CORRESPONDENCE TO THE COUNCIL
Table of Contents February 17, 2021 (noon) – February 24, 2021 (noon)
For full Council Correspondence, please follow this link: https://burienwa.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/45791
DATE NAME TOPIC FOLLOW-UP Councilmember Nancy Tosta 02/18/21 Nancy Kick & Sarah Moore (1) KCSO Contract (02/19/21) 02/18/21 Derek Nanninga Hazard Pay 02/22/21 Irene Danysh DESC 02/22/21 Adelle Comfort Eagle Landing Park 02/22/21 Sandra Gomez Eagle Landing Park 02/22/21 Peter Hartley Airplane Noise 02/22/21 Brett Turrell Fare Share Wage 02/22/21 James Peterson City Code 02/23/21 Nancy Kick & Sarah Moore (2) KCSO Contract 02/23/21 Ann Stout DESC 02/23/21 Kim Brighton (1) Environment 02/23/21 Chestine Edgar DESC 02/23/21 Kim Brighton (2) Environment 02/23/21 Kim Brighton (3) Environment 02/24/21 Kim Brighton (4) Environment Heather Dumlao
From: Burien People Power
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Burien. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and have verified the contents are safe.
Dear Burien City Council,
Some of you have floated the idea of ending our city’s police contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office. We strongly assert that now is the wrong time for this conversation. We don't know what kinds of changes are coming to the sheriff’s office based on the recent voter approval of Charter Amendments 5 and 6, but we anticipate new leadership with more oversight and accountability.
As I’m sure you are aware, the King County Council has begun developing a process by which changes will be identified and implemented. At the February 2nd Law & Justice Committee Meeting, CM Zahilay indicated that the timeline would be aggressive and that they expect at minimum to have information about the duties of the Office to share with candidates during the recruitment of a new Sheriff.
The public has been demanding more police accountability and more alternatives to armed responses. We expect to see both of these outcomes in the restructures that come with the new charter amendments. We don’t know in detail what KCSO will have to offer in a year, and we are guardedly optimistic that it will be an improvement.
Burien would be better served to spend the next year trying to learn what our Residents want in terms of public safety and policing. Perhaps we could form a temporary working group, or “task force” in order to:
1. 2. Work 3. with Community to develop an outline of what we want out of our police, similar to the suggestions proposed by DM Marx in the fall of 2020 4. 5. 6. Follow 7. the KC Council’s process, identifying opportunities to advocate for the policies and programs the people of Burien are asking for. Several of you regularly express feeling rushed into decisions. This is a natural inflection point to pause, study, and form 8. a plan based on data and public input. 9.
1 As a contract city, we have an opportunity to get involved and direct our efforts toward making improvements to what we have, rather than splitting off now to recreate the wheel.
Further, let’s talk about the proposed partnership. While Burien and SeaTac’s residents have a lot in common, it is clear to us that SeaTac’s council is absolutely not representative of their community members. When looking at maps of regional efforts in South King County to address issues important to Burien residents, there is often a big hole where SeaTac is, meaning they aren’t participating in current efforts.
According to election data, more than 61% of Burien voters approved of Charter Amendment 6. There is clearly popular will for changing how policing is done in KC. Let’s do the smart thing and join the regional effort to look at policing rather than siloing ourselves or choosing an unworthy partner out of convenience.
Please hold off on the idea of spending time, energy and resources in this area until our King County Council has had an opportunity to act. Please put your efforts into building something better for our entire County.
With gratitude for your service to our city,
Nancy Kick & Sarah Moore Co-Chairs, ACLU Burien People Power
‐‐ ‐‐
Please Like us on Facebook!
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2 Heather Dumlao
From: Derek N
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Burien. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and have verified the contents are safe.
Hi,
Thank you for passing hazard pay for grocery store workers during the pandemic.
As a resident of Burien I wanted to express my support of this hazard pay. I have relied on these employees and in turn I appreciate that there is recognition of grocery employees needs and functions during this ongoing challenge.
There is much I could say, but the fact that the hazard pay has been passed allows me to hold back my full opinion at this time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this message. Have a great day!
Respectfully, Derek Nanninga [email protected]
3 Heather Dumlao
From: Nancy Tosta Sent: Friday, February 19, 2021 3:31 PM To: Burien People Power; Public - Council Inbox Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Re: CTTC - Burien's Police Contract with KCSO
Hi Nancy and Sarah ‐
Thanks as always for writing to Council. As you know, I am the Councilmember who asked that we reconsider our contract with the KCSO. As you also know, this is probably the 4th or 5th time I've made this request over the last eight years. Our KCSO contract makes up more than half of our city budget (~52%) and increases every year at a rate faster than our revenues increase. Periodically, in the past, we have examined policing options, the last report having been written in 2011. Given the impact of the KSCO contract on our city budget and our inability to manage the cost increases in any sustainable way, I believe our fiduciary responsibilities as Councilmembers require us to examine alternatives. The City of SeaTac's decision to do the same offers us some potential options in negotiations and shared expenses in examining alternatives.
I understand that you don't trust the motives of the SeaTac City Council in terminating their contract. I would encourage you to consider that they too may have economic reasons to examine their contracts (they have been examining all contracts for several years now after finding themselves with significant budget shortfalls a few years back). KCSO contract language requires nearly two years before termination can take place, so a vote to terminate opens a window for consideration of options and negotiations.
Four members of our Council voted to bring this topic up for consideration at a future meeting. Examining the costs and services of our KSCO contract is a topic we have heard loud support for over the years from many, many community members. We all recognize the burden that this contract places on our city finances. How we might go about considering alternatives remains to be seen.
I am happy to discuss further if you'd like.
Best, Nancy Tosta Burien City Councilmember 206.886.5591
From: Burien People Power
4 CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Burien. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and have verified the contents are safe. Dear Burien City Council,
Some of you have floated the idea of ending our city’s police contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office. We strongly assert that now is the wrong time for this conversation. We don't know what kinds of changes are coming to the sheriff’s office based on the recent voter approval of Charter Amendments 5 and 6, but we anticipate new leadership with more oversight and accountability.
As I’m sure you are aware, the King County Council has begun developing a process by which changes will be identified and implemented. At the February 2nd Law & Justice Committee Meeting, CM Zahilay indicated that the timeline would be aggressive and that they expect at minimum to have information about the duties of the Office to share with candidates during the recruitment of a new Sheriff.
The public has been demanding more police accountability and more alternatives to armed responses. We expect to see both of these outcomes in the restructures that come with the new charter amendments. We don’t know in detail what KCSO will have to offer in a year, and we are guardedly optimistic that it will be an improvement.
Burien would be better served to spend the next year trying to learn what our Residents want in terms of public safety and policing. Perhaps we could form a temporary working group, or “task force” in order to:
1. 2. Work 3. with Community to develop an outline of what we want out of our police, similar to the suggestions proposed by DM Marx in the fall of 2020 4. 5. 6. Follow 7. the KC Council’s process, identifying opportunities to advocate for the policies and programs the people of Burien are asking for. Several of you regularly express feeling rushed into decisions. This is a natural inflection point to pause, study, and form 8. a plan based on data and public input. 9.
As a contract city, we have an opportunity to get involved and direct our efforts toward making improvements to what we have, rather than splitting off now to recreate the wheel.
