City of Seattle Solid Waste Intermodal Transfer Facility
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FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT City of Seattle Solid Waste Intermodal Transfer Facility (photograph) Seattle Public Utilities August 5, 2005 Note: Some pages in this document have been purposefully skipped or blank pages inserted so that this document will copy correctly when duplexed. Fact Sheet Fact Sheet Nature and Location of Proposed Action Seattle Public Utilities proposes to construct a new solid waste intermodal (truck to rail) transfer facility on one of four alternative sites, all of which are located within the city limits of Seattle, Washington, south of downtown Seattle. The four alternative sites are the following: Alternative 2 (Harbor Island Terminal 10 site). This site, located on the southwest side of Harbor Island, west of 16th Avenue SW, would support a city-only intermodal transfer facility. Alternative 3 (Harbor Island Terminal 10/Pendleton site). This site, located on the southwest side of Harbor Island, west of 16th Avenue SW, would support a combined city-county (King County) or a city-only intermodal transfer facility. Alternative 4 (Corgiat Drive site). This site, located between South Corgiat Drive and Airport Way South, southeast of South Albro Place and southwest of Interstate 5, would support a city-only intermodal transfer facility. Alternative 5 (Edmunds Street site). This site, located in the southwest quadrant of the South Edmunds Street/Airport Way South intersection and west of Interstate 5, would support a city-only intermodal transfer facility. The principal features of the proposed intermodal transfer facility would be the following: A main transfer building, 50 to 60 feet in height above grade, where waste is delivered, compacted if necessary, and loaded into containers An exterior container storage area Rail siding tracks with adjacent cranes and other equipment for loading containers onto railway cars An employee/office building with adjoining parking Access driveways with entrance and exit scale facilities A small fueling station. Construction of the new intermodal transfer facility would take approximately 16 to 22 months. This environmental impact statement (EIS) also addresses the no-action alternative, designated as Alternative 1. i Fact Sheet This EIS supplements the August 1998 EIS that evaluated the impacts of Seattle’s 1998 solid waste management plan (On the Path to Sustainability) and the July 1990 EIS (Seattle Waste Transport and Disposal Project Final Environmental Impact Statement). Proponent Seattle Public Utilities Lead Agency Seattle Public Utilities Date of Implementation Fall 2005 Responsible Official Chuck Clarke Director Seattle Public Utilities Seattle Municipal Tower 700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4900 P.O. Box 34018 Seattle, Washington 98124-4018 Contact Person Henry Friedman Solid Waste Facilities Planning Manager Seattle Public Utilities Seattle Municipal Tower 700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4900 P.O. Box 34018 Seattle, Washington 98124-4018 (206) 733-9147 [email protected] ii Fact Sheet Required Permits and Approvals City of Seattle Shoreline substantial development permit (Alternatives 2 and 3 only) Building and grading permit Demolition permit. Public Health – Seattle & King County Solid waste permit. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Air permit. Washington State Department of Ecology Industrial Stormwater General Permit National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System construction permit. Federal Aviation Administration Notice of Proposed Construction or Alteration (Form 7460-1). EIS Authors Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc. Primary author Land and shoreline use Aesthetics and visual quality Plants and animals Earth Water Hazardous materials Public services and utilities. Heffron Transportation, Inc. Transportation. Environalysis, LLC Air quality and odor Noise. iii Fact Sheet Issue Date of the Draft EIS February 17, 2005 Due Date for Comments on the Draft EIS Comments on the draft supplemental EIS were due no later than the close of business on March 21, 2005. Public Meeting Public meetings to receive oral comments on the draft supplemental EIS were held at the following times and locations: March 1 at 6:30 p.m.: Hamilton Middle School, 1610 North 41st Street, Seattle, Washington March 2 at 6:30 p.m.: Concord Elementary, 723 South Concord Street, Seattle, Washington March 3 at 6:30 p.m.: West Seattle High School, 3000 California Avenue SW, Seattle, Washington. Issue Date of the Final EIS August 5, 2005 Date of Final Action Summer/fall 2005 Availability of the Final EIS The final supplemental EIS is available at the following branches of the Seattle Public Library: Central – 1000 Fourth Avenue th Ballard – 5711 24 Avenue NW Beacon Hill – 2821 Beacon Avenue S. Columbia – 4721 Rainier Avenue S. iv Fact Sheet Delridge – 5423 Delridge Way SW Fremont – 731 N. 35th Street Wallingford – 1501 North 45th Street West Seattle – 2306 42nd Avenue SW. It is also available at the following neighborhood service centers: Delridge – 5405 Delridge Way SW Fremont – 908 North 34th Street Greater Duwamish – 2821 Beacon Avenue South West Seattle – 4205 SW Alaska Street. The final supplemental EIS can be reviewed on the project website at <http://www.seattle.gov/util/About_SPU>. Copies on CD (in Adobe Acrobat format) of the final supplemental EIS may be obtained without cost by contacting: Barbara Orr Seattle Public Utilities Seattle Municipal Tower P.O. Box 34018 Seattle, WA 98124-4018 (206) 386-4567 v Contents Fact Sheet......................................................................................................................................... i Abbreviations............................................................................................................................... xix Part 1: Summary Objectives of the Proposal ........................................................................................................... 1-1 Description of the Proposed Project and Alternatives ................................................................. 1-3 Impacts, Mitigation Measures, and Significant Unavoidable Adverse Impacts.......................... 1-7 Transportation....................................................................................................................... 1-7 Noise..................................................................................................................................... 1-8 Air Quality and Odor............................................................................................................ 1-8 Land and Shoreline Use........................................................................................................ 1-9 Aesthetics and Visual Quality ............................................................................................ 1-10 Plants and Animals ............................................................................................................. 1-11 Earth.................................................................................................................................... 1-11 Water................................................................................................................................... 1-12 Hazardous Materials ........................................................................................................... 1-12 Public Services and Utilities............................................................................................... 1-13 Major Conclusions, Areas of Controversy, and Issues to Be Resolved..................................... 1-15 Part 2: Proposed Project and Alternatives Background.................................................................................................................................. 2-1 Seattle’s Past Solid Waste Planning ..................................................................................... 2-1 Need for the Proposed Project .............................................................................................. 2-2 Objectives of the Proposal ........................................................................................................... 2-5 Description of the Proposed Project ............................................................................................ 2-7 Alternative Intermodal Sites................................................................................................. 2-7 Construction Period .............................................................................................................. 2-9 Implementation Schedule ................................................................................................... 2-10 Property Search for Alternative Intermodal Sites...................................................................... 2-11 Description of Alternatives for the Proposed Project ................................................................ 2-13 Alternative 1 (No Action)................................................................................................... 2-13 Alternative 2 (Harbor Island Terminal 10)......................................................................... 2-13 Alternative 3 (Harbor Island Terminal 10/Pendleton)........................................................ 2-13 vii Alternative 4 (Corgiat Drive).............................................................................................. 2-19 Alternative 5 (Edmunds Street) .........................................................................................