual permit would result in better protections for public health and the environment, or be more efficient, less burdensome, or less costly.

And it’s important to understand that this preliminary determination concerns a single question regarding the use of a general permit. This is not an opportunity to comment on requirements that should or should not be in the general permit, or on specific facilities unless the information is related to the appropriateness of the general permit approach.

Developing a statewide general permit doesn’t mean that the public would give up its right to engage Ecology on biosolids actions that must be approved individually. Our commitment to transparent, thorough, and impartial public processes would remain intact from start to finish.

Anyone who comments on this preliminary determination will automatically be added to our list of persons interested in development of a biosolids general permit. Interested parties will receive email updates and notices on opportunities to participate in and comment on the development of a biosolids statewide general permit.

-Dave Bennett, Solid Waste Management Program

New Year, New Water Right Applications

In Washington, waters belong to the public and can't be owned. Instead someone may be granted a right to use a volume of water, for a defined purpose, in a specific place.

With the start of the new year, the Water Resources Program released updates to our water right application forms. The forms hadn’t been revised in a number of years, and were due for some changes.

What's different?

We do not require any information on the new application forms that was not already required to process an application. One difference is the timing of when we need that information. The old application functioned as a place-holder until we began reviewing it, which then started an iterative fact-gathering process with the applicant. This frequently involved excessive wait times.

Our new applications allow us to instead consolidate the information gathering up front, when the applicant submits their application. Although we will still have to assess legal and technical aspects of the proposal, we expect the new form to allow us to process both the applications for new water rights and those for changing water rights more efficiently.

We're here to help

We strongly recommend applicants take part in a free pre-application consultation with Water Resources Program staff. By talking with us early in the process, before taking the time and expense of completing and filing an application, applicants can gain a realistic understanding of the viability of their proposal and the range and scope of information required for a decision.

The updated forms are a continuation of our ongoing work to reduce the backlog of pending applications and diminish the delays and opportunity costs while applicants await decisions. Using the new applications and our expanded guidance also provides greater transparency about information we use to make decisions and how we measure the viability of applications for new water rights and water right changes and transfers.

By Barb Anderson, Water Resources 

What do you do when the polluter is a mountain?

Sumas Mountain has been losing weight.

For decades, a slow-moving landslide has been exposing the side of Sumas Mountain, in Whatcom County. The landslide material contains naturally-occurring asbestos and heavy metals – and it all ends up in Swift Creek.

Can we stop the mountain from sliding? No dice.

The Sumas Mountain landslide (upper center) is polluting
Swift Creek with naturally-occurring asbestos and heavy metals. 

Ecology originally considered engineering a “fix” to stop Sumas Mountain from sliding and depositing asbestos into Swift Creek. Further research and design revealed that Mother Nature would win that fight.

The slide can’t be stopped by a human-engineered approach, no matter how massive. Sumas mountain, or at least one side of it, is slowly coming down.

So Ecology and Whatcom County are left to manage the effects: chronic flooding and huge volumes of landslide debris and stream-born sediment damaging property and crops downstream.

Check out the Swift Creek Action Plan to learn about this flood control and sediment management plan.

A round peg in a square hole

Sediment in Swift Creek from the Sumas Mountain Landslide

 is contaminated with naturally-occurring asbestos and heavy metals.

Over the past 30 years since the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) became law, Ecology has become skilled at managing cleanups – and then comes along a unique project that’s NOT a cleanup. MTCA gives Ecology legal authority to clean up contaminated sites – and to make Potentially Liable Parties (PLPs) pay for it. At Swift Creek, the only PLP is Mother Nature, and as much as we all wish, money does not grow on her trees. We can’t get her to the table to sign a legal agreement, either.

Meanwhile, we’re left with the challenge of fitting a round peg into a square hole: a long-term project implemented with a MTCA-based legal agreement, but with no PLP and no rigid MTCA process to guide management.

Twists and turns

Swift Creek public meeting October 9, 2019.
Public input was a big part of the process.