Further, let’s talk about the proposed partnership. While Burien and SeaTac’s residents have a lot in common, it is clear to us that SeaTac’s council is absolutely not representative of their community members. When looking at maps of regional efforts in South King County to address issues important to Burien residents, there is often a big hole where SeaTac is, meaning they aren’t participating in current efforts.
According to election data, more than 61% of Burien voters approved of Charter Amendment 6. There is clearly popular will for changing how policing is done in KC. Let’s do the smart thing and join the regional effort to look at policing rather than siloing ourselves or choosing an unworthy partner out of convenience. 5
Please hold off on the idea of spending time, energy and resources in this area until our King County Council has had an opportunity to act. Please put your efforts into building something better for our entire County.
With gratitude for your service to our city,
Nancy Kick & Sarah Moore Co-Chairs, ACLU Burien People Power
‐‐ ‐‐
Please Like us on Facebook!
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
6 Heather Dumlao
From: Irene Danysh
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Dear Members of the City Council, I'd like to add my voice to those who very much support the news that DESC will be building 95 units of permanent supportive housing in downtown Burien for homeless and disabled residents, and am also proud of the fact that this project is part of Burien's innovative Housing Demonstration Program.
For one, I understand from a Burien resident who worked for DESC for some years that it's a truly excellent organization doing genuine thoughtful, strategic and vital work with our homeless neighbors.
Why do I support this project, considering that people will be complaining, out of fear of others, that we will have suddenly a large number of folks downtown who have "issues" in their lives?
For one, I'll be rejoicing that people who very much need housing, medical support, safety, community, and stability, will be getting it. What a wonderful feeling!
For another, I'll be once again proud of Burien for being a responsible city, with responsible leadership.
Why responsible? Because our society is still lacking in equal opportunity, good education for all, policies that insure equity and inclusion, and sufficient safety nets.
Given the lack of a level playing field in our society, people are too easily caught up in our mass incarceration system, unworkable responses to the health crisis of substance use disorders, and are just plain penalized for being poor.
We as the city of Burien and as a society need to take responsibility for the system we have, which produces both opportunity and injustice.
We need to care for those who have experienced the harsh side of our system, at the same time that we work positively and urgently to improve our policies and systems so that more and more people will have the opportunities in life that every person in the U.S. wants and deserves.
We can't turn a blind eye to people, as if they don't exist.
Thank you for being responsible leaders.
Sincerely, Irene Danysh
7 Heather Dumlao
From: Adelle Comfort
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Please re-open the stairs to Eagle Landing Park for access to the beach. For a few years I enjoyed those stairs for observing nature and getting exercise with a girlfriend, usually 3 times per week.
We are paying taxes for Eagle Landing Park that needs to include access to the beach. Seahurst beach doesn’t need stairs to access the beach, however Eagle Landing does need stairs to help us reach the beach, so they need to be open to us. We don’t get to see the Eagles from the dense woods. We need access to the beach to be able to enjoy the Eagles. After all, it is called Eagle Landing Park.
The concerns and objections of a few can all be addressed with the proper commitment.
Also, please continue to make sure that street water is managed in such a manner that it will not erode and endanger OUR property leading to another catastrophe that closed the park and the stairs to begin with.
Thank you.
Adelle Comfort 14810 16th Ave SW Burien, WA 98166
8 Heather Dumlao
From: Sandra Gomez
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Please repair and open the stairs at Eagles Landing. I have walked these stairs for exercise for years and really need to get back at being healthy and
Respectfully
Sandra Gomez Im a resident since 1986
9 Heather Dumlao
From: Peter Hartley
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Dear Council Members,
I live at 2710 SW 156th St, Burien, WA 98166. I'm writing in regards to increased flight traffic over my house. Here is a partial list of flights over my house that occurred in the last week.
This has been an issue for several years now. I'm hoping that by bringing this to your attention, it will spur greater action to resist recent changes to flight patterns that have harmed our community.
Thank you,
- Peter Hartley
February 15, 2021
Complaint Dist Time Airport Operation Aircraft Operator Callsign Altitude Type (mi)
10:06 Airbus A321 Virgin Commercial KSEA Arrival ASA1243 0.62 3605 am 253NSL America
February 16, 2021
Complaint Dist Time Airport Operation Aircraft Operator Callsign Altitude Type (mi)
11:15 General 1991 CESSNA FEDERAL EXPRESS KSEA Departure CFS100 1.47 2905 am Aviation 208B CORPORATION...
04:59 General Beech C‐12V KSEA Unknown United States Army R50091 0.5 5030 pm Aviation Huron
February 17, 2021
10 Complaint Dist Time Airport Operation Aircraft Operator Callsign Altitude Type (mi)
06:24 BOMBARDIER INC DHC‐ Horizon Commercial KSEA Departure QXE2299 0.39 3020 pm 8‐402 Air
February 18, 2021
Complaint Dist Time Airport Operation Aircraft Operator Callsign Altitude Type (mi)
04:07 BOMBARDIER INC DHC‐ Horizon Commercial KSEA Departure QXE2490 0.88 4009 pm 8‐402 Air
11 Heather Dumlao
From: brett turrell
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Hello Burien City Council,
I'd like the Council to consider adopting the Seattle Fare Share Wage ordinance for Burien.
This ordinance went into effect January 1, 2021 and it insures all Transportation Network Company (TNC) drivers, Uber/Lyft et. al., are paid a fair wage, guarantees that drivers are paid for all of their working time, compensates drivers for work-related expenses and some benefits, and protects drivers from unlawful deductions. Here is a link from Mayor Durkan's office outlining the ordinance: Minimum Compensation Established by Fare Share Wage Ordinance in effect as of January 2021 - Office of the Mayor
Minimum Compensation Established by Fare Share Wage Ordinance in effect ... SEATTLE (January 4, 2021) – On January 1, 2021, the minimum compensation requirements established by Seattle’s F...
What is the process for getting this on the Council's agenda? Does it go through a committee first?
Please let me know how the process works and/or whom to contact for further instructions.
Thanks, Brett Turrell 828 SW 139th Burien, WA 98166
12 Heather Dumlao
From: Jim Peterson
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Hello,
Is there a city ordinance or other city rule that restricts single family home owners from parking vehicles on their front lawns?
We reside in a small single family residence neighborhood off 1st Ave S consisting of five single family homes. The newest home owner, from last October has five active vehicles parking on the grass, gravel and cement areas each day. During social gatherings, there have been up to nine vehicles parked on the property on multiple occasions. The home is a four bedroom, 2,100 sq foot home.
I’d appreciate receiving information on any Burien code or law that prohibits such activity. I look forward to hearing back with information at your first opportunity.
Thank you much,
James Peterson 206‐397‐9919
13 Heather Dumlao
From: Burien People Power
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Thanks for your response, Councilmember Tosta.
The point of our email is about the practicality of taking action at a moment when we know changes are coming. Changes that may well improve and expand the services we receive. We are asking Burien’s leaders to give King County Council time to develop their plan so that Burien can make a decision based on current, relevant information. We object to the Council spending your limited time and Burien’s valuable resources in this area right now, before we have a clear picture of what we are rejecting.
