August, 2024
Dear Woodway residents, South Edmonds residents, and Friends of the Environment:
YOUR “pure drinking water” is at stake. The City of Edmonds recently passed a CARA (Critical Aquifer Recharge Area) code that could compromise the exposed aquifer storage layer that recharges and contains YOUR drinking water. Sounds complicated? It is – as aquifer is a very unique soil. This flawed code allows new development and redevelopment to use UIC (Underground Injection Control) wells that would inject potentially contaminated stormwater runoff into the ground. If you are a member of Olympic View Water and Sewer District (OVWSD),
YOUR PURE DRINKING WATER is at risk. Everyone living in Woodway should be alarmed as this development may contaminate your water that drains to the “pristine” Deer Creek watershed.
Edmonds City Council was not provided BAS (Best Available Science) regarding the current Federal Regulatory Standards for PFAS (Per-and polyfluoroalkyl or “forever chemical”) which has already been noted at Madrona School. Read the August 8, 2024 Everett Herald news article titled “PFAS found near Edmonds school sparks concerns about wells” to understand. It’s an eye-opener https://www.heraldnet.com/news/pfas-found-near-edmonds-school-sparks-concerns-about-wells/!
To compound the issue, the City had not yet completed the necessary environmental documents for the City’s Comprehensive Plan update. Without the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (expected to be presented to Council 8/22/24), any decisions about how the City will mitigate the impact of development is unknown.
With Washington State’s push for density and the flawed CARA code process, seven citizens that respect BAS formed a non-profit organization to challenge this code decision to the Growth Management Board. This grass-roots group, Edmonds Environmental Council (EEC), has hired a preeminent environmental attorney in the State of Washington, David Bricklin, of Bricklin and Newman. The firm has filed an appeal with the Growth Management
Hearings Board and requested a free mediator since EEC understands the City’s DISTRESSED financial situation and the high cost of attorneys. A mediator has been assigned to the case and will run parallel with the appeal.
The EEC’s mission is to work with local, regional and state governments to educate them on unintended environmental consequences of government actions that don’t look at ALL the variables of the environment or infrastructure. We are not opposed to ‘responsible’ development and redevelopment, but we are opposed when unrestricted development is allowed that risks hazards to human health and potentially irreversible damage to our environment. Sometimes the environment and growth (zoning) are at odds and BAS NEEDS to now play a key role. It is a very complex appeal.
Folks, this is a serious matter. The PFAS threats are obvious and the quality of OUR drinking water is at risk unless we band together. We suggest changing the code to prohibit UIC wells in CARAs until the science of PFAS is better known and State and Federal laws are implemented. Unfortunately, the City said no and so here we are!
We need your donations to support these important issues. For as little as $20 you can become a member and get regular updates. The timeline may go out 180 days. So, join the fight to preserve pure drinking water.
Contact: Edmonds.Enviro.Council@gmail.com for details or visit edmondsenvironmentalcouncil.org.
Sincerely,
Joe Scordino, President and Diane Buckshnis, Vice President
Edmonds Environmental Council (https://edmondsenvironmentalcouncil.org)