Given the unusual challenges and need for coordination among Whatcom County, EPA and Canadian agencies, Ecology’s project manager, Cris Matthews, relocated to the Bellingham Field Office years ago to better manage the project.

Since Mother Nature wasn’t ponying up and Whatcom County didn’t have the money to complete the project, outside funding was critical. Several trips to the state legislature over the years for budgetary help were eventually rewarded with appropriations to pay for the project. With funding available, Ecology and Whatcom County crafted a grant agreement that allows flexibility to provide for the complicated mix of property purchase, contracting, and long-term construction goals.

The twists and turns didn’t stop with the finances. The project requires the County to purchase approximately 200 acres of private timberland, and those negotiations are currently in progress.

Then there was keeping the community involved and informed -- in two nations. Swift Creek flows into the Sumas River and, eventually, the Fraser River, northeast of Abbotsford, British Columbia.

Maintaining relationships with our Canadian agency counterparts and proactively engaging the community were key. The public meeting was well-attended and various outreach outlets helped spread the word. Our story even landed on the front page of the local newspaper.)

Different flow, same goal

For all its differences, the end goal of the Swift Creek project is the same as Ecology’s goal for any project: protect human health and the environment. Since Ecology and Whatcom County can’t stop the asbestos problem or remove it from the environment, we work to control the effects to stream conditions, flooding and manage the sediment in a way designed to reduce risk.

To be where we are today took a team effort, dedication, perseverance, more than a few cups of coffee, and a unanimous “yes” vote by the Whatcom County Council on Tuesday, November 19 to sign the Consent Decree that defines the relationship and responsibilities for Ecology and the County.

The Swift Creek project Consent Decree signing on
Dec. 6, 2019 was an exciting milestone that allows
us to move forward with solutions. 

Friday, December 6, 2019 marked a huge milestone with the Consent Decree signing. Unfortunately, a photo couldn’t quite capture the satisfaction in the room, but you can see a few smiles accompanying the pens.

Well done team.

Sumas Mountain keeps sliding. Sediment keeps accumulating. Swift Creek keeps flowing.

Our team keeps innovating, managing and persevering.

When Mother Nature gives us a “square hole,” we make that “round peg” fit the best we can.

By Ian Fawley & Cris Matthews, Toxics Cleanup Program Bellingham Field Office​

Brighten your holiday season with the northern opalescent nudibranch

Eyes Under Puget Sound — Critter of the Month

This month’s aquatic critter looks like a luminous holiday spirit carrying dozens of flickering candles. Definitely don’t try this at home, no matter how festive the effect might be!

Glow your own way

Hermissenda crassicornis from Hurst Island,
British Columbia. Photo courtesy
of Kevin Lee, diverkevin.com.

The northern opalescent nudibranch has been called the most beautiful invertebrate in Puget Sound, and it’s easy to see why. Outshining its drab land slug cousins, this “sea slug” seems to radiate its own glowing light. With variable blue, orange, and snow-white markings, it’s ready for a holiday party! However, it’s more of a warm-weather fan, commonly found during spring and summer on intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats. These include mud flats, eelgrass, dock pilings, and rocky pools.

Mistaken identity

The northern opalescent nudibranch, or Hermissenda crassicornis, was once thought to occur all over the west coast. But in 2016, genetic analyses revealed that there were actually two west coast species: H. crassicornis, occurring from Alaska to northern California, and H. opalescens, occurring from northern California to Mexico. The southern species appears the same, but it doesn’t have white lines running down the cerata — those candle-like projections along the animal’s back, used for respiration.

To avoid confusion, the northern opalescent nudibranch is sometimes referred to as the “thick-horned nudibranch” in the area where the two species overlap. The “horns” are actually a pair of large tentacles, each with a tiny eye at the base. Behind the tentacles are a pair of sensory organs called rhinophores, used to “smell” prey. This species is so good at smelling that it can use the unique chemical signatures of its favorite prey species to pinpoint their locations — a skill known as chemotaxis.

