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Home My WebLink About2012- September File Copy Jefferson County Board of a fealth Ag e n cda Il mutes • Seytember 20, 2012 S JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH September 20,2012 Masonic Hall 1338 Jefferson Street Port Townsend,WA 2:30—4:30 PM DRAFT AGENDA I. Approval of Agenda II. Approval of Minutes of August 16 ,2012 Board of Health Meeting III. Old Business and Informational Items 1. 2012 Influenza and Pneumonia Information 2. Washington Vaccine Association Completes Second Year of Operation 3. Big Quilcene Water Quality IV. New Business • 1. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning and Shellfish Closure Update 2. BEACH Program Update 3. Communicable Disease Update: Pertussis, West Nile Virus, and H3N2 Influenza 4. "Boomer" Demographics 5. Substance Abuse Advisory Board Reappointment V. Activity Update VI. Public Comments VII. Agenda Planning Calendar VIII. Next Scheduled Meeting: October 18, 2012 2:30—4:30 pm Masonic Hall 1338 Jefferson Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 • JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH • MINUTES Thursday, August 16, 2012 2:30 PM—4:30 PM Masonic Hall, 1338 Jefferson Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 Board Members Staff Members Phil Johnson, Chair, County Commissioner District#1 Thomas Locke,MD,MPH Health Officer David Sullivan, County Commissioner,District#2 Jean Baldwin,Public Health Services Director John Austin,County Commissioner,District#3 Julia Danskin,Nursing Services Director Roberta Frissell,citizen at large(County) Jared Keefer,Environmental Health Services Director Catharine Robinson,Port Townsend City Council Sheila Westerman,Citizen at large(City) Jill Buhler, Vice Chair,Hospital Commissioner,District#2 Chair Johnson called the meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Health to order at 2:31 PM. A quorum was present. Members Present: Phil Johnson, David Sullivan, John Austin, Jill Buhler, and Sheila Westerman Members Excused: Catharine Robinson, Roberta Frissell Staff Present: Jean Baldwin, Veronica Shaw, Julia Danskin, Jared Keefer, Cathy Avery • APPROVAL OF AGENDA Member Westerman moved to approve the agenda for the August 16, 2012 BOH meeting; Member Buhler seconded. The motion passed unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Member Westerman requested the following changes be made to the July 19, 2012 BOH minutes: page 2 under"Whooping cough vaccine and rates" the third sentence be changed to read "Not all people with positive pertussis tests meet the strict criteria to be counted as a confirmed case and many adults with pertussis have mild symptoms and are not tested." On page 5 under Public Comment, in the last paragraph with Dr. Locke's response to the public, the 5th sentence is changed to "That decision is subject to appeal to the local board of health which can affirm or reverse the health officer's decision." Member Buhler requested the following corrections: at the top of page 4 mid way down the sentence beginning with `Potential', is changed to read "Potential positive impacts of Prevention and Public Health fund authorized programs in Jefferson County include improved public health capacity, environmental health tracking capabilities, increased funding for the visiting nurse program.", 4 lines down from that the sentence be changed to "He concluded by stating that making sure everyone has access to effective basic health services is an important part of achieving the goal of improving community health.", and on page 5, in the last paragraph on a sentence is changed to read "He notified the mill that • their landfill was inappropriately classified as an inert waste landfill and needed to be reclassified as a limited purpose landfill designation." Member Buhler moved to approve the minutes of the July 19, 2012 BOH meeting as amended; Member Westerman seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. OLD BUSINESS and INFORMATIONAL ITEMS Nurse Family Partnership Regional Approach Ms. Baldwin reported that Thrive by Five has chosen to fund 3 different projects in Washington. The largest project being funded is Nurse Family Partnership (NFP). JCPH's application through Thrive by Five was to sustain and enlarge their Nurse Family Partnership program and assist Kitsap County in starting their program. Yuko Umeda, PHN at JCPH, who has provided NFP for the past 13 years, is providing supervisory services to Kitsap County and the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe while they start their programs. Thrive by Five funding and the services provided to the tribes and Kitsap County have allowed JCPH to replace an NFP staff vacancy. Pertussis Update and Vaccine Report Lisa McKenzie, Communicable Disease Program Coordinator, gave an update on the