That said, they are still pursuing “natural drainage” to help protect the creek “from polluted stormwater runoff which, even without sewage in it, can be more harmful to the health of the creek and the creatures that live in it.” And the new plan is for this to be installed along the route of a future greenway – a road improved for pedestrian/bicycle safety – that has yet to be chosen. If you live in the area – the city wants to hear from you.

(Click image for larger version you can zoom in on)
The map above shows the alternatives. SPU says everyone along the potential routes will get a survey in the mail asking what they think about the idea of a greenway and raingardens in their neighborhood – and a public meeting is planned, July 9th at Highland Park Improvement Club. (HP Action Committee has already announced that this meeting will be a substitute for what otherwise would have been its regular monthly meeting in late June.)

Information about the new proposals will be up on the city website within a few days, we’re told. In the meantime, if you live on one of the greenway routes, watch your mailbox – and if you have any interest in the project, plan to be at the July 9th meeting.

P.S. One greenway already is in the works, in North Delridge – SDOT published an update this week – and the city says it might be a candidate for after-the-fact natural-drainage projects.

Drop off all types of household batteries (weighing up to 11 pounds each), including both single-use batteries and rechargeable batteries commonly found in laptops and digital cameras. Obsolete cellphones can also be dropped off at the libraries for recycling.

The recovered materials, according to Call2Recycle, will be “used to create new batteries, concrete additives and a variety of stainless steel products.” (The organization’s website says it’s a nonprofit “funded by battery and product manufacturers committed to responsible recycling.”) There’s even more info online here.

On the edge of the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle’s largest remaining contiguous forest, the Nature Consortium rallied staffers, volunteers, and community members to a Saturday celebration. At the heart of it was a mayoral proclamation held above by NC’s Monica Thomas (right), with founder/executive director Nancy Whitlock: It was “Soundway Day” (proclamation closeup here) in honor of the years-in-the-making rescue and restoration of WDG land once earmarked for homes and roads. It was also a chance for the group to hold its annual “Golden Shovel” presentation recognizing an exceptional volunteer – this time, Tim Jaureguy:

We recorded video of the official presentation, following some words on behalf of Soundway, and recognition for two others before and after the giving of the “Golden Shovel”:

Funding for the party was part of a grant related to the ongoing work at the site; Marination (WSB sponsor) brought the food, and NC brought plenty of activities, including art for the smallest attendees:

This is a big summer for Nature Consortium – not only bringing back the Arts in Nature Festival (August 10-11 at Camp Long), but also, recruiting a successor to Whitlock, who recently announced her plan for a sabbatical. She told us Saturday that the executive director job is scheduled to be officially posted July 1st.

P.S. The Nature Consortium could use YOUR help in the West Duwamish Greenbelt – just about any time. Here’s how to join in.

All three are in the 8800 block of 24th SW – from north to south along the east side of the block, Clara, Zelda, and Louise, as named by Green Canopy Homes, which “re-envisioned” them with financing from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission‘s Sustainable Energy Trust Lending Program. It’s all about energy efficiency – but “The Triplets” have been updated in far more than that aspect, from the entries…

… to the living areas …

… to the bedrooms …

and beyond. A bit more information, from the official announcement of their completion:

The Triplets are Built Green certified and are expected to use 25-50% less energy than before the remodeling, as determined by a pre- and post-work energy audit.

The three-bedroom, two-bath homes range from 1,300 to 1,600 square feet, on lots of 7,440 square feet. Each includes a surprising addition at the rear: a “great room” with 11-foot ceilings that connects living, dining and kitchen space with the back yard. Two homes have detached garages; all three offer plentiful off-street parking and alley access in the rear.

Today’s open house will run 1-4 pm.

