We're Listening
South Park Topics and Concerns
Are the diesel trucks that serve the Port been evaluated for contributing to pollution in the area? Do you know what the effects are or what’s being done?
In January 2007, the Port adopted the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy establishing emission reduction standards for seaport activity including port "drayage" trucks. Of the diesel particulate matter captured as part of a 2005 Puget Sound Maritime Air Emissions Inventory, 3% comes from heavy-duty vehicles (trucks and cruise terminal buses). By the end of 2010, all trucks that serve Seattle's cargo terminals must have an engine year of 1994 emissions standards or newer. By 2015, 80% of port drayage trucks must meet 2007 emission standards, as defined by EPA; progressing to 100% by 2017. By early March, 2010, about 110 old, polluting trucks have been taken off the road and scrapped. More information on efforts to reduce port air emissions can be found at:
http://www.portseattle.org/community/environmentair/seaport/index.shtml Is it safe to let our kids play on the beaches in the Duwamish?
A. The Lower Duwamish Superfund investigation collected data from six publicly accessible beaches in January 2010. Initial results of the sampling show no health concerns for using the beaches. Find more information on EPA’s web site:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/cleanup.nsf/sites/LDuwamishWhy did the recent settlement reached with Basin Oil result in mitigation efforts in Chelan County when the damage was done here in South Park?
Ecology fined Basin Oil Corp. $41,000 in 2008 for violating used-oil storage requirements at its south Seattle facility, which closed in 2004. The company appealed, and both sides have signed an agreement to settle the penalty for $30,000. The settlement – which avoids further legal costs for both parties – consists of cash payments and an in-kind project, called an innovative settlement. The Basin Oil site has been cleaned up. Basin Oil owner Terry Drexler will pay Ecology $17,000 over 18 months. He also will provide $13,000 of construction services to Chelan County to complete the Nason Creek Oxbow Reconnection. “This settlement avoids expensive litigation and benefits Washington’s environment overall,” said K Seiler, from the Department of Ecology’s Southwest Region. For more information about this settlement agreement, please contact the Toxics Control Program at 1-800-826-7716.