current status of the Washington State pertussis outbreak. Ms. McKenzie reported Jefferson County is seeing a decrease in the number of pertussis cases, but there are some counties who are still seeing an increase in the number of confirmed cases. As of August 11, 2012 there were 3,484 cases of pertussis reported in Washington State, with 220 of those cases being in infants under the age of one. Ms. McKenzie stated there were two new cases reported in July which has . brought Jefferson County's pertussis reports to 24 confirmed cases and six suspect cases. They have found that 73% of the cases in Jefferson County have been in unimmunized individuals. West End Natural Resource News Tammy Pokorny, Environmental Health Specialist II, presented the West End Natural Resource News which is edited and published by Jefferson County Environmental Health in partnership with Clallam County. A copy of the publication was included in the agenda packet. Ms. Pokorny briefly outlined articles which were in the publication. Rabies in WA State, Testing of Bats Lisa McKenzie, Communicable Disease Program Coordinator, discussed the Washington State Department of Health News Release on Rabies found in Washington bats, which was included in the agenda packet. The news release stated that three bats have tested positive for Rabies in Washington State this summer requiring the people who were exposed to those bats undergo Rabies post exposure vaccination treatment. Ms. Mckenzie stated that in Jefferson County they have sent three bats in for testing this summer, out of the three bats two tested negative for Rabies and the third could not be tested because the head had been crushed during the capture. Ms. McKenzie stated that humans should avoid contact with bats by bat proofing their houses • 2 and if there has been any human contact with a bat,the bat should be captured and tested for • rabies. Shellfish Closure Updates Jared Keefer, Environmental Health Director, updated the Board on the current shellfish closures in Jefferson County. Temporary closures have occurred this summer in response to Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) and Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning(PSP)testing that Environmental Health staff have conducted. Mr. Keefer reported that last week Quilcene and Dabob Bay have re-opened for recreation shellfish harvest. A closure for DSP is in effect for Discovery Bay, Hood Canal from Seal Rock south to the Mason County line and a closure for PSP is in effect for Discovery Bay, PT Bay, Kilisut Harbor including Mystery Bay, Oak Bay, and Port Ludlow including Mats Mats Bay. Response to Questions from BOH 7-19-2012 Jared Keefer, Environmental Health Director, presented Dr. Locke's response to Member Westerman's questions regarding the PTPC landfill permit, which were raised at the July 19, 2012 Board of Health meeting. A copy of Dr. Locke's response to Member Westerman's questions was included in the agenda packet. The first question Mr. Keefer addressed was 'who decides whether a landfill groundwater monitoring plan is adequate and how samples are collected, analyzed and interpreted?' Mr. Keefer pointed out that groundwater monitoring plans must meet standards set forth in WAC 173-350-500. The second question addressed was 'how the provisions in a landfill permit are enforced and where the "teeth" are'. Mr. Keefer stated the • enforcement of the landfill permit is through the local health jurisdiction,the actual language in the permit is what guides the required activities at the permitted facility and violations result in actions taken. There are provisions for both civil and criminal penalties in the permit. The final question addressed was, 'is it possible to do core samples of the landfill to determine what type of waste is in the landfill?' Mr. Keefer stated that borehole studies are routinely done for analysis to develop the groundwater monitoring plans, which are detailed in WAC 173-350- 500(2)(b), however the local health authority must have probable cause to require core sampling of an existing, permitted landfill. Mr. Keefer did point out that waste stream characterization is routinely done to test waste as it is brought to the landfill. NEW BUSINESS School Exception Rates Lisa McKenzie, Communicable Disease Program Coordinator, presented the vaccine exemption rates for school entry due to new state law requirements. Ms. McKenzie reported that statewide vaccination exemptions for kindergarten students dropped from 6.0% in the 2009-2010 school year to 4.5% for the 2011-2012 school year. The Jefferson County vaccination exemption rate for Kindergarten students dropped from 15.9%to 9.5%. Ms. McKenzie stated they are working with the schools to reduce the number of students who are out of compliance with immunization requirements. A child is considered