Reporter staff
King County officials are hosting two informational open houses – Monday, Feb. 22, and Thursday, March 3 – for public review and comment on a proposed new South County Recycling and Transfer Station.
The public is welcome to comment on the county’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for a new station to replace the county’s 50-plus-year-old Algona Transfer Station. Produced by the county’s Solid Waste Division of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, the DEIS’ preferred alternative is to build a replacement facility adjacent to the existing transfer station at 35101 West Valley Highway S., Algona.
The first open house on Monday is at the Commons of Auburn High School, 711 E. Main St., from 6-8 p.m. The second is on March 3 is at the American Filipino Hall, 103 6th Ave. N., Algona, from 6-8 p.m.
The purpose of the DEIS is to evaluate potential impacts that siting, construction and operating a new recycling and transfer station would have on both the built and natural environments, including earth, air and water quality; and land use, transportation, public services, and utilities.
The DEIS evaluated these impacts for three different alternatives:
• Taking no action and keeping the existing Algona station;
• Constructing a replacement facility at 901 C St. S.W. in Auburn; or
• Constructing a replacement facility adjacent to the existing transfer station.
Public comments on the DEIS must be received by March 9. These comments will then be evaluated and considered to inform the final EIS, which should be completed by October of this year.
Information about the DEIS is posted on signs at the three alternative sites and was mailed to anyone who lives within 500 feet of the sites. It is also available at the Algona Transfer Station scale house.
Opened in the mid-1960s, the Algona Transfer Station is at the end of its engineered lifespan. The outdated and undersized station lacks numerous features that newer facilities have, including:
• Adequate room for recycling services;
• An enclosed building to control odor, noise and dust;
• Ample on-site space for vehicles to line up;
• Trash compactors to accurately and efficiently load collected garbage; and
• Landscaping and design features that help the facility be more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
More information about the project is also available on the division’s website, or by contacting Tom Creegan, project manager, at 206-477-5218, tom.creegan@kingcounty.gov.
