05/06/2009: "Possible Risk To County On Sutton Site Identified?"

The County Council has been asked if a rumor that “In the County Risk Manager’s opinion it is not wise for the County to operate a facility at Sutton Road,” is true or not.

Councilmember Loval Pratt said the Council have asked that an assessment be done, but if one has been done already, then “that is the first I have heard of that.”

Chairman Rich Peterson responded that “I have never heard the rumor, and I don’t think any of us have heard the rumor; and we’re going to thought an analysis before we locate up there.” And then added “I don’t know if we want to respond to rumors.”

Pratt said “we have already made the request [for an assessment] in out motion, and we’re going to hear a risk assessment.”

Councilman Bob Myhr was on vacation when the public hearing and the final decision was made to pursue further investigation of the Sutton Road site, and asked why the Risk Manger had not been asked to investigate the site prior to now.

Chair Peterson explained there was a risk assessment done by DOE (Department of Ecology), and "their evaluation addressed it head-on;” but there will now be a County assessment done, now that we have picked a possible site.

Administrator Pete Rose said that a “level 2 environmental evaluation” will determine if there are problems with the site, but the second level of risk management will happen when a report is done on groundwater, and if mitigation is needed or not. Rose said the Council is scheduled to have a report on May 18th.

As for risk in general, Councilmember Howard Rosenfeld responded that three of the council members had met with officials from the state department of ecology for an extensive meeting to determine how much risk there would be to the County.

Rosenfeld said “we were just blown away that they not only said there was no problem,” but he added that "DOE encourages the building of new facility next to an existing land fill", as opposed to building it somewhere else.

Council Chairman Rich Peterson told the Island Guardian that it would have been inappropriate to ask the Risk Manager to spend time and money to do an assessment on all of the possible sites, prior the Council selected only one to be further investigated for, among other things, any risk to County ownership.

Adina Cunningham is the County Risk Manager, and in response to an inquiry by the Island Guardian stated "At the Council’s request (through the County Administrator), I am now in the process of doing a liability risk assessment of the Sutton Road Property, in conjunction with the County’s plans to lease or acquire it as a site for the transfer station. The assessment should be complete within three weeks."