out of compliance if the school does not have immunization 3 ti records on file or the records are not up to date. JCPH is providing training to schools on the use of the State's CHILD profile electronic immunization database to obtain immunization records for students who lack required documentation of their vaccination status. Drug and Alcohol Community Prevention Planning Process -2012 Kelly Matlock, Prevention Coordinator, for Jefferson County Public Health, reported that Jefferson County was one of the first of 19 communities that was chosen to receive support for an initiative focusing on preventing alcohol and drug misuse among youth and young adults. The program is called Prevention Redesign Initiative, funded by the Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery. The local coalition chose to focus their energies on Port Townsend and to receive training from the Communities That Care (CTC) program. The training taught skills for identifying the highest prevention needs in Port Townsend, creating a strategic work plan and implementing evidence-based strategies for addressing identified problems.' Anne Dean, Jefferson County Community Network Program Manager, presented the values that the Port Townsend Coalition (PTC) felt were important for creating a program to prevent youth substance abuse in Port Townsend. Values chosen by PTC include preventing substance abuse for all youth, covering the entire life span, creating easy access and reducing barriers, reaching out to the most vulnerable and under-served segments of the community,building community capacity and widening relationships with public, private and home schools. Ms. Dean also discussed the three major risk factors as determined by the 2010 Healthy Youth Survey. The three major risk factors PTC and CTC will look at reducing are, friend's use of drugs, intentions to use drugs and perceived risk of use. Ms. Dean closed with a review of PTC's goals as • outlined in the Prevention Redesign Initiative handout included in the agenda packet. Big Quilcene Fishing Season —Septage and Solid Waste Jared Keefer updated the Board on the environmental health concerns that arose last year when hundreds of fisherman per day on the Big Quilcene River left solid and human waste on the shoreline of the river. Degradation of water quality led to closure of the commercial shellfish harvesting area near the rivers mouth. Mr. Keefer asked the Board whether they think it is appropriate for JCPH to supply sanitary facilities and refuse collection receptacles along the Big Quilcene River during fishing season to avoid the same issues that happened last year. Board members spoke in favor of this plan and encouraged JCPH to come up with a plan for the coming years. Student Based Health Centers Annual Report Jean Baldwin presented data on the school based health clinics; graphs were included in the agenda packet. The graphs show that the number of students being seen is increasing. Ms. Baldwin pointed out that 41%of the students in Chimacum are using the clinic in the high school. Ms. Baldwin stated the school based clinics are improving overall health, better managing chronic diseases, maintaining low teen pregnancy rates and decreasing teen STD rates. Ms. Baldwin also discussed the graphs from Port Townsend, Chimacum and Quilcene on mental 4 } health and substance abuse services provided at the school based clinics. These services are • funded by the Mental Health/substance Sales Tax. ACTIVITY UPDATE None PUBLIC COMMENT Mary Marinkovich spoke in favor of meetings between the mill and JCPH regarding the landfill permit being open to the public and the mill being issued a limited purpose landfill permit. Dave McWethy urged JCPH to issue a limited purpose landfill permit to Port Townsend Paper. Helen Lauritzen read comments from some of the over 400 people that have signed the online petition to have a limited purpose landfill permit issued to Port Townsend Paper. John Arndt read a letter written by the President of the Local Union 175 for the U.S. Steel Workers Union which addressed the current status of the landfill and testing and monitoring of the Port Townsend Paper landfill Scott Tennant,Union member of the local Union 175 and a mill wright at Port Townsend Paper supports Port Townsend Paper and the current permitting process. • Renee Bush encouraged further investigation of ways to re-use the wood ash from Port Townsend Paper for things such as producing fertilizer. Carol Gallop spoke in favor of issuing Port Townsend Paper a limited purpose landfill permit and expressed concern that the landfill will eventually leach toxins into the bay. Nancy Frederick expressed concern over an inert permit being issued and urges that the landfill be monitored. Kevin Clark urged that a limited purpose landfill permit be issued to Port