West Seattle, Washington
16 Wednesday
The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a comment period has opened to get feedback on the proposed cleanup plan for the East Waterway, part of the north end of the Duwamish River, and part of the Harbor Island Superfund site. The comment deadline has since been extended until August 11th. But now’s a good time to find out more about the plan, so the EPA is having an online public meeting tomorrow night (Thursday, May 25th), 6 pm. From this one-sheet, here are key points of its proposal:
● Actively cleaning up approximately 121 acres of contaminated sediments, to include:
o Dredging 99 acres (or 63 percent) of the East Waterway Operable Unit;
o Capping 7 acres (this may include dredging to address final elevation needs);
o On-site (or in-situ) treatment of 12 acres under piers and docks using activated carbon or other organic amendments to contain and absorb contaminants; and
o Enhanced natural recovery of 3 acres for a portion of the East Waterway under the West Seattle Bridge/ Spokane Street Bridge corridor.● Applying monitored natural recovery in 36 acres where there would be no dredging, capping or treatment, to allow natural processes to reduce sediment concentrations.
● Implementing institutional controls including fish advisories, educational outreach, waterway and land use restrictions, and regulated navigational areas to prevent exposure to contamination and protect the integrity of the cleanup.
● Conducting short-term monitoring during and after construction to measure the cleanup’s progress and effectiveness, and until cleanup levels are achieved.
● Conducting Five-Year Reviews to assess whether the cleanup remains protective.
Construction work for this preferred alternative is estimated to take approximately 10 years and cost $290 million. This timeline assumes dredging would stop during salmon migration and tribal fishing seasons.
Here’s the online link for watching and/or participating (more info here). The EPA says no interpretation will be offered at this meeting, but an in-person public meeting with live interpretation in Spanish, Khmer, and Vietnamese is planned Saturday, June 3rd – drop in any time from 11 am to 6 pm at South Seattle College‘s Georgetown Campus (6737 S Corson Ave S, Building C). Here are other ways to comment.
That photo texted from The Arroyos in southwesternmost West Seattle is first word we got today of that alarming-looking but relatively common phenomenon. It’s not “red tide” but rather a bloom of microorganisms called Noctiluca – explained here by the state Ecology Department, which says that “sunshine, nutrients, and warm temperatures contribute to large seasonal blooms.” Experts say it’s not toxic but it is a sign of environmental imbalance, as noted here.
(WSB photo, April 22)
If you dropped off recyclables during Fauntleroy Church‘s spring Recycle Roundup on Earth Day, here’s the tally, reported today by Judy Pickens:
450 people took advantage of 1 Green Planet‘s free, responsible recycling. The day’s take of just over 14 tons of recyclables brings the total since these roundups began, in 2010, to more than 336 tons. The fall event will be on Saturday, September 23.
At upper left, seen from Jack Block Park, that’s the stack of MSC Yashi B, calling today at Terminal 5. What you don’t see in the photo is smoke from the stack – because Yashi B is the second ship to use shore power at T-5. The first was MSC Brunella, during a call two weeks ago. Which ships will use shore power and which won’t? Northwest Seaport Alliance spokesperson Melanie Stambaugh says that is for the terminal operator and shipping line to determine, with an annual report due to NWSA on shore-power use. But, she adds, “As this component of our modernization program is still new, both the NWSA and our project team will remain involved in the coming weeks. That being said, we have a commitment from our tenant that they will plug in vessels that are capable, meaning the vessel has shore power capability and it physically matches the dock-side infrastructure.” Who covers the bill, she adds, is between the terminal operator and the shipping line.
Many trees were planted coast to coast in honor of Earth Day. But this one had extra meaning. On Friday, Providence Mount St. Vincent planted a Japanese maple to mark the conclusion of Volunteer Appreciation Week. Both volunteers and staff pitched in to get the tree planted. The Mount’s new chaplain Peter Min also offered a blessing for the volunteers.
The new tree is by the southeast corner of the main building, not far from the front entrance.
It’s a familiar sight if you walk, run, ride, or drive along SW Thistle in Gatewood – the garden outside Peace Lutheran Church (39th/Thistle). It’s not just for show – it’s part of the church’s RainWise installation, as are cisterns:
The church’s grounds are the setting for today’s RainWise info event – more West Seattle residents are eligible for rebates to lessen the load on our area’s stormwater system by capturing rainwater, so they’re getting the word out this spring. Even if you’re not, you’re welcome to stop by and talk about topics including wildlife habitat:
This is on until 1 pm – more info here. (And if you miss it, another round of RainWise events, in-person and online, is coming up soon – watch this page, and our calendar, for details..)