Photo of Hermissenda crassicornis
by Minette Layne, Seattle, Washington.
This file was downloaded from Wikipedia
and is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Movable feast

Dorsal (top) view of a northern opalescent nudibranch crawling in a glass petri dish.
Photo courtesy of Dave Cowles, wallawalla.edu

At a holiday buffet, this nudibranch would certainly be a member of the Clean Plate Club. In lab tests, it eats pretty much anything offered, including tunicates, worms, crustaceans, small clams, and even dead things. However, its prey items of choice are cnidarians such as hydroids, sea anemones, and sea pens (in Puget Sound, it is a main predator of the orange sea pen, Ptilosarcus gurneyi). These cnidarian prey contain a secret ingredient that is at the top of the nudibranch’s wish list — stinging cells called nematocysts. The nematocysts don’t hurt the sea slug, but pass directly through to its cerata, making it toxic and distasteful to potential predators. For this reason, it doesn’t have camouflage and doesn’t need it…the bright colors warn predators to nibble at their own risk!

A northern opalescent nudibranch crawls across
an encrusted rocky habitat amongst snails and chitons.
Photo by Kirt Onthank, August 2007, wallawalla.edu.



Naughty or nice?

Beneath the northern opalescent nudibranch’s cheery exterior lies the heart of a true humbug. When one nudibranch touches another of the same species, a fight is imminent, complete with lunging and biting (including biting off chunks of the other’s head — ouch)! In some cases, the winner of the altercation eats the loser.

Despite their violent tendencies, these feisty critters can have a positive impact on human lives by sacrificing their own. They are easily reared in labs and have been used extensively for biomedical and behavioral research, including learning and memory studies and studies on lead toxicity. Maybe every grinch has a softer side after all.

By Dany Burgess, Taxonomist, Environmental Assessment Program

Zero Emission Vehicles: Driving into the future

Last month, Washington state reached our 2020 goal of having 50,000 zero-emission electric vehicles (ZEVs) on the road. This figure includes plug-in hybrids, all-electric, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.

Emissions from transportation contribute nearly half of Washington’s greenhouse gas pollution—the pollution that is causing climate change. That’s a huge deal to us at Ecology. It’s why we’re shifting more and more of our agency fleet to ZEVs, and it’s why we’re investing much of Washington state’s $140 million from the Volkswagen diesel cheating scandal into ZEVs and charging infrastructure. 

What is a ZEV? 

ZEVs are any vehicle that releases zero, or nearly zero, emissions during operation. ZEVs continue their clean operation throughout their lifespan, unlike standard vehicles which typically produce more air pollution as they age. 

There are two types of ZEVs:

• Battery electric vehicles (EVs & BEVs) run entirely on batteries and are recharged from the electrical grid.
• Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) run on electricity produced from a fuel cell using compressed hydrogen.

Although not zero emission vehicles, the following hybrids are worth mentioning for those who are concerned about finding convenient charging stations, or need longer driving ranges, while still reducing their carbon footprint.

• Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) combine a smaller conventional gasoline-powered engine with a battery that can be recharged from the electrical grid.
• Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), are vehicles that you don’t plug-in. HEVs still provide the benefits of high fuel economy and low tailpipe emissions.

How much do ZEVs cost?

ZEVs come in all shapes and sizes, from compact cars to SUVs, and just like standard-engine vehicles, vary in price and amenities. Compact models can be as low as $24,000, but most ZEVS now cost around $40,000 new, similar to the cost of a conventional vehicle. Plus, you could always purchase a used ZEV.

Owners can expect to save around $6,400 in lower maintenance costs – even before tallying up the fuel savings. ZEVs don’t require oil changes, transmission fluid, spark plugs, or air filters. Brake pads usually last much longer in electric vehicles and can capture and reuse as much as one-fifth of the energy normally lost during braking through “regenerative braking.” This means, when you use your brake, you are helping charge your battery!