We agree that Burien spends too large a percentage of our budget on our current KCSO contract. To us, that is a fact not in dispute. Before passage of the Charter Amendments, primarily #6 which allows KCSO’s duties to be altered, we would have supported looking into our options with regard to policing, and depending on the outcome, we may again. But until then, we support waiting to see what King County does with their new directive.
Your reply to our letter suggests that we are acting from an un-founded distrust of SeaTac’s council. To be clear, we would oppose this step at this time regardless of the stated potential partner. However, because SeaTac was mentioned by name, we felt it necessary to state we do not believe they are a good fit. Convenience and proximity are not good enough reasons to form a partnership.
Nancy & Sarah
On Fri, Feb 19, 2021 at 3:30 PM Nancy Tosta
Thanks as always for writing to Council. As you know, I am the Councilmember who asked that we reconsider our contract with the KCSO. As you also know, this is probably the 4th or 5th time I've made this request over the last eight years. Our KCSO contract makes up more than half of our city budget (~52%) and increases every year at a rate faster than our revenues increase. Periodically, in the past, we have examined policing options, the last report having been written in 2011. Given the impact of the KSCO contract on our city budget and our inability to manage the cost increases in any sustainable way, I believe our fiduciary responsibilities as Councilmembers require us to examine alternatives. The City of SeaTac's decision to do the same offers us some potential options in negotiations and shared expenses in examining alternatives.
14 I understand that you don't trust the motives of the SeaTac City Council in terminating their contract. I would encourage you to consider that they too may have economic reasons to examine their contracts (they have been examining all contracts for several years now after finding themselves with significant budget shortfalls a few years back). KCSO contract language requires nearly two years before termination can take place, so a vote to terminate opens a window for consideration of options and negotiations.
Four members of our Council voted to bring this topic up for consideration at a future meeting. Examining the costs and services of our KSCO contract is a topic we have heard loud support for over the years from many, many community members. We all recognize the burden that this contract places on our city finances. How we might go about considering alternatives remains to be seen.
I am happy to discuss further if you'd like.
Best, Nancy Tosta Burien City Councilmember 206.886.5591
From: Burien People Power
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Burien. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and have verified the contents are safe.
Dear Burien City Council,
Some of you have floated the idea of ending our city’s police contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office. We strongly assert that now is the wrong time for this conversation. We don't know what kinds of changes are coming to the sheriff’s office based on the recent voter approval of Charter Amendments 5 and 6, but we anticipate new leadership with more oversight and accountability.
As I’m sure you are aware, the King County Council has begun developing a process by which changes will be identified and implemented. At the February 2nd Law & Justice Committee Meeting, CM Zahilay indicated that the timeline would be aggressive and that they expect at minimum to have information about the duties of the Office to share with candidates during the recruitment of a new Sheriff.
The public has been demanding more police accountability and more alternatives to armed responses. We expect to see both of these outcomes in the restructures that come with the new charter amendments. We don’t know in detail what KCSO will have to offer in a year, and we are guardedly optimistic that it will be an improvement.
15 Burien would be better served to spend the next year trying to learn what our Residents want in terms of public safety and policing. Perhaps we could form a temporary working group, or “task force” in order to: 1. Work with Community to develop an outline of what we want out of our police, similar to the suggestions proposed by DM Marx in the fall of 2020 2. Follow the KC Council’s process, identifying opportunities to advocate for the policies and programs the people of Burien are asking for. Several of you regularly express feeling rushed into decisions. This is a natural inflection point to pause, study, and form a plan based on data and public input.
As a contract city, we have an opportunity to get involved and direct our efforts toward making improvements to what we have, rather than splitting off now to recreate the wheel.
Further, let’s talk about the proposed partnership. While Burien and SeaTac’s residents have a lot in common, it is clear to us that SeaTac’s council is absolutely not representative of their community members. When looking at maps of regional efforts in South King County to address issues important to Burien residents, there is often a big hole where SeaTac is, meaning they aren’t participating in current efforts.
According to election data, more than 61% of Burien voters approved of Charter Amendment 6. There is clearly popular will for changing how policing is done in KC. Let’s do the smart thing and join the regional effort to look at policing rather than siloing ourselves or choosing an unworthy partner out of convenience.
Please hold off on the idea of spending time, energy and resources in this area until our King County Council has had an opportunity to act. Please put your efforts into building something better for our entire County.
With gratitude for your service to our city,
Nancy Kick & Sarah Moore Co-Chairs, ACLU Burien People Power
‐‐ ‐‐
Please Like us on Facebook!
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17 Heather Dumlao
From: Ann STOUT
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It is my understanding that the Burien City Council will be discussing the DESC Affordable Housing Development tonight. As a resident of Burien for over 30 years I have two concerns that I’d like the council to consider.
The project plans to build 95 units. That seems way too big for Burien. I did a cursory look at apartment size in our community and most of the bigger developments are around 50 units.
I am also concerned about the location. This development will be in the heart of an area that has undergone a beautiful regentrification over the past decade. I worry that this development will not add to the progress Burien has made in this section.
Thank you,
Ann Stout 206 498 4727
Sent from my iPhone
18 Heather Dumlao
From: Rick and Kim Brighton
20 Subject: CTTC - King County Shocks the World
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Hello, I am a constituent of yours. I have been actively participating in public testimonies, town halls, news interviews, public community groups, and councils. I have reached a point where it doesn’t matter what we as your constituents say. It is with great regret that I must resort to sending this type of message to you. People are suffering. Our environment is suffering. Yet government doesn’t listen. How many more voices must you hear from? What will it take for people and the environment to be safe?
I am writing to you to make a choice. Please review the Protect and Restore Cedar River Canyon Project 501c3 nonprofit at www.protectcrc.org. This nonprofit is waiting to partner with you. It has come to our attention there has been intentions for funding our research. However we have not been contacted and the research was intended for WTE at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. It is with great disappointment to learn King County doesn’t consider this a significant risk to the Cedar River Canyon, its residents, and surrounding environment. Instead you are going around us to find information to continue operations at CHRL. The proposed Lakeside Asphalt Plant down the road next to Cedar River continues to generate public comments, organizing, fundraising for attorneys, and it appears the permit will be approved. This is a public and environmental health crisis in our county and state. How many more people do you need to hear from before you will act to make us safe and our planet safe?
I have written a solution to this crisis that is happening here and around the world. I sent it to news sources and didn’t receive a response. Why you ask? Because they don’t know what the public knows. This is an opportunity to not only do the right thing, but to do what is safe. You have yet to act upon rural unincorporated King County public comments. It is time to act. What will the story be after the title of this message? Will it be to make people and our planet come first? It is collectively our best solution.
I am sending another message to news sources to reveal my correspondence with the Solid Waste Division. It will contain a new Public Record Request along with supporting resources regarding past and current activities at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. It will be up to you to decide how you want to address the outcome.
I hope the next time I need to write you, it will be to congratulate you for acting on public comments.
Sincerely, Kim Brighton
21 Heather Dumlao
From: chestine edgar <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 5:08 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected]; Megan Gregor; Heather Dumlao; Public - Council Inbox; Jimmy Matta; Nancy Tosta; Kevin Schilling; Sofia Aragon; Cydney Moore; Pedro Olguin Cc: Brian Wilson; Garmon Newsom II Subject: CTTC - DESC meeting-my comments to be included
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Burien. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and have verified the contents are safe.