Townsend Paper. Eveleen Muehlethaler spoke on behalf of Port Townsend Paper regarding the positive things Port Townsend Paper does and thanked the Board for their patience. Ruth Apter spoke in favor of a limited purpose landfill permit being issued to Port Townsend Paper and keeping good jobs in Jefferson County while maintaining a healthy environment. Bill Curtsinger expressed concern over possible health effects caused by the mill. Gretchen Brewer feels that the community is a stakeholder and should be involved in the meetings between JCPH and the mill. • 5 ti Todd Stevens spoke in favor of a limited purpose landfill permit being issued to Port Townsend • Paper. Gary Fredrick expressed concern over the material in the mill landfill being inert because of the PH level of the material and is also concerned over why the owners of the mill are fighting the testing if it is beneficial for the community. Doug Milholland spoke in favor of a limited purpose landfill permit being issued to Port Townsend Paper and core sampling of the landfill. Doug Leeds supports Port Townsend Paper on the landfill issue. Annika Wallendahl, Environmental Manager for Port Townsend Paper Corporation, addressed five recurring environmental issues, the difference between inert and solid waste, why other mills don't have an inert permit, groundwater monitoring, financial assurance, and Port Townsend Bay. Peter Lauritzen spoke in favor of requiring a limited purpose landfill permit to Port Townsend Paper. Stephen Schumacher read from a letter he received from Department of Ecology regarding the mills landfill, which he also distributed to the Board. Ted Shoulberg feels the community does play a role in the process of issuing a permit to Port • Townsend Paper for their landfill and spoke in favor of a citizen being allowed at meetings between JCPH and the mill. Jim Todd expressed concern over the waste being deposited in to the mill's landfill and encouraged a limited purpose landfill permit be issued. Lynn Nadeau encouraged the Board to be careful and monitor the mill landfill. AGENDA PLANNING CALENDAR The next Board of Health meeting will be held on September 20, 2012 from 2:30 —4:30 pm. ADJOURNMENT Chair Johnson adjourned the BOH meeting at 4:32 p.m. 6 • JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH Phil Johnson, Chair Jill Buhler, Vice Chair Excused Roberta Frissell, Member David Sullivan, Member Excused Catharine Robinson, Member John Austin, Member Sheila Westerman, Member Respectfully Submitted: ioStacie Reid JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH • MINUTES Thursday, August 16, 2012 2:30 PM—4:30 PM Masonic Hall, 1338 Jefferson Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 Board Members Staff Members Phil Johnson, Chair, County Commissioner District#1 Thomas Locke,MD,MPH Health Officer David Sullivan, County Commissioner,District#2 Jean Baldwin,Public Health Services Director John Austin, County Commissioner,District#3 Julia Danskin,Nursing Services Director Roberta Frissell, citizen at large(County) Jared Keefer,Environmental Health Services Director Catharine Robinson,Port Townsend City Council Sheila Westerman, Citizen at large(City) Jill Buhler, Vice Chair,Hospital Commissioner,District#2 Chair Johnson called the meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Health to order at 2:31 PM. A quorum was present. Members Present: Phil Johnson, David Sullivan, John Austin, Jill Buhler, and Sheila Westerman Members Excused: Catharine Robinson, Roberta Frissell Staff Present: Jean Baldwin, Veronica Shaw, Julia Danskin, Jared Keefer, Cathy Avery • APPROVAL OF AGENDA Member Westerman moved to approve the agenda for the August 16, 2012 BOH meeting; Member Buhler seconded. The motion passed unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Member Westerman requested the following changes be made to the July 19, 2012 BOH minutes: page 2 under"Whooping cough vaccine and rates" the third sentence be changed to read "Not all people with positive pertussis tests meet the strict criteria to be counted as a confirmed case and many adults with pertussis have mild symptoms and are not tested." On page 5 under Public Comment, in the last paragraph with Dr. Locke's response to the public, the 5th sentence is changed to "That decision is subject to appeal to the local board of health which can affirm or reverse the health officer's decision." Member Buhler requested the following corrections: at the top of page 4 mid way down the sentence beginning with `Potential', is changed to read "Potential positive impacts of Prevention and Public Health fund authorized programs in Jefferson County include improved public health capacity, environmental health tracking capabilities, increased funding for the visiting nurse program.", 4 lines down from that the sentence be changed to "He concluded