So… about those fuel savings. That’s where ZEVs really shine. Considering that Washington has some of the lowest electricity costs in the nation (80 percent of it is  generated from renewable resources, like hydro and wind) some ZEVs cost less than $1 to reach a full charge. Compare that to the cost of refueling a conventional car!

Are there tax breaks if I buy a ZEV?

Yes! The federal “Qualified Plug-In Vehicle Tax Credit” offers tax credits from $2,500 - $7,500 based on battery size, vehicle weight, and emission standards. 

Additionally, here in Washington, the Legislature just re-upped a sales tax credit on qualified zero emission vehicles reducing up to another $2,500 off.

You can get more information on these federal and state credits on the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy website. 

Is it easy to charge an electric vehicle?

A typical ZEV has a range of between 60 and 260 miles. In 2018, Washington had 2,401 public charging stations, and has awarded grants to install 15 more along highway corridors. Ecology is working with state and local governments to add dozens more charging stations at public offices, and there are a variety of other programs working to fill in that charging network in the months and years ahead.

To find a charging station on the west coast, visit the West Coast Green Highway map. For charging stations around the nation visit the Plug Share website that has over 300,000 charging locations mapped. There are three levels of charging: 

.

Charging port on a Chevy Bolt.

• Level 1 – This type of charging takes about 12-24 hours for a full charge and plugs into any standard 120 volt outlet using an adapter.
• Level 2 – This type of charging takes about 4-5 hours to reach a full charge. It is a 240 volt circuit (similar to your dryer) and is the most common type found at public charging stations.
• Level 3 – Level 3 chargers provide an 80 percent charge in just 20-30 minutes. Level 3 chargers may be harder to find.

Many charging stations are free, accept credit cards, or a smartphone app to pay for charging. The unspoken “code” of charging gives priority to those whose battery is lowest, and courtesy requires moving your vehicle to a vacant parking spot once it is charged.

For the “techy” driver, there are a multitude of apps to help you find charging stations, show your current charge, notify you when your vehicle is fully charged, and allow you to set timers to start and stop charging.

What about the batteries?

A 2009 Nissan Leaf cutaway showing part of the battery.

Most electric vehicle batteries come with a standard 8-year warranty but can last years longer. Batteries are expensive to replace, so do your homework before buying a used ZEV with higher miles. 

What are they like to drive?

ZEVs are so quiet that when you first start them, you may think the car isn’t running. Electric motors produce their maximum amount of torque immediately, which means ZEVs usually provide snappy acceleration. And, the big electric motors in ZEVs also work in reverse. Simply letting up on the accelerator while in “low mode” will slowly bring you to a stop, allowing you to utilize one-pedal driving. Plus, you don't have to spend valuable time and money stopping for gas!

Washington is leading the transformation

Washington state is already a leader in electric vehicles thanks, in part to state sales tax incentives. Governor Jay Inslee signed an executive order in 2019 requiring that 50 percent of all new state-owned and leased passenger vehicles are electric by 2020.

Ecology has a number of electric vehicles in its state fleet. 
Currently, there are: 

• 36 hybrid electric
• Toyota Prius
• 6 plug-in hybrid electric
• 2 Ford Fusion
• 1 Chevrolet Volt 
• 1 Mitsubishi Outlander
• 16 fully electric
• Chevrolet Bolt 

Earlier this month, Ecology hosted an event for National Drive Electric Week to help staff learn more about the benefits of ZEVs and take a test drive.

Electric vehicles are the right choice

An average gasoline-powered car produces about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. A ZEV vehicles produces….zero (depending on where your electricity comes from). Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles emit only harmless water vapor.

In order for Washington to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals we need to drastically reduce pollution from transportation, and we need to do it fast! Governor Jay Inslee has set a goal of having every vehicle in Washington run on electricity by 2050. Electric vehicles ensure cleaner, healthier air and less pollutants means less exposure to toxic substances. That is better for public health, and the environment. 

