3M gallons of sewage flows into Puget Sound, closing beaches


Puget Sound orcas in Spieden Channel
Puget Sound orcas in Spieden Channel, north of San Juan Island, in November 2014. (File photo)

SEATTLE – Alki Beach in West Seattle and other Puget Sound beaches are closed after millions of gallons of sewage flowed into the water.  July 19, 2019

The Washington state Department of Ecology says early Friday the West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant released an estimated 3 million gallons of untreated sewage over about 27 minutes, after backup pumping systems failed during power disruptions.
On Thursday, officials say a separate power failure at the Renton Wastewater Treatment Plant resulted in potentially limited disinfection of treated wastewater. That plant discharges into Puget Sound northwest of Duwamish Head in Seattle.

Ecology is investigating both incidents as discharges that would violate the state’s water quality permits for the facilities.
The other beaches closed include those at: Carkeek Park, Discovery Park, Elliot Bay Marina, Golden Gardens Park, Myrtle Edwards Park, Magnolia Tidelands Park, Port of Seattle Terminal 91 and Seacrest Park.

Keep Park Rangers from Being Misused As Border Pawns!


The Department of the Interior is continuing a secretive program to pull park rangers and police from lands across the nation and send them to patrol the border. Put a stop to it!

Why This Matters
This Fourth of July, Trump raided millions of dollars in park funds to host himself a lavish and absurd personal celebration. Now, his Department of the Interior is continuing this misuse of park resources.
Never in our nation’s history have park rangers and police been used as border security. This unprecedented move is harming our most treasured spaces and wildlife, and putting the safety of park visitors at risk.
Parks across the nation need more funding and staffing. There is absolutely no good reason to relocate staff from their homes and inappropriately order them to work outside of their job description as unofficial border security.
This move is a clear attempt by the Trump administration to subvert the law to perpetuate its racist agenda by ordering park staff to patrol the border.
US Representative Raúl Grijalva, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, accurately described this action as “a sustained attack on the rule of law.” Stating “treating law enforcement agents like the president’s personal toys is a hallmark of a banana republic, not a functioning democracy.” Grijalva’s district is on the border.
Will you speak up to put a stop to this blatant misuse of park resources?

 

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