(WSB photo from June 2012)
It’s become an annual tradition for West Seattle Windermere and the WS Junction Association to offer a chance for you to recycle unwanted electronics AND get old documents shredded, all at the same time, same place. 10 am-1 pm this Saturday (June 8th) is the time, the 42nd SW parking lot behind Windermere (south of SW Oregon) is the place. P.S. Wondering what recyclables they’ll accept? Here’s the list.
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(Outfalls in our area – blue = ‘controlled,’ pink = ‘uncontrolled’)
The city has yet to finalize a plan for keeping its combined-sewer overflows out of local waterways – but once it decides on an option, West Seattle will be affected, one way or another, as this “community guide” shows – with options including at least half a million gallons of overflow storage to be built somewhere in eastern West Seattle. As part of the current environmental review of the options, the city has a “scoping” open house tomorrow to which you’re invited. It’s been advertised here and elsewhere as “The Plan to Protect Seattle’s Waterways“; it’s a chance to review the potential alternatives, and ask questions/offer comments in person. It’s downtown, 4:30 pm-6:30 pm Monday (June 3rd) in the Bertha Knight Landes Room on the main floor of City Hall downtown. If you can’t go, you can comment by e-mail, as long as your comment’s in by June 20th – e-mail betty.meyer@seattle.gov. (Or – here’s a survey.)

P.S. Just in case you wondered, two things:

#1 – This is separate from King County’s combined-sewer-overflow-reducing plans, which in our area include the planned storage tank across from Lowman Beach Park and “green stormwater infrastructure” in Westwood and Sunrise Heights. The county’s plan involves reducing overflow at two of its pump stations on the southern West Seattle shore; the city’s plan involves reducing what gets to its more-numerous outfalls both on Puget Sound and on other waterways including Longfellow Creek and the Duwamish River.

#2 – If this sounds a bit like déja vu – there was a previous round of “scoping” in 2011 (as noted here). But since then, the city negotiated an agreement with higher authorities regarding past pollution, and the results of that changed the potential plan a bit, as explained in the “community guide.”

What was long just another stretch of asphalt in the Highland Park Improvement Club parking lot is now a brand-new rain garden, after today’s planting party gave it the finishing touches. As explained on the HPIC website (where you also can see the Rain Dog Designs vision for the garden), “every little bit helps” to get toxic runoff water out of the drains that run right into the Duwamish River and Puget Sound. (You can find out about possibilities for your own little corner of West Seattle, by checking with RainWise.)

If you have passed Highland Park Improvement Club along SW Holden lately, you probably noticed some of the asphalt lot dug up, close to the sidewalk. This is the long-planned HPIC rain garden, close to completion, as part of a partnership with Sustainable Seattle and King County. This Saturday (June 1st), you are invited to join in finishing and planting the new community-designed garden, which will help keep toxic stormwater runoff from making its way into local waterways. The official event announcement adds that it’s a chance for you to get inspired to do something similar:

On that day, HPIC will also be the host to many other ways that you can get involved at home. Join us for the Yards in the Neighborhood Tour:

• Take part in the planting of the rain garden
• Embark on a short, self-guided walking tour to learn about rain gardens and see demonstrations of green infrastructure
• Meet RainWise contractors learn about incentives and reimbursements for installing rain gardens and cisterns
• Visit booths and see demonstrations
• Learn five easy take-home actions to help the Duwamish River!

This is all happening 10 am to 1 pm Saturday at 12th/Holden, free of charge, everybody welcome, no minimum time commitment – stop by for a few minutes or all three hours, help plant if you can (or just cheer everybody on!).

(2011 photo by Danny McMillin, via the WSB Flickr group)
Just two and a half weeks remain in what began as a three-month public-comment period for the Environmental Protection Agency‘s proposed Duwamish River cleanup plan. June 13th is the deadline to have a say on how Seattle’s only river should be cleaned up after decades of pollution, and one more public hearing (with two sessions) is coming up this week. As the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition has led the way in pointing out, there are distinct differences in the ways the cleanup can be approached, and your comment(s) can be something as simple as a description of your priorities. The official plan document is here – you can read it in its entirety, or just check the “executive summary” a few pages in, if that’s all you have time for. DRCC’s recommendations are here, along with other assistance they offer for commenting.

HOW TO COMMENT: This week’s two-session hearing is at 2 pm and 6 pm Wednesday (May 29th) at Town Hall downtown, 1119 Eighth Avenue (map). You can also comment online via this web form, or e-mail ldpc@resolv.org.

