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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-02-28 City Council Minutes Approved GSSY Off'. 9w,. City Council Study Session Minutes— February 28, 2011 At 7:30 p.m. Mayor Pro-Tem Brad Adams called the regularly scheduled Anacortes City Council study session of February 28, 2011 to order. Erica Pickett, Brad Adams, Bill Turner, Cynthia Richardson and Brian Geer were present. Kevin McKeown and Nick Petrish were absent. North Sound Barkeeper—Custom Plywood Mill Site Planning Director Ryan Larsen introduce Wendy Steffensen, lead scientist with North Sound Baykeeper Team, to provide an overview of the cleanup proposal for the Custom Plywood Mill site on Fidalgo Bay. Ms. Steffensen thanked Mrs. Pickett, Mr. Larsen and Mr. Measamer for making the presentation possible. She said the presentation was made in coordination with the Washington State Dept. of Ecology (DOE) under a Public Participation Grant to educate the public about the project. Ms. Steffensen displayed a map showing the nine cleanup sites in and around Fidalgo Bay indentified under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) law in Washington State. She said MTCA cleanups typically involve a Site Assessment, a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study, and then a Cleanup Action Plan. The Custom Plywood Mill site is unusual in that DOE has broken the project into an upland section and in-water section. For the upland section DOE has taken the unusual step of issuing the RIFS and the Cleanup Action Plan simultaneously in order to clean up that part of the site ASAP because active erosion is contaminating the aquatic portion of the site. She said the planning and public comment opportunities for the aquatic portion will follow the normal three-stage process. Ms. Steffensen displayed a graphic showing the site which is bounded on the south by the Tommy Thompson trail. The cleanup site includes 6.6 acres of upland, 34 acres of tideland and 440 acres of affected aquatic land. She showed the pilings, concrete slab and extensive debris that will be removed as part of the cleanup. She said DOE's goal is to return the site to productive use for people and the environment. She explained that the upland is contaminated with metals and hydrocarbons; exposure to those contaminates is from dust, from touching surface water or soil, and in the case of animals from ingesting contaminates. She added that marine life is exposed to contaminated sediment and that anyone who eats seafood from the site is exposed that way as well. In the aquatic portion of the site the contaminates of concern are wood waste, which can smother benthic creatures, and dioxin in the sediments which is the primary health concern for humans. She displayed another graphic on which orange shaded sections mark exceedances of metals and hydrocarbons that DOE will be cleaning up. Ms. Steffensen then discussed the cleanup options being considered for the upland portion of the site. She said the public has one opportunity to comment on DOE's preferred option which is to remove most of the contamination in the uplands to a depth of six feet and to remove it to a high degree in the shoreline protection zone which is 75' near shore, as deep as fifteen feet if it is found that far down. Ms. Steffensen said the potential drawback of the preferred alternative for human health and the environment is that groundwater transmission may not be completely addressed. She said the preferred plan also consolidates the five wetlands on the site, mitigating 1:1, to create one large estuarine wetland which is more valuable than freshwater wetlands. She said the public may want to comment on the ratio, which is low, and the buffers around the wetland, which are low per DOE standards. She said all DOE's options include filtering stormwater through a swale, into the wetland and then into the bay. She advised that the public may want to comment on whether the cleanup options are good options, which options it prefers, if the wetlands mitigation is appropriate and if the stormwater treatment will be sufficient. Ms. Steffensen then addressed the in-water portion of the project where dioxin and wood waste will be cleaned up. She said dioxin contamination is widespread but DOE is targeting 34 acres where dioxin concentration is 10 parts per trillion (ppt) or more. She showed a graphic of the contour. She then showed a graphic depicting the inferred wood waste distribution. Finally, she showed a graphic depicting locations of failing biological tests for which the precise causes or contaminates are not always known. She discussed DOE's presented options including dredging and thin capping. She said it is important for the public to comment on DOE's preferred alternative now because during the comment period for the Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes February 28, 2011 1 Cleanup Action Plan DOE will already have made its decision. DOE's preferred option is to