Please place this letter in Correspondence to the Council
To the Burien City Council
To‐ https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=vB53CSz_xEqSaWypkWwSvy9NQAZbz2RJq8k7clT_EOJUMDdUU TNKSDNaS1A4S1VRRldYV0g2STlWMS4u [email protected] [email protected] ‐Daniel Malone, Executive Director
RE‐Feb. 23, 2021 meeting in Burien about the proposed DESC Supportive Housing in Burien
To DESC and the Burien City council;
About your announced purpose for coming to the Burien Downtown Core‐This meeting that you are holding tonight was billed as something that Burien needs in its downtown core because of the number of homeless people that Burien has currently residing in it. I disagree with DESC’s claim on this issue. Frequently, Burien residents have been and are told by a couple of members that Burien has certain needs, specific conditions, over all community support and desires and exaggerated conditions that it really does not have. I have written to the council on many occasions about these fabrication, exaggeration and false facts that some council member have put out to the public and I have asked that these false council communications end. In spite of that, again we have you coming to us about this plan of yours to put your shelter in the core of our Burien downtown.
Some examples of these kinds of these historical false and exaggerated claims have been‐
1. Seattle Mary’s Place was told by two council members that the city of Burien had 1,200 homeless school children residing in it. This was a flat out falsehood. The Highline School District which consists of the cities; Kent, SeaTac, Normandy Park, DesMoines, Burien and unincorporated King County (6 separate entities in southwest KC) had 1,200 homeless children but Burien did not have 1,200 children residing in it. Burien has never had 1,200 homeless child in any given year. However, Seattle Mary’s Place then used this false information to put a shelter in Burien that brings in 214+ homeless people into Burien every 90 days. The bulk of homeless are not from Burien but are rather are from Seattle, King County, other parts of the State and from out of State but Burien residents are now paying for the supportive services that this facility requires. And during the time that Mary’s Place applied for a change to the Comp. Plan Land Use Map‐2018, Mary’s Place and the City of Burien concealed who was the real owner and sponsors of this land purchase. As it finally turned out, the State of Washington (the State grant dollars were hidden from the Burien public) was a major contributor to the purchase of the land. Even before the land was purchased, the county executive secretly promised Mary’s Place money to come to Burien. So Mary’s Place was not put in Burien because of a need of Burien and
22 its residents but as part of a political maneuver by the county and the State and Mary’s Place to dump homeless into Burien. As Mary’s Place put in the title to its grant application, to make “Burien the Homeless Hub for Southwest King County”. Burien residents were not informed of this grant title and they certainly did not want that designation for their city.
2. The same council members have also been involved in ploys to announce and do outreaches for ESFs to come to Burien, to push for expanded ADUs in the residential parts of Burien (ADUs that Dow C. refuses to put in his own backyard and on his single family residential lots), eliminating protections for critic areas to build tiny shack house on these lands and now this claim that Burien needs a shelter like yours in the core of our downtown that we are trying to encourage economic development and recovery in‐for a size of homeless population that the “one night counts” do not identify or justify as being in Burien. For that reason, I am opposed to your proposed planned housing project and so are many other Burien residents.
3. Additionally, these council members made false claims about the amount of low income affordable housing Burien had‐repeatedly and constantly at council meetings and on their Facebook pages.
The DESC History‐ Your claim is that DESC has been doing this kind of work for 42 years as a non‐profit. Aside from the failed sheltering model in Renton, WA. at the Red Lion Hotel (done at the contracting with the King County council and the County Executive) DESC has focused its sheltering and services on Seattle. Seattle still desperately needs these DESC resources and services because of the thousands of homeless that are still out on the streets of Seattle. So it raises the question as to why DESC is now foraging/branching out into Burien. And why Burien (because than many of the surrounding neighboring cities and unincorporated KC have much higher needs) for a homeless shelter? And who of the KC and Burien politicians has been feeding DESC false information about population numbers, location desirability and Burien residents’ desires to be housed near to a DESC shelter? The proposed location for this shelter is in close proximately to residential properties and close to vulnerable populations, so who suggested and directed DESC to this proposed location? What will this shelter site do to improve and benefit Burien? Who will be paying for the very increased supportive services this DESC shelter will need‐police, fire, emergency services? Typically, resident property owners get saddled with the costs and that has been true of the reports about the Seattle shelters DESC owns or operates. Burien is a very resources poor community so where will the extra dollars to support DESC and it clients come from?
And while DESC has been operating since 1979(according to its website), Housing First as a notion didn’t come into being until 1988‐and it wasn’t highly embraced as a model at that point in time. So DESC has not been following Housing First as its model since 1979. For those of us who have followed highly effective homelessness models such as the ones the State of Utah has built and operates, the first rule of thumb is not to place a homeless housing unit in the location such as DESC has selected in Burien. Housing and shelters of this nature belong in semi commercial and commercial‐industrial areas of a city that are not immediately adjacent to residential housing. They should not be placed in locations that cities are trying to economically develop for shopping, restaurant and family uses. I could see a shelter of this nature over by the new Suburban Sewer District offices but not in Burien’s downtown core. I quote Lloyd Pendleton/retired Director of Utah State’s Homelessness Project/Department. Lloyd and I had several conversations on where such shelters are best placed.
The DESC shelters I have observed in Seattle continue to have community, police and emergency service problems because the sites for those shelters have required extra community supportive services due to the violence and substance issues that have spilled out onto the streets, the public and other DESC residents being endangered and injured. Contrary to your propaganda and organization self‐promotion, DESC has not met its goals and numbers for a number of its sites, has expounded some very strange philosophies about how to help people with substance abuse, has not provided adequate supervision to a number of its clients and has vastly exhausted supportive services for the locations the shelter/housing sites in Seattle and Renton. I don’t see DESC as an exception leader but rather one of the only “homeless housing shows in Seattle”‐a city in a county that has handled homelessness very poorly for a very long time. Burien doesn’t need that.
23 Experiences and media articles have left me and a number of my Burien neighbors unimpressed with DESC‐
1. The DESC Renton Red Lion site lack of client supervision, lack of appropriate planning, increased crime rates in the site location area, need for increased policing and the real health and safety issues for residents at that site.
2. The DESC policy for alleged substance abuse treatment by encouraging increased anal drug use‐Heroin‐ by residents‐ called booty bumping. Paid for with taxpayer dollars. Shame on DESC and Mr. Malone. https://mynorthwest.com/2593799/rantz‐seattle‐shelter‐city‐fund‐heroin‐pipes‐injection/
3. The exterior condition of some of the DESC sites with crime, violence and substances spilling out into the public streets.
4. The DESC representations and conditions exposed in a recent video production titled “Fight For the Soul of Seattle”.
Based on these observations, I am opposed to the DESC shelter in the downtown Burien. And for that reason, I am writing to DESC and expressing my opposition.
This DESC shelter will be located in the heart of Burien, two blocks from Merrill Gardens, Town Center, The Maverick and our business district.
On the heels of our Burien businesses being decimated from COVID, the last thing we need is a transitional & permanent homeless housing unit in the heart of Burien.
This Burien council LACKS leadership to take care of crime now; ask yourself, will this DESC project help Burien? Will this decrease our crime? Will Burien retain its family friendly core? Is this an appropriate location? Not according to successful homelessness experts.
Will this help to promote the economic development that Burien desperately needs to be a sustainable city?
