King County is adding more opportunities for the public to learn about and comment on the search for a location to build a new recycling and solid waste transfer station in the southern portion of the county, to provide more efficient garbage handling and add recycling options.

The Solid Waste Division of the County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks has extended the public scoping comment period that is part of the State Environmental Policy Act environmental review of the County’s proposal to replace the aging Algona Transfer station with a new facility. The scoping comment period has been extended through April 5.

A public scoping meeting is set for March 27 from 4:30 to 6:45 p.m. at Meredith Hill Elementary School, 5830 S. 300th St., Auburn. A brief video presentation is set for 5 p.m., and will be repeated at 6 p.m.

This meeting offers the public an opportunity to learn more about the transfer station replacement project, and to tell King County project staff what aspects of the environment they want the County to look at in the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the design and construction of the proposed facility.

An EIS is being prepared for this project that identifies three potential sites as “action alternatives” for the location of a new recycling and transfer station. The three sites are:

• 901 C St. SW, Auburn

• 35101 W. Valley Highway S., Algona

• 28721 W. Valley Highway S., Auburn

A “No Action” alternative will also be included in the environmental impact statement. Under this alternative, King County would retain the current Algona Transfer Station at 35315 West Valley Hwy. S., Algona until the end of its functional life.

Public scoping comments can be submitted in several ways:

• At the March 27 meeting, orally or in writing

• Via the project website, your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste.

• By sending mail to: King County Solid Waste Division, 201 S. Jackson Street, Suite 701, Seattle, WA 98104-3855, Attn.: Eric Richardt.

For more information, or to request accommodations for the March 27 public meeting, contact the Solid Waste Division at 206-296-4466, TTY Relay: 711.

King County is proposing to replace the outdated and over-capacity Algona Transfer Station with a facility that:

• Provides sufficient space for recycling services

• Encloses the building to control odor, noise and dust

• Provides adequate on-site space for vehicles to maneuver; and

• Installs trash compactors to accurately and efficiently load the collected garbage, and cut the number of trucks hauling garbage from the recycling and transfer station to the landfill by nearly one third.

Replacing the old Algona Transfer Station is recommended by King County’s Solid Waste Transfer and Waste Management Plan. The plan, approved by the King County Council in 2007 with input from an advisory committee, established the framework for upgrading the County’s aging transfer station infrastructure.

Learn more about the King County Solid Waste Division at http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/index.asp.