We are two of many citizens chronically suffering deleterious health effects from Port Townsend Paper Corporation’s environmental pollution.
We were among the …
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We are two of many citizens chronically suffering deleterious health effects from Port Townsend Paper Corporation’s environmental pollution.
We were among the approximately 40 people who attended the recent Dec. 4 public hearing on the current draft operating permit for the mill’s wastewater disposal into our Port Townsend Bay.
The event was hosted by our local Dept. of Ecology staff. We listened to the presentation and public question period for two hours. We left before the “hearing” began, where public comments were heard and recorded, because we ran out of energy. We are old. So now we write in order to have our comments included in the permit process.
We studied the materials provided by Ecology, and we wish to register our strong objections to the proposed Increases in pollutants that the draft permit would allow to be discharged into the water of our bay. Specifically, increases in biochemical oxygen demand, and increases for suspended solids.
The mill wants increased pollutant limits, because they have increased their production of “product,” and therefore their profits.
We love the Orcas that are going extinct due to several prime factors, one of which is water pollution. We love the octopuses, the star fish, the crabs who are in the same situation. We love and adore the salmon! All on the Critical List!
We are happy our tax money is increasingly being spent on “cleaning up Puget Sound.” Increasing pollutant levels allowed to be dumped into these waters completely defeats Washington State environmental goals and efforts! Surely Ecology can see this.
We applaud Ecology’s inclusion in the draft permit of the new official limits for three known carcinogenic chemical pollutants; and the additional water-related studies the permit would require. Thank you, to the engineers at the Dept. of Ecology for their hard work on these important changes and additions.
However, we feel very concerned that the mill is operating with an outdated permit — issued in 2013, eleven years ago — and has not done at least three of the important, mandated studies the outdated permit requires!
We have been told by Ecology that these studies are supposed be done multiple times during each 5 year permit period. In eleven years a minimum of six studies should have been done and analyzed by Ecology, and changes to the mill process implemented as necessary. This has not happened. We do not really know what is coming out of PTPC’s pipes into our bay and what effects that effluent is having.
We consider the status of the mill’s increased operation — without an adequate and up-to-date permit and testing — to be urgent for the waters of our bay, Puget Sound and all the creatures therein. And that this situation demands immediate action and remediation by Ecology.
Here are a few suggestions for initiating a just remedy:
•Shut down mill operation to its lowest operating capacity — now.
•Begin the missing studies.
•Pay temporarily laid-off mill workers and staff full wages while studies, permits, and any necessary mitigation actions are completed.
Alea Waters and Andrew Russel have lived in Port Townsend for 20 years. This was submitted in similar form to the Washington Department of Ecology during the mill permit comment period, which closed Dec. 12.