Respectfully,
Dr.C.Edgar
**************************** https://tinyurl.com/3ph78qqo
24 To help protect you r priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. May be an image of one or more people and text that says 'homeless shelter buys heroin pipes with city funds, teaches rectal injection method BY JA SO N RA NTZ FEBRUA RY 21, 2021 A T 4:58 PM 1/3 New at the Nav!!! booty bumping kits New at the Nav: Heroin pipes -good choice ifyour veins are hard hit less risk infection and abscesses less damage sk in and v eins -doesn't leav e rack s Smoking lower-risk alternative to injection. Givel ita try! You stems k inds glass bubbles, managers LN Brendan A sk the front desk for kits o:) and more info:)'
25 Heather Dumlao
From: Rick and Kim Brighton
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Burien. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and have verified the contents are safe.
Hello,
26 I am a constituent of yours. I have been actively participating in public testimonies, town halls, news interviews, public community groups, and councils. I have reached a point where it doesn’t matter what we as your constituents say. It is with great regret that I must resort to sending this type of message to you. People are suffering. Our environment is suffering. Yet government doesn’t listen. How many more voices must you hear from? What will it take for people and the environment to be safe?
I am writing to you to make a choice. Please review the Protect and Restore Cedar River Canyon Project 501c3 nonprofit at www.protectcrc.org. This nonprofit is waiting to partner with you. It has come to our attention there has been intentions for funding our research. However we have not been contacted and the research was intended for WTE at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. It is with great disappointment to learn King County doesn’t consider this a significant risk to the Cedar River Canyon, its residents, and surrounding environment. Instead you are going around us to find information to continue operations at CHRL. The proposed Lakeside Asphalt Plant down the road next to Cedar River continues to generate public comments, organizing, fundraising for attorneys, and it appears the permit will be approved. This is a public and environmental health crisis in our county and state. How many more people do you need to hear from before you will act to make us safe and our planet safe?
I have written a solution to this crisis that is happening here and around the world. I sent it to news sources and didn’t receive a response. Why you ask? Because they don’t know what the public knows. This is an opportunity to not only do the right thing, but to do what is safe. You have yet to act upon rural unincorporated King County public comments. It is time to act. What will the story be after the title of this message? Will it be to make people and our planet come first? It is collectively our best solution.
I am sending another message to news sources to reveal my correspondence with the Solid Waste Division. It will contain a new Public Record Request along with supporting resources regarding past and current activities at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. It will be up to you to decide how you want to address the outcome.
I hope the next time I need to write you, it will be to congratulate you for acting on public comments.
Sincerely, Kim Brighton
27 Heather Dumlao
From: Janet Dobrowolski
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Burien. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and have verified the contents are safe.
Hello,
28 I am a constituent of yours. I have been actively participating in public testimonies, town halls, news interviews, public community groups, and councils. I have reached a point where it doesn’t matter what we as your constituents say. It is with great regret that I must resort to sending this type of message to you. People are suffering. Our environment is suffering. Yet government doesn’t listen. How many more voices must you hear from? What will it take for people and the environment to be safe?
I am writing to you to make a choice. Please review the Protect and Restore Cedar River Canyon Project 501c3 nonprofit at www.protectcrc.org. This nonprofit is waiting to partner with you. It has come to our attention there has been intentions for funding our research. However we have not been contacted and the research was intended for WTE at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. It is with great disappointment to learn King County doesn’t consider this a significant risk to the Cedar River Canyon, its residents, and surrounding environment. Instead you are going around us to find information to continue operations at CHRL. The proposed Lakeside Asphalt Plant down the road next to Cedar River continues to generate public comments, organizing, fundraising for attorneys, and it appears the permit will be approved. This is a public and environmental health crisis in our county and state. How many more people do you need to hear from before you will act to make us safe and our planet safe?
I have written a solution to this crisis that is happening here and around the world. I sent it to news sources and didn’t receive a response. Why you ask? Because they don’t know what the public knows. This is an opportunity to not only do the right thing, but to do what is safe. You have yet to act upon rural unincorporated King County public comments. It is time to act. What will the story be after the title of this message? Will it be to make people and our planet come first? It is collectively our best solution.
I am sending another message to news sources to reveal my correspondence with the Solid Waste Division. It will contain a new Public Record Request along with supporting resources regarding past and current activities at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. It will be up to you to decide how you want to address the outcome.
I hope the next time I need to write you, it will be to congratulate you for acting on public comments.
Sincerely,
Kim Brighton
29 Heather Dumlao
From: Protect Cedar River Canyon
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Burien. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and have verified the contents are safe.
30 Hi Glynda Steiner, Deputy Director King County Solid Waste Division
I am cc’ing our news sources, King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Council Members, State and King County Public Health, Kathy Strange, Rick Hess, Carole Cenci, Ralph Munoz, John Dawson, Rick Woodfork of Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Washington State leaders, Governor Jay Inslee, our King County Cities, our Department of Ecology, our EPA representatives, Greater Maple Valley Unincorporated Area Council, and Save Cedar River nonprofit (www.savethecedarriver.org) to provide a greater awareness of significant toxic air impacts.
This is an official public records request for all Cedar Hills Regional Landfill daily activity logs from October 2020 through March 2021. I am hopeful this request will be completed asap. Respond to everyone cc’d on this request. It is with great regret that I must resort to sending this email. This is not what I wanted to have happen. I had hoped King County would have listened to its constituents. It has reached a point where I can’t be silent any longer.
This email thread originated on December 30, 2020 regarding health impacts from King County owned and operated Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. Please start at the bottom and work your way up for a complete dialog.
Glynda I have written to you frequently the past year about the lack of support from upper management to identify and prevent continuous cumulative toxic air from trespassing to residents and the properties surrounding Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. You continue to state there are no significant odors detected that impact residents. In reading your conclusion for my health impacting landfill odor complaint on Dec. 20, 2020, I would like to bring to your attention the following:
These were levels ~45min after I called the Roads Department
The methane level was most likely higher at the height of the incident vs. much later, when the fugitive gas had the opportunity to be carried off and/or dispersed.
Note the methane detection device used did not identify all gases, aerosols, vapors, effluents, toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with a compilation of all combined toxic chemicals.
See attachment “RE: Odor complaint 12.29.20 KC:0256000020” email from SWD for my health impact complaint on 12‐29‐30. You have methane ppm measurements of 8.1, 5.7, 3.8, 8.4, 5, and 4.6 at MY address.
With every second, minute, hour of each day that goes by, you are allowing air, water, soil, and all life forms to become contaminated by highly toxic chemical effluents with your waste handling procedures and processes. There is no time. Wrongs need to be righted now.
Many have been suffering for more than 50 years and will continue to suffer if there is no purpose in changing how decisions are made. It will be in every person’s best interest to act in a better way that will protect and restore public health and safety and the environment. We can only get better from here. I would like to thank you in advance for listening to me and helping me to make a difference here in Washington State and King County that will change lives for the better. 31
I have included information I have sent to King County and Washington State officials about myself and how the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill has impacted my life living next door to it for 32 years. I’m also including an academic study on how landfills affect the air and cause harm to people and all living things. This is a matter that cannot be taken lightly. Landfilling must stop to reduce chronic disease, illness, auto immune disorders, cancer, and risk of death.