by stating that making sure everyone has access to effective basic health services is an important part of achieving the goal of improving community health.", and on page 5, in the last paragraph on a sentence is changed to read "He notified the mill that • their landfill was inappropriately classified as an inert waste landfill and needed to be t. reclassified as a limited purpose landfill designation." Member Buhler moved to approve the minutes of the July 19,2012 BOH meeting as amended; Member Westerman seconded • the motion. The motion passed unanimously. OLD BUSINESS and INFORMATIONAL ITEMS Nurse Family Partnership Regional Approach Ms. Baldwin reported that Thrive by Five has chosen to fund 3 different projects in Washington. The largest project being funded is Nurse Family Partnership (NFP). JCPH's application through Thrive by Five was to sustain and enlarge their Nurse Family Partnership program and assist Kitsap County in starting their program. Yuko Umeda, PHN at JCPH,who has provided NFP for the past 13 years, is providing supervisory services to Kitsap County and the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe while they start their programs. Thrive by Five funding and the services provided to the tribes and Kitsap County have allowed JCPH to replace an NFP staff vacancy. Pertussis Update and Vaccine Report Lisa McKenzie, Communicable Disease Program Coordinator, gave an update on the current status of the Washington State pertussis outbreak. Ms. McKenzie reported Jefferson County is seeing a decrease in the number of pertussis cases, but there are some counties who are still seeing an increase in the number of confirmed cases. As of August 11, 2012 there were 3,484 cases of pertussis reported in Washington State, with 220 of those cases being in infants under the age of one. Ms. McKenzie stated there were two new cases reported in July which has • brought Jefferson County's pertussis reports to 24 confirmed cases and six suspect cases. They have found that 73% of the cases in Jefferson County have been in unimmunized individuals. West End Natural Resource News Tammy Pokorny, Environmental Health Specialist II, presented the West End Natural Resource News which is edited and published by Jefferson County Environmental Health in partnership with Clallam County. A copy of the publication was included in the agenda packet. Ms. Pokorny briefly outlined articles which were in the publication. Rabies in WA State, Testing of Bats Lisa McKenzie, Communicable Disease Program Coordinator, discussed the Washington State Department of Health News Release on Rabies found in Washington bats, which was included in the agenda packet. The news release stated that three bats have tested positive for Rabies in Washington State this summer requiring the people who were exposed to those bats undergo Rabies post exposure vaccination treatment. Ms. Mckenzie stated that in Jefferson County they have sent three bats in for testing this summer, out of the three bats two tested negative for Rabies and the third could not be tested because the head had been crushed during the capture. Ms. McKenzie stated that humans should avoid contact with bats by bat proofing their houses • 2 • and if there has been any human contact with a bat, the bat should be captured and tested for • rabies. Shellfish Closure Updates Jared Keefer, Environmental Health Director, updated the Board on the current shellfish closures in Jefferson County. Temporary closures have occurred this summer in response to Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) and Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP)testing that Environmental Health staff have conducted. Mr. Keefer reported that last week Quilcene and Dabob Bay have re-opened for recreation shellfish harvest. A closure for DSP is in effect for Discovery Bay, Hood Canal from Seal Rock south to the Mason County line and a closure for PSP is in effect for Discovery Bay, PT Bay, Kilisut Harbor including Mystery Bay, Oak Bay, and Port Ludlow including Mats Mats Bay. Response to Questions from BOH 7-19-2012 Jared Keefer, Environmental Health Director, presented Dr. Locke's response to Member Westerman's questions regarding the PTPC landfill permit, which were raised at the July 19, 2012 Board of Health meeting. A copy of Dr. Locke's response to Member Westerman's questions was included in the agenda packet. The first question Mr. Keefer addressed was 'who decides whether a landfill groundwater monitoring plan is adequate and how samples are collected, analyzed and interpreted?' Mr. Keefer pointed out that groundwater monitoring plans must meet standards set forth in WAC 173-350-500. The second question addressed was 'how the provisions in a landfill permit are enforced and where the "teeth" are'. Mr. Keefer stated the • enforcement of the