For more information, visit: Electric Cars 101: The answers to all your EV questions

By Kim Vaughn, Air Quality Communications

Cleaning up: The slow slide into Swift Creek

Upper center: the Sumas Mountain Landslide

Mention “landslide” and it usually conjures an image of a sudden and violent collapse of a mountain slope or hillside. Insert “Sumas Mountain” before that word and residents of eastern Whatcom County will recognize a slow slide that for decades has clogged and flooded Swift Creek.

For many years the creek, which flows west to join the Sumas River, was dredged to manage the sediment and limit downstream flooding. But, several years ago, the 225-acre slide was found to contain naturally-occurring asbestos and metals – chromium, cobalt and nickel.

When the sediment dries, the asbestos can become airborne and present a risk to human health and the environment. The metals can affect plants on land and aquatic life.

An action plan

Sediment from the Sumas Mountain Landslide in Swift Creek

We’re excited to work with Whatcom County, which is receiving a total of $6.4 million in state funding to begin a series of projects to address these issues. We and the county have developed a legal agreement to guide the work that will receive this funding, consistent with the county’s 2012 Swift Creek Sediment Management Action Plan.

Dredge sediment

• Dredge Swift Creek as necessary before remedy starts.

Construct and repair levees

• Stabilize sediment piles.

• Use current sediment piles and deposits to construct new levees.

• Deposit any extra sediment not used in new construction in a repository and cover with clean soil.

• Repair, stabilize, and cap current levees with rock and clean soil.

Construct sedimentation basins and traps

• Capture new sediment in a series of traps and sedimentation basins.

Monitor, manage, and maintain

Another view of landslide sediment in Swift Creek

• Monitor surface water and air during construction and active sediment management.

• Monitor groundwater after stabilization.

• Manage new sediment in traps and basins by periodically removing and placing in the repository*.

*More sediment storage repositories will be needed. Repository site locations may change depending on property availability. We will amend the plan and prepare a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for future repositories.

• Inspect and repair facilities regularly.

• Dredge Swift Creek periodically as needed and place this sediment in the repository.

Control access

Restrict use of and access to the levees to prevent disturbance of, and exposure to, the sediment and airborne asbestos. Controls can include:

• Fencing off levees, sediment capture facilities, and storage basins.

• Placing legal restrictions on future use of the properties.

• Inspecting areas to ensure compliance.

• Purchasing additional property or easements may be required.

Public comments and community meeting

Before we adopt this plan, we’re asking the public to review it and related documents, and to send comments from Oct. 7 to Nov. 5, 2019.

We’re jointly hosting a public meeting with Whatcom County to provide information, answer questions and receive comments: 

• Wed., Oct. 9, 2019, 6-8 p.m. 
• Nooksack Valley Middle School, 404 West Columbia Street, Everson, Wash.

We have three documents up for review:

• Swift Creek Action Plan: describes the flood control and sediment management work to take place in the Swift Creek watershed.
• Consent Decree: the legal agreement between Whatcom County and Ecology under which the county will carry out the action plan.
• Public Participation Plan: explains how we and Whatcom County will keep people informed about the project and how people can provide input as it proceeds.

More information

• Comment online
• Whatcom County Swift Creek website 
• Ecology Swift Creek project website 

Our work with Whatcom County on this project is part of our investment in Washington communities. About 70 percent of our budget helps fund local government, tribal and non-profit projects that improve the environment, protect public safety and health, and benefit the economy.

By Larry Altose, communications manager, Northwest Regional Office

The spiny pink scallop: Ready for sweater weather

Eyes Under Puget Sound's Critter of the Month

Mmmm….scallops. It’s amazing how just one word can conjure up the taste and smell of pan-seared, buttery deliciousness. If you’ve ever been to a fancy seafood restaurant or watched the show, “Top Chef,” you know the important role that scallops play in the culinary world. But do you know what role they play in the sediment ecosystem at the bottom of Puget Sound?