Our health is compromised by landfill Toxic Volatile Organic Chemicals and must be included in our health care providers work to heal people.
Attachments for supporting reference and information:
FW: Sexual Assault Awareness Month Presentation 6‐6‐2019 email from me to KC Council, Executive, WA legislature, and Governor Jay Inslee CHRL leachate ponds 4‐5‐2019.jpg photo I took during the 4‐5‐2019 landfill tour North candle stick flare 6‐28‐19.jpg photo I took during 6‐28‐19 landfill tour 2020 Draft EIS CHRL scoping comments Kim Brighton 11‐6‐20.pdf 2020 Draft EIS CHRL Site Development Plan and Facility Relocation Scoping Comments by the Greater Maple Valley Unincorporated Area Council. I am a member of the GMVUAC environment committee. http://gmvuac.org/wp/wp‐content/uploads/2020/10/Comments‐Draft‐EIS‐CHRLF‐Site‐Dvmt‐Plan‐Oct‐20.pdf I am president of Protect Restore Cedar River Canyon 501c3 nonprofit, www.protectcrc.org (99+) (PDF) Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in leachates from municipal landfills | Jacek Czerwinski and Marzenna Dudzinska ‐ Academia.edu. A study proving how Toxic Volatile Organic Compounds from landfills impact everyone and everything. https://www.academia.edu/19253987/Persistent_Organic_Pollutants_POPs_in_leachates_from_municipal_land fills
For those cc’d on this email please contact me at [email protected] to help us move forward with our mission. If you are a governing department that represents public and environmental health in your mission statements, please act now to follow them.
P.S. Glynda can you please explain to everyone on this email how rainfall affects operations at the landfill? I just received a present from the landfill inside my home.
Sincerely,
Kim Brighton
President, Protect and Restore Cedar River Canyon Project, 501c3 nonprofit
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.protectcrc.org
32
From: Rick and Kim Brighton [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2021 5:03 PM To: 'Steiner, Glynda' Cc: 'McLaughlin, Pat'; 'Dunn, Reagan'; 'Rath, Tessa'; 'Barden, Scott'; 'Monteiro, Mark'; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 'Posielski, Aleks'; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Kim Brighton - Dec. 20 SWD ticket conclusion
Hi Glynda,
I have reflected on your response (shown below) to my Dec. 20, 2020 health impact from the landfill and found the majority of your response to be inadequate and severely deflecting blame to my horse farm. Rumor has it that you have stated the Brighton horse farm is a direct impact to what we are experiencing. I find this conclusion to be extremely false and negligent on your part. You state there are natural sources of methane at our residence. Are you stating this is from the western buffer’s methane problem behind our properties that required putting in a methane collection system with additional wells? Since the SWD has never provided this type of information directly to residents as it occurs, I am left to believe you are using a long term tactic to deflect significant impacts to other properties.
In our 1999 court case with the SWD and King County, it was found that the use of this tactic makes it difficult to confirm the source of significant impacts to residents and properties. That is why Cedar Grove Compost was included in the lawsuit. It is common practice for one to blame the other when both were at fault. You use this tactic when complaints are made to the Roads Division after hours and during business hours to deflect blame to Cedar Grove Compost. This is misleading the public with intent and extremely negligible on your part. Now you are deflecting blame on our farm for the increased methane your staff is reporting. Are you aware that methane doesn’t have an odor? Are you aware that horses don’t produce a significant amount of methane? Are you aware that you are falsely accusing our less than 5 acre farm to be a more significant public and environmental health impact than the 920 acre toxic pile of jello, air, water, soil, and environment that you manage? This is extremely negligent on your part and violates every core principle that our government is supposed to protect. I am not going to tolerate any further attempts to deflect your cumulative significant public and environmental health and safety impacts to others. This is your toxic creation and is your responsibility.
I will do everything in my power to raise awareness about how bad waste management operations and processes are in King County and Washington State and how the public and environments health and safety are being impacted. It is with a very heavy heart that I would even need to do this. I always thought our cities, counties, and state governing departments were protecting us when in reality they are not. I cannot imagine how people sleep at night knowing how dangerous this is and how far reaching the impacts are. It is far from an award winning system for others to follow. Please think twice before you make any further decisions that continue to significantly impact our air, water, soil, and this far reaching toxic crisis.
33 I look forward to being contacted and being given the opportunity to correct these wrongs. Our team consists of extremely knowledgeable public volunteers whose only interest is to be safe and protect our irreplaceable environment in the Northwest.
Respectfully,
Kim Brighton
President, Protect Restore Cedar River Canyon Project
From: Steiner, Glynda [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2020 11:06 AM To: Rick and Kim Brighton Cc: Taylor, Katherine (DNRP); McLaughlin, Pat; Rath, Tessa; Dunn, Reagan Subject: RE: Dec. 20 ticket - Kim Brighton
Hello Kim,
I regret there was a misunderstanding in how you wanted the Solid Waste Supervisor to follow up with you after you called in an odor complaint on December 20th. Tyler Fogelberg, the Solid Waste Supervisor on duty that evening, was notified by King County Roads you had called in an odor complaint at about 10:25 pm on December 20th. Tyler has documented he dispatched the landfill gas crew to your address and then called you to inform you the crew was on its way to investigate the reported odor. Tyler’s understanding from his conversation with you was you wanted a call back only if anything of concern was found. The landfill gas crew called Tyler at 11:15 pm with a report that no odor was detected and only a minor amount of methane (2.4 ppm) was measured near your address. Given this is a low concentration and there are natural sources of methane, Tyler concluded there was nothing of significance to report. We regret if this was the wrong assumption/understanding from your conversation.
In the future, we will ensure there is clear communication regarding whether you want to be called back, regardless of the findings, after we have completed an investigation.
As you know, the Solid Waste Division has increased our routine monitoring of your neighborhood to 4 times/day. We are monitoring for odors and measuring methane levels.
34 I would be happy to call you if you would like to discuss this odor complaint, ways the Solid Waste can improve its responsiveness, and discuss some ongoing efforts of the Solid Waste Division to identify and mitigate odors from the landfill.
Sincerely, Glynda
Glynda J. Steiner, P.E., CCM
Deputy Division Director
______
King County Solid Waste Division • Phone: 206.477.4555 • Cell: 206.799.5403
35 CTTC Attachment Filename: RE: Odor complaint 12.29.20 KC:0256000020
Heather Dumlao
From: King County Solid Waste
Good Morning,
Please see odor checks for CHLF and SE 155th Pl for 12.29.20.
Thank you,
King County Solid Waste Customer Service
Strength Date Time Wind odor Strength ppm SE 155th 12/29/2020 7:50am 1mph se Compost <2 8.1 PL SE 12/29/2020 2:40pm 1mph,s smoky 2 0 12/29/2020 9:15 PM SE 3 MPH NO ODOR N/A 5.7 12/30/2020 2:12 AM SE 1 MPH NO ODOR N/A 3.8 12/29/2020 7:47am 1mph se Compost <2 8.4
12/29/2020 2:45p 1mph, s none 0 0 12/29/2020 9:19 PM SE 3 MPH NO ODOR N/A 5 12/30/2020 2:15 AM SE 1 MPH NO ODOR N/A 4.6
Strength levels
MG=Migration Flare WP=West perimeter Rd. WB=West Buffer Rd.