As one commenter noted following today’s event list, “two lines, no wait” at Fauntleroy Church‘s spring Recycle Roundup, a free dropoff event that continues until 3 pm. The list of what Recycle Roundup partner One Green Planet will take is long – more than 70 different kinds of items you might just have in a closet, basement, outside, but can’t donate or sell. Check the list here. Then just drive up, ride up, walk up, and drop it off.
P.S. If you missed this – Fauntleroy Church usually does it in the fall too, so watch for news of that!
Saturday is Earth Day. If you’ve already browsed our West Seattle Event Calendar, you know it’s a big list (and our morning preview will have even more). Here are five highlights:
RECYCLING: Fauntleroy Church‘s twice-yearly Recycle Roundup happens 9 am-3 pm in the church lot at 9140 California SW. It’s a free dropoff event – here’s the list of what they are and aren’t taking this time.
RAINWATER ALTERNATIVES: Learn about RainWise during a 10 am-1 pm garden celebration at Peace Lutheran Church (39th/Thistle) in Gatewood.
SAFE DISPOSAL: Unwanted/unneeded prescription drugs are often flushed – polluting the water – or worse. One way to safely dispose of them is via Drug Take-Back Day at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster), 10 am-2 pm. No questions asked, all types accepted, says precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner.
SEATTLE’S BIGGEST FOREST: Learn about the West Duwamish Greenbelt – Seattle’s biggest remaining forest, and it’s right here in West Seattle! – during a 3 pm panel discussion at the Duwamish Longhouse (4705 West Marginal Way SW). Among the panelists are local nature steward Kersti Muul and Ken Workman from the Duwamish Tribe.
TIMEBANKING AND GARDENING: Learn about both at Puget Ridge Edible Park (18th/Brandon) at a 3-5 pm work party with West Seattle Timebank volunteers. All welcome – kids too. Take home fresh-grown organic produce!
(Video by Tom Trulin)
It’s a simple sight – water, flowing – and yet restoring that flow wasn’t simple at all. We’ve been updating you on work to unclog Fauntleroy Creek‘s 45th Avenue SW culvert, caught by creek stewards who called for city help after they saw “ponding” upstream, and now Seattle Public Utilities confirms its most-recent efforts last week succeeded. Crews removed “most of the blockage,” reports SPU, adding, “We are still monitoring the culvert and evaluating whether additional short-term work is needed to ensure the culvert’s operation.” We asked what they pulled out of the culvert to unclog it; SPU spokesperson Sabrina Register replied, “Debris – mud, leaves and branches, and possible slurry – created the blockage. SPU is looking into the debris’ contents and its origins.” The utility continues working on a long-term plan to replace the culvert, with construction expected to start in 2026. Fauntleroy Creek is one of the few remaining salmon-bearing creeks in Seattle; this year’s fry releases as part of the Salmon in the Schools program start toward the end of this month.
(WSB photos)
Those floats off Seacrest were not marking a routine Sunday dive. Today, 20 divers were signed up for an underwater cleanup led by Seattle Dive Tours and SR3. As of our visit to the dock just before noon, they had already hauled up 316 pounds of debris – and that weight doesn’t count perhaps the biggest item, a scooter:
The running total did include a wide variety of smaller items, even a video monitor:
Not available for photography: Divers also found a gun. It had been turned over to Seattle Police by the time we stopped by to check on the cleanup, which should be wrapping up about now. Scott Flaherty from Seattle Dive Tours – which is based in Admiral – says this is the first time they were able to plan this cleanup since 2019 – the West Seattle Water Taxi‘s weekend break made it possible. Along with the diving volunteers, he said more than three dozen people were signed up to clean up on shore, including Girl Scouts!
We wanted to remind you that the net two Saturdays bring opportunities to clear out more clutter:
(WSB photo, September 2022)
RECYCLE ROUNDUP ON APRIL 22: Fauntleroy Church‘s twice-yearly dropoff event is next Saturday, 9 am-3 pm in the church parking lot at 9140 California SW [map]. Drive up, ride up, walk up and drop off anything you have that’s on the list of what they’re accepting; see it here. The church is partnering with 1 Green Planet again this year, as a free service (though donations to help them cover the cost are always welcome), and their main request is that you NOT wait until the last minute, so they don’t have to deal with a line at shutdown time. The previous Recycle Roundup in September brought out almost 500 people to recycle more than 16 tons!
SHREDDING AND FOOD DRIVE ON APRIL 29: Tax season is coming to a close, and you might have realized you have some documents you don’t need to keep any more. So two weeks from today, John L. Scott Real Estate – Westwood (WSB sponsor) is offering free shredding in the northwest parking lot at Westwood Village 2 pm-5 pm. If you can, bring nonperishable food (or a monetary donation) for the White Center Food Bank.
