06/15/2007: "Transfer Station: Improve Existing Or Move It?"

A community meeting to receive public comment is scheduled for Tuesday June 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mullis Senior Center in Friday Harbor.

County planners invite citizens to comment on what should be taken into account in assessing the environmental impact of constructing a new solid waste transfer station for San Juan Island. The transfer station would be constructed either at the existing site near Sutton Road or at a new site.

San Juan Island’s current transfer station does not meet regulations, at least not in the area where the waste is dumped, because it is an uncovered area that allows rain to fall directly onto the garbage, creating potentially contaminated runoff.

The area was covered, but had received damage to the supporting members over the years, and PW Director Jon Shannon chose to remove the protection, but did not replace it, thereby creating a violation of environmental and public health regulations. Ed Hale, Utilities Manager at the Public Works Department said that the Island’s current solid waste transfer station is too small for the number of customers and the volume of garbage and recyclables coming in. It’s also too small, Hale said, to provide some of the services Island citizens requested be a part of the transfer site, such as materials exchange.

A Determination of Significance was issued on May 23, 2007 by The Community Development and Planning Department (CDPD) after their review of the proposal by PW that new construction was required for a transfer station, and that determination began a process of environmental impact assessment and site selection. Because the current waste facility is now out of compliance due to the removal of the cover, the County has only a couple of options to choose from:

• Make improvements to the existing transfer station; & this could including new structures;
• Expand existing site make improvements, and construct a new transfer station on land adjacent to the Town of Friday Harbor’s landfill property or,
• Construct a new transfer station at a new site.

In order for CDPD to complete work on the environmental impact and site selection for a new facility. CDPD invites Island citizens to help answer important questions including -at the least- the following:

• What environmental impacts should be taken into account in selecting any site for the Island’s solid waste transfer station?
• Are there other reasonable alternatives to constructing a new solid waste transfer station? What are they?
• Are there mitigation measures that could lessen the impact of a transfer station? Example: enclose dumping area in a drive-though building
• Where should a new transfer station be located, and why would it the best location?

Citizens may comment in writing at any time, or in person at the Public Scoping meeting on June 19. Please send written comments to:

Shannon FitzGerald
San Juan County Department of Community Development and Planning
P.O. Box 947
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
shannonf@co.san-juan.wa.co.