CH4 Date Time Wind ppm 1mph 12/29/2020 7:02am 2.4 MG se
1 CTTC Attachment Filename: RE: Odor complaint 12.29.20 KC:0256000020 2:00 12/29/2020 1mph,s 0 MG PM 8:33 SE 3 12/29/2020 2.4 MG PM MPH 1:11 SE 1 12/30/2020 2.2 MG AM MPH 1mph 12/29/2020 7:03am 2.9 WP se WP 12/29/2020 2:10pm 1mph, s 0 8:35 SE 3 12/29/2020 2.5 WP PM MPH 1:13 SE 1 12/30/2020 2.2 WP AM MPH 1mph 12/29/2020 7:05am 7 WB se WB 12/29/2020 2:15 1mph s 0 8:38 SE 3 12/29/2020 3.2 WB PM MPH 1:17 SE 1 12/30/2020 4.8 WB AM MPH
2 CTTC Attachment Filename: FW: Sexual Assault Awareness Month Presentation
Heather Dumlao
From: Rick and Kim Brighton
From: Rick and Kim Brighton [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2019 5:00 PM To: 'Reagan Dunn'; 'Kathy Lambert'; 'Rod Dembowski'; 'Pete Von Reichbauer'; 'Claudia Balducci'; 'Joe McDermott'; 'Dave Upthegrove'; 'Jeanne Kohl-Welles'; 'Larry Gossett'; [email protected]; '[email protected]' Cc: 'Posielski, Aleks'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; 'Goff, Tom'; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]' Subject: Sexual Assault Awareness Month Presentation
Hi, this is Kim, Rick Brighton’s wife. You may have seen Rick’s posts about Cedar Hills Landfill or even me on the news the past few months. I did a public testimony at the WA King County Council regarding their final vote to expand the landfill. I wasn’t prepared for the sexual assault awareness month presentation prior to speaking. I was compelled to thank the council for their unanimous approval of this and need to share my personal story and speech with you. You can see it at the link provided (move video slider to time 1:31:12 to see me speak). http://king.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=7519
I am very grateful and thankful to have amazing trauma/PTSD support, learning to get my voice, heal, and be a survivor not a victim. My family, friends, and animals have helped me so much on this journey. I am very grateful for you too. Those that know me know the passion I have for being a voice for horses, animals, their owners, and preventing abuse. I’m learning it’s ok to be a voice for myself, heal, and that I’m not alone. There is help.
Why am I sharing this with everyone? I realized during my speech about the landfill, I am an advocate for myself, Rick, our home, animals, the safety and well-being of our neighbors, communities, and environment. I am showing strength and advocacy for that. While being compelled by the prior sexual assault presentation, I realized by the end of my scripted landfill speech there was a direct correlation about the abusive misuse and abuse of power. In the situation of the landfill it’s about money, corruption, and profits instead of looking at the environmental impact. Power is being taken away from me, my neighbors, everyone. I realized while the council made a just decision enabling the ability for a survivor of sexual trauma to feel free to come forward and get some justice and support, they on the flip side are disempowering everyone from this exposure. The toxic smells, aquifer water supply, ground stability and impacts to the environment. It is so important for our voices to be heard. Because there are times when being victimized you don’t realize you have a voice or that it is not safe to show that. Now I am realizing there is power within that. My empowerment is the butterfly. I’ve been in a holding pattern of a cocoon and am now transforming into a butterfly. During this transformation I speak authentically and will continue to be an advocate to make this right and safe for current and future generations to come as best I can. It is my hope this helps inspire, give hope, strength, and courage to others that you matter. You are loved.
With love, Kim Brighton 21105 SE 155th PL, Renton WA 98059 425-226-6943
1 CTTC Attachment Filename: FW: Sexual Assault Awareness Month Presentation
2 CTTC Attachment File Name: CHRL leachate ponds 4-5-2019 CTTC Attachment Filename: north candle stick flare 6-28-19 CTTC Attachment Filename: 2020 Draft EIS CHRL scoping comments Kim Brighton 11-6-20
Public Comment - Draft Environmental Impact Statement Cedar Hills Regional Landfill 2020 Site Development Plan and Facilities Relocation Deadline extended to 11-6-20
Date: November 6, 2020 To: Kinyan Lui, Project Manager [email protected] King County DNRP—Solid Waste Division [email protected] From: Kim Brighton, [email protected] (Maple Hills resident)
I have lived adjacent to the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill (the “Landfill”) since April 1989. Our home abuts a northwest portion of the Landfill’s existing 1,000 foot buffer.
My family and I have suffered debilitating consequences from King County’s continued operation and expansion of the Landfill. In the late 1990s the King County Superior Court appointed me as one of the class representatives for a class action lawsuit against the County concerning the Landfill. That lawsuit established that the County was negligent in the operation of the Landfill and as a result it was inflicting damages on thousands of area residents. The damages were caused by odors, birds, and noise, but for my family the most significant impact has been property damage resulting from vibrations caused by the County’s operation of the Landfill. The causes of the vibrations are many, including flare stack rumble and the operation of heavy equipment. Ultimately the County agreed to pay $16.5 million to the class of individuals damaged by the County’s continued operation of the Landfill.
Noise and Vibration
Acoustical vibrations damaged my home and a neighbor’s home (beginning /continuing at the same time), and caused health impacts beginning 4/23/18 as a direct result of equipment used at the landfill for a construction project by Scarcella. We suffered intense pressure in our head, ears, ear pain, and headaches. I could not leave my home. This was an inhumane experience to endure. These exceedances affected us, our dog and horses, devastating to our homes and property. Our horses and dog are dependent on us to protect them. They have more acute hearing and sense of smell than humans. I took video (showed to Scott Barden, Interim Operations Manager, and Pat McLaughlin). I was present at the time of testing at the property line*. The County’s sound consultant confirmed it would be a lot louder in my home and buildings, bouncing off of them**. The consultant stated sound travels in air molecules, called acoustical resonance. Vibrations experienced became worse when KC SWD changed the compaction mode to a lower frequency/level. This was reported to Scott Barden and Tom Creegan. Vibrations continued off and on throughout the construction project. KC Ombudsman Elizabeth Hill became involved with Glynda Steiner, KC SWD Deputy Director, as KC SWD was not being responsive in effectively mitigating the substantial impacts. Glynda visited my home to see the damage and said she could see there were impacts and could smell the odor on the road. Unfortunately, Ms. Hill ceased assistance. Damages were denied to me and my home due to KC SWD’s claims that seismic motions could have caused problems, not any of its work. However, the damages were not caused by natural seismic motions, with which we are familiar in this area and have experienced in the past. No mitigation measures were taken and KC SWD chose not do any studies to better understand the phenomena.
Page 1 of 5 CTTC Attachment Filename: 2020 Draft EIS CHRL scoping comments Kim Brighton 11-6-20
The Final EIS must include additional human health impacts from these types of vibrations.
The Final EIS must assess all known and expected vibration sources and how they reach and affect the public and wildlife.
The Final EIS must evaluate and discuss new harmonic studies including, but not limited to, general operations and existing or potential future equipment used at the landfill considering the various heights at which work is/will be performed; and harmonic vibrations as the cause from flare-stack rumbles, as identified in the 1999 lawsuit.