The winning “Environmental Issues Slam” team from Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) – mentioned here a month ago – has decided what to do with their winnings. The team calling itself “Drastic Plastic,” whose presentation covered plastics pollution in the world’s oceans, won the right to choose a charity for a $1,000 donation from the Washington Foundation for the Environment, and voted to give it to Sound Experience, described by EW’s Amy French as “an educational sailing organization with a program that educates schools/youth about plastic pollution in Puget Sound … Sound Experience has a unique partnership with UW-Tacoma to research microplastics in Puget Sound. As shown in the photo Amy shared, Sound Experience’s education/outreach coordinator Megan Addison visited EW this past week to receive the ceremonial check from the students; she’s shown with them and history teacher Tim Owens. Amy adds, “The winning team of students have also been invited by Sound Experience to participate in some plastic clean-up on board their vessel.” The slam participation followed a schoolwide effort that was part of EW’s Sustainability Program.

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
The long run of beautiful spring weather has brought perfect conditions for hundreds of local students to visit the woods along Fauntleroy Creek. It’s the time of year when they release school-raised salmon fry during an intensive schedule organized by creek steward Judy Pickens. WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams was there on Friday as students from both Alki Elementary and West Seattle Elementary students visited within the span of an hour. Above, WSES teacher Kendall Paine showed students an insect, part of the ecosystem supporting this salmon creek.

Volunteers like Bud Schwinger (below) help the students get their fish into the creek, and show them how to spot the fry:

They’re transported to the creek from schools’ tanks in buckets:

After a short walk to the water’s edge, it’s into the water – volunteer Dennis Hinton (below) helped Alki fifth-grader Steven Huynh release fry:

Yes, you can see them if you look really closely – note the three fry in the foreground, released by a West Seattle ES student and ready to swim away:

Before Memorial Day, Judy and volunteers will have helped with 17 release visits. Then, come fall, it will be time to watch for salmon spawners further down the creek – last fall, you might recall, set a record (here’s our report, with photos by Nick, from mid-November).

(Cargo traffic on the Duwamish River; photo by Don Brubeck)
With only a month and a half remaining for public comments on the EPA’s proposed cleanup plan for the Duwamish River, one of its official public hearings is tonight at 6 pm (after an early session that’s just about to get under way) at the Georgetown campus of South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) – here are the details from the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition‘s website. The coalition sent a board member to this month’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting – read on for the points made in that mini-briefing:

Omar Barraza from the DRCC board pointed out to HPAC attendees that the Duwamish River is the ONLY river within the city limits. There’s a lot at stake, and they are concerned about protecting the people who fish and consume Duwamish seafood, as well as:

-Protecting people who come into contact with river
-Protecting the river life
-Protecting people who come into contact with sediments
-Protecting the life in the river’s mudflats

Barraza explained that 44 days are left in the EPA’s 105-day cleanup comment period, covering a proposal involving 5.5 miles from Harbor Island to the turning basin. EPA is proposing to dredge about 20 percent of the area at various spots. Another 5 percent of area will be capped. 12 percent will be designated as “enhanced natural recovery” – covering part with “enhanced natural carbon.” And 62 percent of area will be “monitored natural recovery.”

The cleanup “has a direct bearing on not only our lives today but that of our children.”

One concern DRCC has – the plan does not say anything about protecting health of the people who eat seafood from Duwamish.

Also – DRCC wants more done about “source control,” which, Barraza observed, “gets political.” DRCC proposes modifying the plan to remove ALL the highly and moderately toxic sediments, and to use other types of technology for areas where they are not capping or dredging. “They will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in cleanup … hiring locally is a goal. It’s important that you weigh in, that you make your voice heard.” (The DRCC’s fact sheet and recommendations can be seen here.)

That could be done by a group like HPAC writing a letter, and/or individuals writing their own.
“The plan is pretty extensive, but it doesn’t cover everything,” he summarized.

In addition to tonight’s hearing, EPA and the state Ecology Department will present one in South Park in Spanish, with English translation, on May 15th, and other events are ahead, even a boat tour of the river this Sunday – they’re all listed on this page of the DRCC website.

As today’s Fauntleroy Church Recycle Roundup got going, their recycling partner 1 Green Planet (a nonprofit) had three trucks on standby, knowing that West Seattleites are ready to fill them up, as they have in past editions. The one in our photo above was rapidly filling with old TV sets of all ages (we’ll probably pitch in some day, having not joined the flat-screen revolution just yet). They’re there until 3 pm – free (though the church’s Green Committee, which organizes this twice a year, is glad to accept a token $ donation from anyone who offers) – look for the signs outside the church parking lot at 9140 California SW:

The list of what they’re accepting is here.