Just two days after serving as the backdrop for a state/local environmental announcement, Roxhill Park got some TLC as part of today’s Duwamish Alive! twice-yearly multi-site volunteer restoration work.
DNDA‘s Nature Team organized today’s event. The park’s endangered bog is the site of the historic headwaters of Longfellow Creek, which connects to the Duwamish River. Other sites where volunteers worked today ranged from the river itself – with a kayak-patrol cleanup – to lower reaches of the watershed in south King County.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
17 years ago, Seattle’s then-mayor Greg Nickels announced a tree-planting plan to keep the city from losing more of its tree canopy.
Several mayors later, the city is still struggling with stopping canopy loss.
The city is working on a new tree policy. Separate from that – and yet an offshoot of sorts – Mayor Bruce Harrell was among a group of officials and advocates who gathered at West Seattle’s Roxhill Park this morning to announce a new statewide tree initiative: The Washington Tree Equity Collaborative.
This one is a “statewide effort to create tree equity in Washington,” as described by Jad Daley of American Forests, who emceed the event. Daley said his group has studied canopy cover in neighborhoods nationwide – creating this “scoring” tool as a result – and found less of it in neighborhoods where a majority of residents are low-income and/or BIPOC. “This is not just scenery we’re talking about – this is critical green infrastructure,” Daley declared. Before our summary continues, here’s video of the five speakers:
Daley said that getting every neighborhood in the state to even a 75 tree-equity score would take 2.6 million more trees. An even more ambitious goal, getting to 100, would take 13 million trees.
Right now, though, said state Public-Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, the state’s trees are declining in number and health: “Washington is known as the Evergreen State, yet our trees are truly in trouble. … Access to greenspace and shade should be a fundamental right.” Less tree canopy means more heat, and that’s the weather extreme that’s deadlier than catastrophic storms, Franz said. “The answer is so simple – plant more trees and plant them in the right places.” That costs money, she noted, mentioning an $8 million request before the Legislature, and $6 million already secured from the federal government.
Then it was on to the city’s role. Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment director Jessyn Farrell acknowledged that the most recent canopy assessment showed Seattle had lost 255 acres of trees, 1.7% of its canopy, since the previous assessment six years earlier. And relevant to today’s topic, the loss is happening inequitably. She added that addressing the problem means not just planting trees but taking better care of the existing ones.
Speaking next, Mayor Harrell acknowledged that the latest tree-canopy assessment showed that canopy loss on public property is a major problem, noting that he’s ordered that every tree lost on city land be replaced by three new ones.
Bringing it home to the specific piece of public property on which everyone was gathered this morning, Delridge community advocate Willard Brown (above with the mayor) pointed out the plight of Roxhill Park’s bog, a historic wetland that’s been drying out. The area’s status as Longfellow Creek‘s headwaters is priceless, he said – “it’s vital that the creek remains healthy.” Some work is planned later this year, Brown said. He also gently dinged the city for big talk and no followthrough on another West Seattle site, the Myers Way Parcels, which the city promised X years ago would be transferred to Seattle Parks – which has yet to happen.
After the speeches, one question was asked: Local greenspace activist and arborist Michael Oxman asked how the talk of increasing canopy matches with what’s happening in Olympia, with legislators approving upzoning for much of the state, opening the door to more densification. Farrell – a former state legislator – tackled the question, declaring, “There is no conflict between increasing tree canopy and increasing housing.” She said the biggest trouble spots even now are public lands and “neighborhood residential” (formerly “single-family”) zoning, “not so much because of development as because of age and health.” Franz echoed that “we have to address both our housing crisis and our tree crisis,” also contending they aren’t in conflict.
Then it was off to a photo op, mulching trees in the park’s southwest corner. The mayor had moved on by then but Farrell dug in:
P.S. You can check your neighborhood’s Tree Equity Score via the American Forests map here. You can read the Memorandum of Understanding that’s at the heart of the new collaborative by going here.
Fifteen months after the first modernized berth at Terminal 5 saw its first cargo call, it’s had another first – the long-delayed first use of shore power. That capability was originally supposed to be up and running by the time the first berth opened; we’ve been reporting on the delays for months, attributed to a variety of factors from labor negotiations to hardware/software problems. Today, the Northwest Seaport Alliance just announced the first plug-in has happened:
The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s Terminal 5 welcomed MSC Brunella as the first vessel to plug-in to the terminal’s shore power infrastructure. On Monday, April 10th, the commissioning phase of the Terminal’s shore power project component was finalized as the nearly 9,000 TEU vessel successfully utilized clean energy from the City of Seattle’s electrical grid to power the vessel while at berth.
