Author: John Brock

EEC Introduction Newsletter

Fall 2024

Edmonds looking North

On July 9, 2024, the Edmonds Environmental Council was incorporated as a Washington State non-profit organization. The EEC was formed to educate and inform the public on environmental issues, to constructively engage with local and regional governments, working through the unintended consequences of some of their policy decisions. With your help, the EEC will be a strong voice to protect natural areas, to ensure clean water, and to promote a healthy environment critical for both humans and wildlife.

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Reader view: Edmonds’ growth plan should reflect realistic household data, not inflated targets

By Janelle Cass
Posted: November 12, 2024

The 2044 Comprehensive Plan update for Edmonds calls for 9,069 new housing units, based on an assumed future household size of just 1.4 people per new unit of housing, which would bring the citywide average household occupancy down to 2.11. This assumption risks causing the city to overshoot its true housing needs and invites the kind of overdevelopment that could significantly strain city resources and negatively impact the environment.

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Letter to Council – Comments, Draft Comp Plan

November 11,2024
By Joan Bloom

Council,

Council, the final Comp Plan will affect Edmonds for 20 years to come. I beg you to consider all of the concerns that so many respected and involved long term residents of Edmonds have presented to you. Please do not ignore the serious concerns that have been expressed.

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It’s salmon ‘SEEson’ in Meadowdale Beach Park

Posted: November 10, 2024
By Joe Scordino

The Edmonds Stream Team, working with adult and student volunteers from Meadowdale and Edmonds-Woodway High Schools, has been surveying local creeks for salmon – – and the team reports many adult salmon are returning to Shell and Lunds Gulch Creeks.

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Letter in support of “Environmentally Sensitive” Zoning

By Joan Bloom
November 7, 2024

Council, Mayor Rosen, Shane Hope,

I am in total support of Joe Scordino’s suggestion. Especially in light of the results of the national elections. The urgency of protecting our critical areas and our air and water for future generations couldn’t be more important than it is right now. 

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Letter to Mayor Rosen – THE REST OF THE STORY – Excess sediment in Shell Creek impacting salmon

By Joe Scordino
November 2, 2024

Mayor Rosen;

As you may know, this is the time of year when I’m out with Edmonds Stream Team volunteers (students and adults) in/along the “salmon-bearing” creeks in/near Edmonds (i.e., Shell Creek and Lunds Gulch Creek in Meadowdale Park) to survey adult salmon returns and spawning.  Besides the salmon occurrence data, we also collect habitat condition data (and have been doing that each fall since 2017).

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From tires to nail polish, we’re studying a new round of consumer products with toxic chemicals

Draft report open for formal public comment

by Cathy Hamilton-Wissmer
November 1, 2024

In May 2024, our Safer Products for Washington team identified a new set of toxic chemicals in everyday consumer products. That’s important because it gives us an opportunity to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals and prevent their release into the environment. We want your feedback on the products we’ve identified as significant sources of these toxic chemicals. 

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Letter to Planning Director and Mayor – Establishing a new “Environmentally Sensitive” Zone in the Comp Plan Update

By Joe Scordino
November 5, 2024

Director Hope – Is it possible to incorporate an “Environmentally Sensitive” Zoning in the Comp Plan Update to address areas of Edmonds that either should not be further developed or would have additional development restrictions to address environmental degradation and protection issues?

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6PPD Action Plan and Alternatives Assessment – Progress Report and Recommendations

Ecology
October 29, 2024

In both the 2022 Supplemental Operating and 2023 Operating budgets, the Washington State Legislature provided funds to Ecology to work on issues related to 6PPD. As part of this work, the Legislature requested that Ecology provide a progress report on the Action Plan and Alternatives Assessment by December 31, 2024.

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Letter to Council – Council should require Herrara provide a FREE rewrite of their “woefully inadequate” DEIS

By Joan Bloom
October 29, 2024

Council,

Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc has failed to comply with SEPA requirements as outlined in the Washington Administrative Code in their submitted DEIS. If Council accepts this “woefully inadequate” DEIS and uses it to inform their decisions about the Comp Plan, Council will fail ALL Edmonds’ taxpayers.

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Letter to Edmonds Hearing Examiner Olbrecht regarding Denial of Reasonable Economic Use Variance for 963 Main Street

By Joe Scordino
October 28, 2024

Hearing Examiner Olbrecht:

This is in response to the Hearing Examiner Notice on the Edmonds City Website.

The Edmonds Environmental Council, a non-profit local organization for protection of the natural and human environment, requests that you revisit the public comments, both verbal and written, on the initial Application for Reasonable Economic Use Variance for 963 Main Street and DENY the request for reconsideration or any followup application for development in this critical area whether it involves a smaller ‘footprint’ or not.

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