Pretty in pink

The spiny pink scallop spends its days doing what most scallops do: lying on its right side on the sea floor with its fan-shaped shell open, filtering microscopic algae from the water that passes over its gills. This particular scallop is known for its bright color and the prominent spines that adorn the ribs running down its shell.

What’s interesting about this species is that the type of sea floor it lives on can influence what it looks like! Individuals found on rocky or shelly bottoms (the more typical habitat) generally have the pink and spiny characteristics. However, individuals found on the muddy sea floor in more protected areas are drab in color, with less pronounced spines. The difference can be so drastic that taxonomists once thought these two “morphotypes” were actually different species.

Sweater weather

The spiny pink scallop on the right has the sponge (Myxilla
incrustans) covering; the one on the left doesn't. Photo
courtesy of Dave Cowles, wallawalla.edu.

Spiny pink scallops that live on the hard, rocky sea floor also tend to be covered with a layer of yellow sponge on their upper (left) valve. This is a symbiotic relationship that benefits both parties — the sponge gets a comfy place to live, and the scallop uses its sponge “sweater” as protection from predators.

Imagine you are a sea star, sensing a tasty scallop lunch nearby. You reach out and touch… a slimy, unappealing sponge! It’s no surprise that sea stars have been observed rejecting the sponge-covered scallops. This benefit makes carrying the extra weight of the sponge worthwhile, even if the burden may impact the scallop’s growth rate.

Just keep swimming

Spiny pink scallops also have to worry about predation by sea otters, octopuses, and humans — creatures not so easily fooled by the sponge disguise. This is where its “swimming” ability, used by many mobile scallop species, comes into play. When the scallop senses a predator approaching, it can quickly clap the two valves of its shell together, squeezing water out and causing a jet propulsion effect that allows it to swim to safety.

How does the scallop know when danger is near? It can detect predators by smell using chemoreceptors in the margins of the fleshy body wall membrane known as the mantle.

At 1 cm across, this little spiny pink scallop is already big enough to
 fall into the "hundreds of eyes" category! I stood it up on its side in
 a petri dish to get a better look at them as the valves slowly opened.

The eyes have it

If you look closely at the mantle, you will see the scallop has another sense as well — sight. Those bright blue-green dots scattered around the mantle are actually tiny, adorable eyes! These eyes can’t see images, but they can detect changes in light that might mean a predator approaching. A baby scallop might have just a few, but an older individual can have hundreds.

Coming to a plate near you?

This spiny pink scallop rests on the sea
floor, valves fully open in feeding mode.
Photo by Jim Nestler, July 2005 (from
wallawalla.edu).

The spiny pink scallop has somehow managed to avoid being a target of commercial fisheries (although some are harvested each year by diver or trawl in Canada). This is partially due to its small size; maxing out at about 6 cm, the spiny pink scallop barely makes a mouthful compared to the giant Pacific scallop or weathervane scallop (Patinopecten caurinus) found on Pacific Northwest dinner menus. However, its smaller (and less common) cousin Chlamys rubida, the Pacific pink scallop or smooth pink scallop, has made a comeback in Seattle restaurants in recent years. Perhaps the smooth pink scallop is prized over the spiny pink scallop for its delicate flavor? Someone needs to do a taste test — I’ll volunteer to be the judge!


By: Dany Burgess, Environmental Assessment Program


Critter of the Month
Dany is a benthic taxonomist: a scientist who identifies and counts the benthic (sediment-dwelling) organisms in our samples as part of our Marine Sediment Monitoring Program. We track the numbers and types of species we see in order to understand the health of Puget Sound and detect changes over time.

Dany shares her discoveries by bringing us a Benthic Critter of the Month. These posts will give you a peek into the life of Puget Sound’s least-known inhabitants. We’ll share details on identification, habitat, life history, and the role each critter plays in the sediment community. Can't get enough benthos? See photos from our Eyes Under Puget Sound collection on Flickr.