Terminal 5 is the first international container terminal in the NWSA gateway with shore power capability, making this inaugural plug-in a significant environmental milestone in the Pacific Northwest.
Shore power infrastructure reduces diesel particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions by allowing vessels to turn off their diesel engines and ‘plug-in’ to the local power grid while being worked at the dock. Seattle City Light has been a critical collaborator throughout this project. …
In addition to needing landside infrastructure at marine terminals, a ship must have special equipment installed to accept shore power. The NWSA is glad to see the cargo shipping industry increasing the number of shore power capable vessels, with more than half of the vessels that call NWSA being shore power capable. Once the infrastructure is fully installed throughout the gateway, the NWSA expects all capable ships will plug-in. …
You can read the entire announcement here.
(Photos of last week’s SPU work by Tom Trulin)
Seattle Public Utilities workers are expected to return tomorrow to 45th SW, where Fauntleroy Creek – one of our city’s few salmon-bearing streams – goes under the street in a culvert that’s currently clogged. Creek stewards have been keeping us up to date on efforts to unclog it, as the backup has led to ponding.
Here’s what SPU has to say about what’s going on:
Three weeks ago, when water started to pond upstream, SPU investigated and determined that the culvert was mostly blocked with debris. During this time, SPU has been assessing repair options and actively monitoring and evaluating the culvert and upstream conditions. As soon as (tomorrow), SPU will use a pump and bypass system to attempt to lower the water level upstream of the culvert to better assess conditions in the culvert. During this temporary work, you can expect periodic noise from the pumping equipment and slower traffic in the work area. This work would occur during daytime hours. SPU will continue to perform work at the culvert to eliminate the blockage and may change strategies depending on the culvert and weather conditions.
The culvert needs to be replaced – as we’ve previously reported – and SPU says it’s currently “in the process of developing a design,” but because “there are requirements from State and Federal agencies that must be met and reviewed during the culvert’s design process … the design will not be completed for several years, with construction anticipated to start in summer 2026.” You can see the preliminary design concept on the project website.
(SPU photo, 2021)
The dates are set for this year’s opportunities to get free compost in West Seattle: 9-noon Saturday, April 22nd – yes, yet another way to spend your Earth Day this year! – and 9-noon Saturday, May 6th. On both dates, Seattle Public Utilities, ECOSS, and Lenz Enterprises will team up to offer it while supplies last. Bring your own container to the north lot of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor).
On Earth Day – April 22nd – again this year, electric-vehicle drivers have the opportunity to help others learn about plugged-in driving, and people with questions about it have the chance to get answers. This year it’ll all be happening nearby, at the Duwamish River Community Hub on the southeast corner of downtown South Park’s main intersection, 14th Avenue S./S. Cloverdale. Organizers include the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association and Express CU – different EV models and even test drives will be offered, noon-3 pm on Saturday, April 22nd. If you’re an EV driver interested in participating, the link is on this page (as well as the link for RSVPs).
When we first reported last month on plans for the spring Duwamish Alive! multi-site habitat restoration/cleanup event, the full list of West Seattle opportunities was still a work in progress. Now with less than two weeks to go, there are four West Seattle sites still accepting volunteers for April 15th – one of which is for kayakers. Duwamish Alive! is set for 10 am-2 pm that day, rain or shine, at these West Seattle locations (and others further south in the watershed):
Pigeon Point, Seattle with Delridge Neighborhood Development Assn
həʔapus Village Park, Seattle with DIRT Corps
Herrings House Park, Seattle with Green Seattle Partnership
Duwamish River Kayak Cleanup, Seattle with Puget Soundkeeper Alliance
You can go here to find the links.
Now that it’s April, our area’s next two recycling and shredding events are in view:
RECYCLING – Fauntleroy Church‘s twice-yearly Recycle Roundup is set for 9 am-3 pm Saturday, April 22nd. Drive up, ride up, walk up, and drop off your recyclables – here’s the list of what will and won’t be accepted this time. The church is at 9140 California sW.
SHREDDING – Again this year, John L. Scott Real Estate-Westwood (WSB sponsor) is presenting free shredding in conjunction with a donation drive for the White Center Food Bank:
John L. Scott Westwood and Evergreen Home Loans are sponsoring a shred event Saturday, April 29th, from 2-5 PM @ Westwood Village, located in the parking lot (west of) the old Bed Bath and Beyond Building. Please consider a monetary or food donation to the White Center Food Bank – once again they are teaming up with us for this community event. We would love to surpass last year’s $477 in donations and 370 lbs. of food.
