Seattle District - US Army Corps of Engineers


Army Corps of Engineers grants permit for Brightwater Treatment Facility

CONTACT: Patricia Graesser (206) 764-3760 June 15, 2005 SEATTLE-The Army Corps of Engineers issued a permit today to King County to construct the Brightwater sewage treatment system. The system includes a wastewater treatment plant near Woodinville, 15.9 miles of underground pipelines, and a marine outfall in Puget Sound near Woodway. Brightwater will provide long-term wastewater treatment needs for citizens in north King County and south Snohomish County. The work would have minor impacts on several freshwater streams and wetlands and an intertidal area of Puget Sound. District Engineer Col. Debra Lewis determined, based on all the data and analysis available to the Corps, that the proposal is the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative available to the applicant and is not contrary to the public interest. King County applied to the Army Corps of Engineers for a permit to fill and relocate several freshwater streams and wetlands to construct the treatment plant and to construct a marine outfall in Puget Sound as required by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. The Corps issued a Public Notice regarding the proposal in May 2004 to solicit comments. The Corps' primary area of concern was impact to the aquatic environment. The Corps also analyzed impacts to the human environment, including traffic noise, water quality, economics, aesthetics, cultural resources, and other public interest factors. The project was also subject to review under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Corps permit allows construction to begin after all required local permits are obtained and if the permit's general and special conditions are met. The County must also comply with the conditions of the Water Quality Certification issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology Jan. 18, 2005. The Corps is requiring both on and off-site mitigation. Streams will be relocated and restored and wetlands will be created, restored, and enhanced. Other mitigation includes restoring eelgrass beds impacted during construction of the marine outfall pipeline and the removal of derelict fishing gear, including nets and crab pots, in intertidal and/or shallow subtidal areas in Puget Sound.