landfill permit is through the local health jurisdiction, the actual language in the permit is what guides the required activities at the permitted facility and violations result in actions taken. There are provisions for both civil and criminal penalties in the permit. The final question addressed was, 'is it possible to do core samples of the landfill to determine what type of waste is in the landfill?' Mr. Keefer stated that borehole studies are routinely done for analysis to develop the groundwater monitoring plans, which are detailed in WAC 173-350- 500(2)(b), however the local health authority must have probable cause to require core sampling of an existing, permitted landfill. Mr. Keefer did point out that waste stream characterization is routinely done to test waste as it is brought to the landfill. NEW BUSINESS School Exception Rates Lisa McKenzie, Communicable Disease Program Coordinator, presented the vaccine exemption rates for school entry due to new state law requirements. Ms. McKenzie reported that statewide vaccination exemptions for kindergarten students dropped from 6.0% in the 2009-2010 school year to 4.5% for the 2011-2012 school year. The Jefferson County vaccination exemption rate for Kindergarten students dropped from 15.9%to 9.5%. Ms. McKenzie stated they are working with the schools to reduce the number of students who are out of compliance with immunization requirements. A child is considered out of compliance if the school does not have immunization • 3 records on file or the records are not up to date. JCPH is providing training to schools on the use of the State's CHILD profile electronic immunization database to obtain immunization records for students who lack required documentation of their vaccination status. • Drug and Alcohol Community Prevention Planning Process -2012 Kelly Matlock, Prevention Coordinator, for Jefferson County Public Health, reported that Jefferson County was one of the first of 19 communities that was chosen to receive support for an initiative focusing on preventing alcohol and drug misuse among youth and young adults. The program is called Prevention Redesign Initiative, funded by the Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery. The local coalition chose to focus their energies on Port Townsend and to receive training from the Communities That Care (CTC) program. The training taught skills for identifying the highest prevention needs in Port Townsend, creating a strategic work plan and implementing evidence-based strategies for addressing identified problems. Anne Dean, Jefferson County Community Network Program Manager, presented the values that the Port Townsend Coalition(PTC) felt were important for creating a program to prevent youth substance abuse in Port Townsend. Values chosen by PTC include preventing substance abuse for all youth, covering the entire life span, creating easy access and reducing barriers, reaching out to the most vulnerable and under-served segments of the community, building community capacity and widening relationships with public, private and home schools. Ms. Dean also discussed the three major risk factors as determined by the 2010 Healthy Youth Survey. The three major risk factors PTC and CTC will look at reducing are, friend's use of drugs, intentions to use drugs and perceived risk of use. Ms. Dean closed with a review of PTC's goals as 1111 outlined in the Prevention Redesign Initiative handout included in the agenda packet. Big Quilcene Fishing Season—Septage and Solid Waste Jared Keefer updated the Board on the environmental health concerns that arose last year when hundreds of fisherman per day on the Big Quilcene River left solid and human waste on the shoreline of the river. Degradation of water quality led to closure of the commercial shellfish harvesting area near the rivers mouth. Mr. Keefer asked the Board whether they think it is appropriate for JCPH to supply sanitary facilities and refuse collection receptacles along the Big Quilcene River during fishing season to avoid the same issues that happened last year. Board members spoke in favor of this plan and encouraged JCPH to come up with a plan for the coming years. Student Based Health Centers Annual Report Jean Baldwin presented data on the school based health clinics; graphs were included in the agenda packet. The graphs show that the number of students being seen is increasing. Ms. Baldwin pointed out that 41% of the students in Chimacum are using the clinic in the high school. Ms. Baldwin stated the school based clinics are improving overall health, better managing chronic diseases, maintaining low teen pregnancy rates and decreasing teen STD rates. Ms. Baldwin also discussed the graphs from Port Townsend, Chimacum and Quilcene on mental • 4 1 • health and substance abuse services provided at the school based