(Photo by Tom Trulin)
No, the Seattle Public Utilities workers near 45th/Wildwood were not there for a water break again. This time, it’s related to Fauntleroy Creek; thanks to creek steward Judy Pickens for explaining. She says they were working on a partial blockage of the culvert that carries the creek underground in the area. Judy says SPU started assessing the situation a few weeks ago, and then came to work on it today. The blockage had resulted in a “duck pond” about 12 feet deep and they needed to drain some of that water away to get to the culvert itself. Creek volunteers have been keeping watch to be sure fry in the creek weren’t disturbed – as Judy notes, “It’s a delicate time for fish in the creek. Smolts have been heading to saltwater earlier than last year and we have lots of home hatch in the lower creek.” She says this culvert has had a blockage before, about a decade ago. SPU has had a culvert-replacement project on the drawing board for years.
As previewed here, a team from Seattle Public Utilities was out at 17th/Holden this afternoon, talking to people in the neighborhood about the SW Holden Natural Drainage Systems project. It’s intended to be both a stormwater-filtering project and also a traffic-calming plan, as the city considers that stretch of Holden wider than it should be for a “neighborhood street.” Dropping in to see what’s new as the plan reaches 30 percent design, we learned they’re now just focusing on the south side of Holden:
That’s for two reasons, the project team said – one, the stormwater from the north side already goes into a system that takes it to the treatment plant, while the south side goes toward Longfellow Creek, so the “natural drainage system” filtering will carry an environmental benefit. Second, the Seattle Fire Department – which has Station 11 just a block away, at 16th/Holden – voiced concerns about narrowing the street too much and making it unusable as a main response route. So at the 17th/Holden intersection, the road will be narrowed to 25 feet from the current 36 feet. Some parking will be lost on the south side, while it’ll be retained on the north side. They’ll also be adding ramps for crossing at 17th/Holden as well as 16th/Holden.
We asked about the ex-substation parcel on the southwest corner of 16th/Holden; the curbcut there will be removed as part of the project, which would have to happen even if/when the site is redeveloped, because the entry would have to be off the alley on its west side.
The plan also will drain more water from the southeast side of the 16th/Holden intersection than originally envisioned, sending it to the “natural drainage” via two “inlets.”
All this is currently under review by SDOT, according to the project team; once that department gives its approval, they’ll move on to the 60 percent design phase, which also will require review and approval. Construction is tentatively expected to start sometime nect year.
As reported here Thursday, Seattle City Light has confirmed the locations of 31 new on-street electric-vehicle-charging stations around the city, including five in West Seattle. A few questions arose, and we took them to SCL spokesperson Jenn Strang. First – a clarification: The one location we hadn’t already reported, the 6000 block of 16th SW, is not actually on the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus – Strang says it will be on the “west side of 16th Ave SW, opposite the South Seattle College campus. It will be located near the walkway leading to the Duwamish Cohousing complex.” Readers, meantime, asked what’s being done to deter thieves from hitting the new chargers’ cords, as they have with others. Strang says, “The curbside Level 2 chargers have charging cables that automatically retract.” And that led t the question, what’s going on with the still-not-back-in-service chargers on 39th SW south of West Seattle Bowl? Strang explains, “In early March we installed two cables on the chargers at 4535 39th Ave SW, and our technician was unable to get the chargers to deliver a successful charge. Following various attempts to troubleshoot the issue with the manufacturer, it was determined additional parts are needed. We are waiting on the delivery of parts to continue troubleshooting the issue with the 39th Ave SW chargers and to complete repairs on the other chargers that had cables stolen.”
(WSB photo, last Saturday)
Thanks to Waste Management for sending the totals from last Saturday’s recycle/reuse/shred event at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). By the numbers:
TOTAL HAUL: 17,230 pounds of items dropped off by 417 participants
ELECTRONICS: 9,252 pounds
PAPER TO SHRED: 5,560 pounds
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS: 1,532 pounds
STYROFOAM: 550 pounds
BATTERIES: 171 pounds
LIGHT BULBS: 100 pounds
PROPANE CANISTERS: 65 pounds
Along with WM, this free event was presented by were the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, West Seattle Junction Association, Seattle Public Utilities, Friendly Earth, Northwest Center, Seadrunar, and Styro Recycle.
Next up: Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW) hosts its spring Recycle Roundup 9 am-3 pm Saturday, April 22nd (here’s what will be accepted); John L. Scott Westwood (WSB sponsor) hosts a shredding event Saturday, April 29th, 2-5 pm in the northwest lot at Westwood Village (bring a donation for White Center Food Bank). More on both events as they get closer.
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