The statement below, provides no discussion whatsoever and is completely unacceptable. It goes so far as to say that CHRLF noise will continue yet theorizes that no impacts would occur.
“With implementation of mitigation measures described above, the communities surrounding the landfill would experience landfill noise for a longer period in the future under any of the action alternatives. However, no significant unavoidable adverse noise impacts should occur.”
This disregards the past history of complaints by surrounding neighborhoods and school districts over noise, vibrations, health issues, etc., who have had to endure the community and wildlife degenerating slow expansion of an almost two square-mile parcel of land.
The Final EIS should not include such empty statements as quoted above, but must discuss significant unavoidable noise impacts and their ramifications (for current and future operations). Further, the Final EIS must seriously address the concept of “nuisance,” as described in: RCW 7.48.120 – Nuisance defined. “Nuisance consists in unlawfully doing an act, or omitting to perform a duty, which act or omission either annoys, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of others, offends decency, or unlawfully interferes with, obstructs or tends to obstruct, or render dangerous for passage, any lake or navigable river, bay, stream, canal or basin, or any public park, square, street or highway; or in any way renders other persons insecure in life, or in the use of property.”
Human Health
In addition to the health impacts incurred from the long term acoustical vibrations, we also suffer from being consumed inside and outside our home with leachate and flare toxic air effluents from the landfill. I identified and experienced health impacts and odors during April 5, 2019, and June 28, 2019, landfill tours with CHRLF Assistant Operations Manager, Scott Barden, and CHRLF Engineer, Laura Belt (and Glynda Steiner, SWD Deputy Director, on the June 28, 2019, tour). Not only are the landfill refuse effluents bad, the NW Candlestick 24/7 migration flare off-gasses “poor quality” unregulated gas 24/7 into communities and cannot be stack-tested. The leachate pond effluents also travel into communities and are horrid. Breathing these significantly impacted my health. KC SWD was aware of the identified problems during these two tours. No formal response provided. Toxic leachate effluent travels in the wind into homes and properties. I verified timed aerators worsened health and safety impacts in and on my property. I made an impromptu visit to CHRLF leachate ponds with Scott Barden on 2/2/20. Scott
Page 2 of 5
CTTC Attachment Filename: 2020 Draft EIS CHRL scoping comments Kim Brighton 11-6-20
Barden verified leachate odors on my property were just as strong and impactful as at the CHRLF leachate ponds themselves. I requested KC SWD to cover the ponds years ago, yet related health impacts remain to be addressed. The leachate toxins linger in our home, cars, and covered horse arena. Burning eyes, sinuses, throat, asthma, chest tightness, weakness/sickness, difficulty functioning, headaches are common systems experienced. These inhumane toxic odor events have significantly increased in severity and intensity. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency never responds to these complaints. SWD fails to log these odors or admit they exist. I notified county and state government/department/ agencies/offices of another significant health impact of leachate odor on 6-20-20. Only response was from Glynda Steiner, Deputy Director SWD, that no leachate odor was present. Public Record Requests identified the Department of Natural Resources & Parks, Department of Permitting & Environmental Review, Public Health - Seattle & King County, and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency were all aware, yet did nothing but support Glynda Steiner’s response to me.
It is clear by the evidence and the history that CHRLF gas and leachate (all are toxic waste) contaminate and pollute the environment and people, air, water, and ground. This combination of known and unknown toxins in the air, water and ground are forever more; impacting past, present, and future public and environmental health. The cumulative effects of long-term exposure to low levels of environmental contaminants and pollutants are excluded and, thus, ignored, in the Draft EIS. Chronic diseases are incited by these cumulative effects. Below is one example regarding the dangers of leachate and how it is handled by CHRLF: On 6/30/20, Darshan Dhillon, Solid Waste Program Supervisor Health & Environmental Investigator at Seattle-King County Public Health, e-mailed the following article: “Leachate Management: Effectively Managing Landfill Leachate Odor Control with Permanganate,” WasteAdvantage Magazine website to Jennifer Keune, Environmental Scientist III, Joan Kenton, Environmental Scientist III-TLT and cc’d Mark Monteiro SWD Operations Supervisor II. Mark Monteiro then e-mailed as FYI to Scott Barden, the CHRLF Interim Operations Manager for effectively managing landfill leachate odor control. The article link contained information stating: “leachate is acutely toxic when inhaled. Leachate production is a significant concern for municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills and causes substantial odor emissions that have negative health and environmental effects.” This email verified scientific knowledge of landfill leachate and suggests an odor masking agent that removes the odor, but does NOT remove the toxins presenting adverse health and environmental effects.
Darshan Dhillon works in the Environmental Health Services Division (EHD), which focuses on “prevention of disease through sanitation, safe food and water, proper disposal of wastes and toxics, and promoting safe and healthy environmental conditions throughout King County for the benefit of all residents and visitors.” Jennifer Keune and Joan Kenton work KC DNRP/SWD/FESS - Environmental/Permit Compliance and report to Neil Fuji, Managing Engineer, who, in turn, reports to Glynda Steiner, Deputy Director SWD, which “Ensures compliance with regulations and permits that impact the environment while promoting environmental responsibility.”
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CTTC Attachment Filename: 2020 Draft EIS CHRL scoping comments Kim Brighton 11-6-20
At a minimum, all these King County government departments/divisions are knowledgeable about the substantial landfill leachate emissions that have created cumulative past, present, and future substantial negative health Public health and environmental effects. As a County-owned, operated, and self- regulated landfill of 60 years, this is a grossly negligent demonstration of the failure to mitigate such impacts; and represents a disregard and lack of accountability for human and environmental life, health and safety, surrounding communities, school, parks, trails, animals, etc. This contradicts the King County Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan. https://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social- justice/strategic-plan.aspxkingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-socialjustice They are grossly negligent to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s social justice dream, this county, environment, and all county residents. “All county residents should have equitable access to clean air… “; “should assess and address disproportionate environmental burdens…”; and “address the root causes of inequities, ultimately leading to better quality of life and greater prosperity in all of our communities.” This landfill under “normal operations” continues to create significant public and environmental health impacts. It has become a forever more toxic public and environmental health crisis.
The Final EIS must recognize that Leachate pond effluent has a direct impact to health, air, odor. Significant adverse impacts include: Asthma, difficulty breathing, burning eyes, sinuses, throat, headache, weak/sick, and difficulty to function. Much of this is the result of minimal toxic effluent monitoring and testing for public health and safety, as well as near non-existent protection to prevent toxic air contamination.
The Final EIS must not only recognize the myriad pertinent and real complaints filed by members of the Public which indicate there continues to be toxic air pollutants and odors released into the general region where the CHRLF resides that directly affect residents, but also assess the impacts therefrom, include cumulative health impacts as well as provide mitigation measures.
At a minimum, the Final EIS must address Mitigation Measures related to: (1) Capping, covering, and sealing the various areas and (2) Requiring all gasses, aerosols, and volatiles be captured, processed, and precluded from local release.
*Reference 1: Picture of the sound consultant’s equipment at the property line.
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CTTC Attachment Filename: 2020 Draft EIS CHRL scoping comments Kim Brighton 11-6-20
**Reference 2: Picture of the sound consultant checking he captured the loud sound vibrations happening in our home and bouncing off the structures.
Sincerely, Kim Brighton
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