dredge where dioxin concentration is 25 ppt or more, dredge the inner 50' nearshore area up to 6' deep for wood waste, dredge the rest of the nearshore area up to 2' deep for wood waste, and everywhere else within the 10 ppt dioxin contour to thin layer cap including inside the eelgrass bed. She noted that this very degraded area does still have marine habitat including eelgrass and surf smelt spawning. All DOE options include hard armoring of the cleanup area with a jetty extension and a spit to protect the cleanup and prevent erosion. She advised that the public may wish to comment on whether the cleanup options are good ones, what is the preferred option, are the cleanup standards sufficient, are the jetty extension, spit construction and hard armoring necessary, and what is the best way to deal with contamination in eelgrass beds. Ms. Steffensen said that those who wish to comment can find the documents at http:/tinyurl.com/2bsh26c (DOE) and can read the fact sheets at www.re-sources.com/programs/fidalqo. She also invited the public to attend a more detailed informational presentation and forum on March 10, 2011 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Anacortes Senior Center. She said comments will be accepted through March 17 via email to Hpar461@ecy.wa.gov or by mail to Hun Seak Park, site manager, Toxics Cleanup Program, PO Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600. Mr. Geer asked what the impact would be on local businesses and trail users during the cleanup. Ms. Steffensen said DOE didn't address that in its documents. Mr. Larsen responded that the trail will be left open at all times. Mr. Geer asked if users risk exposure to contaminates. Mr. Larsen said contaminated material will all be hauled off and will be kept covered in the meantime. He added that Mr. LeMieux's business will be open during the work. Ms. Steffensen added that the dust pathway of exposure is not a major threat to human health according to DOE. Mr. Turner commented that the neighboring cleanup at the Port project to the north has kept the material well covered. He added that this is an important project because the material on the site is completely devoid of life. Mrs. Richardson suggested it would be nice to have an informational display along the trail to explain the cleanup effort. Mr. Larsen said he would pass that along to the DOE team. Mrs. Pickett said a large explanatory sign is already in place outside the fence of the storage yard near the trail. Mrs. Richardson asked what happens if a new business wants to locate at the site after the cleanup but its business activities such as anchoring boats might do something to disturb thin capped sediment. Ms. Steffensen said DOE sometimes puts deed restrictions on land when they don't clean up to the maximum level and the public might check into that. Mrs. Richardson said at the cleanup site near Anacortes Marina the wood waste was found to be 25' deep so there may be some unknowns at this site. Mrs. Pickett thanked Ms. Steffensen for an excellent presentation. Transition FideIgo and Friends—Introduction and Goals Evelyn Adams introduced the new group Transition Fidalgo and Friends. She first provided some background on the transition movement which began in 2006 in the United Kingdom and now has over 338 initiatives around the world. She said transition is the process of preparing communities for life beyond fossil fuels. She said climate change and rising energy costs make the transition away from fossil fuels necessary and inevitable but the transition approach makes a low carbon future feasible and even appealing with a vision of the future that inspires rather than overwhelms. Ms. Adams said Transition Fidalgo and Friends is the 79th official transition initiative in the United States and joins Transition Whatcom, Transition Whidbey and Chuckanut Transition locally. Ms. Adams then addressed two primary reasons why communities need to transition away from fossil fuels. First is climate change, for which she cited extensive statistics and reports from groups such as Munich Re and national science academies. Ms. Adams stated that communities must stop using fossil fuels in order to stem the tide of climate change caused by carbon in the atmosphere. Second, she said the cheap and plentiful supply of oil is coming to an end and that oil will continue to become more difficult and expensive to extract. She summarized how the world economy is currently dependent on oil in every sector. She quoted the International Energy Agency, the U.S. Joint Forces Command, Lloyd's of London, and the British Industry Task Force on Peak Oil and Energy Security as calling for proactive response to projected supply disruptions and price spikes. Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes February 28, 2011 2 Given the need to free the world from fossil fuel dependency, Ms. Adams said each transition initiative explores how to move into a post-petroleum world, asking the question: For our community to sustain itself and to thrive, how do we significantly rebuild resilience to mitigate the effects of oil depletion and drastically reduce carbon emissions to mitigate the effects of climate change? She said each community's goal is to develop and implement an energy descent action plan for a powered down, resilient, relocalized future and how to get there. First transition suggests taking stock of oil dependency: how much materials and energy does a community import and what can it produce locally instead? She said localization is a key aspect of making communities more immune to volatile oil prices and potential supply interruptions and also decreases carbon output. She stressed that the goal is not an isolated economy to but expanding the capacity to meet needs locally. Ms. Adams said transition encourages businesses to make an energy resilience assessment, noting that in a time of rising energy prices, relying on fossil fuels makes businesses vulnerable. She said climate change and oil depletion are things successful businesses need to plan for in terms of transportation, power generation, raw materials, and customer behavior. For example, what is the likely impact of rising oil prices on tourism revenues or on a non-local labor force?Where will food come from and will it be affordable as oil prices rise? She gave current examples of how supply shocks, climate events and fuel costs all affect food costs. She asked the question, could Anacortes feed itself during supply interruptions? She said Transition Fidalgo aims to help the community become more resilient by supporting local food producers, encouraging backyard food production and community gardens, supporting a community seed bank, and experimenting with a staple foods project. Another way transition helps to build community resilience is through the Skill Share project which also lowers a community's carbon footprint and develops a sense of can do. Ms. Adams said reskilling is not about transitioning back to the past, it is about learning to use traditional tools as well as new technologies that will help communities thrive without oil. Transition Fidalgo and Friends is building a database of people with skills to share and will launch the program on March 26 as part of the library centennial celebration. Transition Fidalgo will be engaging more of the community through talks and films, a website and online forum, and monthly suppers. Additional information is available on line at www.transitionfidalgo.org. In closing, Ms. Adams said that transition offers a positive vision of a powered down future that respects the wisdom and ingenuity of people. She invited city leaders to join the conversation and help lead the transition by making sure resilience is central to city decision making and that projects take into account energy and climate uncertainty. She said King County Executive Ron Sims told his staff to "Always ask the climate question,"and she suggested staff should, "Always ask the oil question,"too, to plan for the challenges and changes ahead. Mr. Turner thanked Ms. Adams for a positive presentation that didn't wander into a cynical morass. He recalled that after the 1973 oil embargo the country got a lot more fuel efficient and said people need to know the real cost of a gallon of gas. He said the city has been talking about climate change as it makes planning and public works decisions for the next fifty years. Ms. Adams asked if the city is planning for peak oil as well. Mr. Turner responded that the challenge is to get people to conserve voluntarily. Mrs. Pickett said the Wastewater Treatment Plant is the city's star in that regard and has cut its use of diesel in half. Mr. Geer asked when the Transition Fidalgo suppers happen. Ms. Adams said the last Tuesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. at the Senior Activity Center. Mr. Geer added, "Bring your own bowls." Mrs. Richardson noted that the challenge of reducing energy use is complicated because the city has to operate with buildings and vehicles that were designed and built before the potential crisis was recognized. She said we have to start where we are and improve incrementally and have already started taking steps along that path with innovations and standards such as the current requirements for building insulation. Ms. Adams asked if the city has considered a performing a resilience assessment for the community at large. Mr. Turner said not to his knowledge. He added that public support is needed to help local governments and districts replace current infrastructure with more efficient technology. Mr. Adams commented that making Anacortes pedestrian-friendly and bicycle-friendly is very much of interest so people can get around without using cars. There being no further business, at approximately 8:20 p.m. Mayor Pro-Tem Adams adjourned the regularly scheduled Anacortes City Council study session of February 28, 2011. Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes February 28, 2011 3