Progress takes time

Dear Editor,

I’m writing to thank you for the recent update on Montesano’s wastewater treatment plant and provide some additional information.

The Wynoochee River has moved, and about 1/3rd of the river width is now hitting straight on the structure of the wastewater treatment plant. This was not the case when the plant was built about 25 years ago.

If not corrected soon, this could breach the plant and cause a public health emergency. The river could potentially migrate north of the wastewater treatment plant and threaten Highway 107 across from Fox Lumber. Neither scenario is acceptable from a public health or environmental perspective.

A lot of work has been done in the last year, and we continue at an aggressive pace to put in place measures to protect the wastewater treatment plant.

A previous study, funded by the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority determined that the proposed “bumpers” along the river would not result in protection of the structure. We are now nearly complete with a study of whether placing a sheet-pile wall will protect the wastewater treatment plant from erosion and environmental damage. Funding for the sheet-pile wall is in the House and Senate Capital Budget proposals.

Our efforts have involved reaching out to the state Department of Ecology, state Department of Fish &Wildlife, state Department of Transportation, Grays Harbor County, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Flood Authority, U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer and the Quinault Nation, among others.

We are working with engineers from Parametix, as our consultants. They have additional resource people and organizations involved in the project.

Mayor Vini Samuel, wastewater treatment plant manager Kevin Hegel, City Councilman Dave Skaramuca, Finance Officer Doug Streeter, and I have been involved in many, many meetings as we show agencies and others what is happening and what is projected to happen if no action is taken.

The entire Montesano City Council has been briefed in the matter and all have expressed their support of the efforts to find solutions and funding.

These efforts take a lot of time on a calendar, and they take a lot of time behind the scenes as we educate and involve the appropriate people in moving forward with solutions.

I am optimistic that the full range of agencies, the Quinault Nation, the Flood Authority and others are all working toward protection of the wastewater treatment plant at Montesano.

My expectation is that legislative funding should be approved no later than the end of June, and that work on the protection of the wastewater treatment plant should start later in the Summer or Fall.

I hope we can all report soon that the expectation is a reality.

Dan Wood

Montesano City Council

Member, Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority