07/21/2008: "SJI Transfer Station EIS Draft Out 7-28"

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the San Juan Island transfer station project will be released to the public on Monday, July 28. The release marks the beginning of a 45-day public comment period.

The County has scheduled two public information meetings in August, followed by a public hearing on September 4 to take oral and written comments on the plan. Written comments and questions about the DEIS will be accepted until the cut-off date of September 12, 2008.

The Environmental Impact Statement analysis was initiated in late 2006 after the County Council, responding to recommendations from the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) =a citizens’ advisory committee- directed Public Works (PW) to work with the advisory committee as PW began studies on the siting of a solid waste facility to replace the current San Juan Island facility. The existing facility is located on Sutton Road on property leased from the town of Friday Harbor.

“According to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency’s formula for processing capacity, the current facility is functioning at 185 percent capacity just providing basic service. So the current situation is not sustainable,” said Alexander.

The Environmental Impact Statement looks at the potential environmental impact of each of five “Action Alternatives” plus the alternative of taking “No Action.” The action alternatives include building a new facility at the current Sutton Road site or at sites on Beaverton Valley Road, Egg Lake Road, Golf Course Road or Daniel Lane. (An interactive map showing the locations studied are available on line at: http://www.sanjuanco.com/transferstation/sites.aspx).

“In addition to the capacity problem, as the current [Sutton Road] property is configured, there is no opportunity to offer services citizens have requested such as a re-use area, ferrous metal recycling, and composting; and there are health code and safety issues that need to be dealt with in the very near future,” Alexander said, adding, “Because of the scope of any project that would meet current capacity needs and offer additional services, state law required us to analyze alternative sites as well as the current Sutton Road Site.”

In preparing the DEIS, consultants studied nine categories of potential environmental impact that constructing and operating a transfer station on each of the site would have on the site itself and the surrounding areas. Those categories include:

• Traffic
• Noise
• Air Quality
• Stormwater and Groundwater
• Litter, Odor and Vectors
• Household Hazardous Waste Storage
• Wetlands
• Land Use
• Visual Impacts.

A second document, called the “Supplementary Alternatives Analysis”, which will list preliminary (“ballpark”) cost estimates for building the transfer station facilities on each site along with project funding options, will be released in early August.

After public comments are reviewed by County staff, consultants and SWAC, additional studies may be performed in response to issues raised. The current timetable for site selection calls for the Solid Waste Advisory Committee to review recommendations from County staff this fall and forward its final recommendation to the County Council in time for it to select an alternative in January, 2009. The public will have opportunities to provide further input on the project and site selection as it is being considered by both SWAC and the Council.

Beginning July 28, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be available for download from the county’s website and for review at the San Juan Island Public Library, the San Juan County Public Works Department and the Community Development and Planning Office. Printed and CD copies will also be available for sale at cost.

Additional information about the transfer station project is available on the County web site at: http://www.sanjuanco.com/transferstation/transferstationtimeline.aspx.