clinics. These services are funded by the Mental Health/substance Sales Tax. ACTIVITY UPDATE None PUBLIC COMMENT Mary Marinkovich spoke in favor of meetings between the mill and JCPH regarding the landfill permit being open to the public and the mill being issued a limited purpose landfill permit. Dave McWethy urged JCPH to issue a limited purpose landfill permit to Port Townsend Paper. Helen Lauritzen read comments from some of the over 400 people that have signed the online petition to have a limited purpose landfill permit issued to Port Townsend Paper. John Arndt read a letter written by the President of the Local Union 175 for the U.S. Steel Workers Union which addressed the current status of the landfill and testing and monitoring of the Port Townsend Paper landfill. Scott Tennant, Union member of the local Union 175 and a mill Wright at Port Townsend Paper supports Port Townsend Paper and the current permitting process. • Renee Bush encouraged further investigation of ways to re-use the wood ash from Port Townsend Paper for things such as producing fertilizer. Carol Gallop spoke in favor of issuing Port Townsend Paper a limited purpose landfill permit and expressed concern that the landfill will eventually leach toxins into the bay. Nancy Frederick expressed concern over an inert permit being issued and urges that the landfill be monitored. Kevin Clark urged that a limited purpose landfill permit be issued to Port Townsend Paper. Eveleen Muehlethaler spoke on behalf of Port Townsend Paper regarding the positive things Port Townsend Paper does and thanked the Board for their patience. Ruth Apter spoke in favor of a limited purpose landfill permit being issued to Port Townsend Paper and keeping good jobs in Jefferson County while maintaining a healthy environment. Bill Curtsinger expressed concern over possible health effects caused by the mill. Gretchen Brewer feels that the community is a stakeholder and should be involved in the meetings between JCPH and the mill. • 5 Todd Stevens spoke in favor of a limited purpose landfill permit being issued to Port Townsend Paper. • Gary Fredrick expressed concern over the material in the mill landfill being inert because of the PH level of the material and is also concerned over why the owners of the mill are fighting the testing if it is beneficial for the community. Doug Milholland spoke in favor of a limited purpose landfill permit being issued to Port Townsend Paper and core sampling of the landfill. Doug Leeds supports Port Townsend Paper on the landfill issue. Annika Wallendahl, Environmental Manager for Port Townsend Paper Corporation, addressed five recurring environmental issues, the difference between inert and solid waste, why other mills don't have an inert permit, groundwater monitoring, financial assurance, and Port Townsend Bay. Peter Lauritzen spoke in favor of requiring a limited purpose landfill permit to Port Townsend Paper. Stephen Schumacher read from a letter he received from Department of Ecology regarding the mills landfill, which he also distributed to the Board. Ted Shoulberg feels the community does play a role in the process of issuing a permit to Port • Townsend Paper for their landfill and spoke in favor of a citizen being allowed at meetings between JCPH and the mill. Jim Todd expressed concern over the waste being deposited in to the mill's landfill and encouraged a limited purpose landfill permit be issued. Lynn Nadeau encouraged the Board to be careful and monitor the mill landfill. AGENDA PLANNING CALENDAR The next Board of Health meeting will be held on September 20, 2012 from 2:30—4:30 pm. ADJOURNMENT Chair Johnson adjourned the BOH meeting at 4:32 p.m. • 6 JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH Phil7ohnson, air Ji Buhler, Vice Chair Excused 1;4,4_2 ' Roberta Frissell, Member David Sulliv., em er Excused al, I Catharine Robinson, Member Joh A ustin, Member we4e Sheila Westerman, Member Respectfully Submitted: . Stacie Reid • Board of JCeaCth Oki-Business & InformationaCltems .agenda Item ffIII., 1 • 2012 Influenza and Pneumonia Information September 20, 2012 • C N. co, JEFFERSON COUNTY =.... *L HEALTH ',,,s':,---,,,,,,---' 615 Sheridan Street o Port Townsend Washington o 98368 www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org • To: Area Health Care Providers From:Jane Kurata, PHN and Lisa McKenzie, PHN Re: 2012 Influenza & Pneumonia Information This letter accompanies our yearly packet of information regarding vaccines and the 2012-2013 influenza season. We hope you will find these materials helpful. Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) will publicize information about influenza vaccine availability in local newspapers, and will assist your seasonal influenza immunization efforts in any way we can. JCPH will not have seasonal influenza vaccine available for the general public, but will provide state-supplied flu vaccines in our immunization clinics for children ages 6 months through 18 years. Two of the influenza strains have changed for the 2012-13 influenza vaccine. The influenza A(H3N2) and B strains are new. The 2009 novel A( H 1 N I) influenza component is again one of the strains included in the vaccine. While it is still important to reach those groups usually regarded as high-risk for complications of influenza, the Center of Disease Control (CDC) recommends immunization against influenza for everyone over 6 month of age regardless of risk profile. Influenza: Because there has been minimal change to the yearly vaccine or recommendations since 2010, the Center of ipDisease Control's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) annual publication on Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines only highlights new information this year. A copy is enclosed. If you wish to review the entire 2010 document, the link can be found online at the ACIP Recommendations site: htt.://www.cdc. ov/vaccines/.ubs/ACIP-list.htm#flu. Included in this packet are materials concerning seasonal influenza vaccines: • The CDC has published a brief update on influenza to be used in conjunction with the larger Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines document from 2010. The update discusses information on vaccinating clients with egg allergy, data on febrile seizures associated with simultaneous administration of certain vaccines, and the updated dosing guidelines for children ages 6 months - 8 years. • Information encouraging yearly immunization of all health care workers. • A summary of high-risk groups to be targeted for immunization even though influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone over the age of 6 months. This information is unchanged for the 2012-13 influenza season. • A chart comparing live and inactivated influenza characteristics and recommendations. • Information about the various influenza vaccines on the market this year. • Screening forms and explanatory guidelines for use of influenza vaccines. • Vaccine Information Statements for Inactivated (TIV) and Live Attenuated (LAIV) influenza vaccines. • Pediatric influenza guidelines and a quick-reference algorithm for use of publicly-funded pediatric influenza vaccines • A sample of the registration/screening/administration form Jefferson County Public Health will be using this year. • The current schedule for local sources of seasonal influenza vaccines. 1111 CDC recommends that you begin administering influenza vaccines as soon as they are available. For all clients over age 8, only one dose is recommended in each influenza season. Vaccines from various manufacturers are recommended for various age groups, and some are not licensed for use in younger children. Read the label and package insert for your vaccine carefully. The 2007 Washington State law regarding thimerosal content specifies that vaccines administered to children under age 3 and pregnant women should contain less than 1.0 micrograms of mercury per dose. Preservative free formulations should be used for these two groups. However, the packaging of preservative-free formulations may contain latex. Therefore the thimerosal limit law has been suspended for clients who are allergic to natural latex until June 30, 2013. The High-Dose influenza vaccine is licensed for clients age 65 and over. Compared to the regular influenza vaccine, a dose of the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine contains four times the amount of antigen for each influenza strain. Studies show High-Dose clients have increased antibody response, but it is still unknown whether this will lead to decreased rates of disease in the elderly. The nasal spray vaccine, FluMist, continues to increase in popularity, particularly for children. FluMist seasonal influenza vaccine will be available for healthy children and teens through age 18 through the State-Supplied program. FluMist is licensed for any healthy non-pregnant client aged 2 through 49 years. Sanofi's Fluzone intradermal vaccine is licensed for clients ages 18 through 64. A prefilled microinjector delivers 0.1 mL vaccine over the deltoid area of the arm. This presentation may not be available locally. If you are aware of changes that need to be made to your listing for local flu vaccine clinics, please let us know so we may get the correct information to the public and into the local newspapers. Pneumonia: ACIP's latest Updated Recommendations for Prevention of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Among Adults Using the 23- Valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23) was published September 3, 2010. Prevention of Pneumococcal Disease Among Infants and Children was published December 10, 2010. Both can be viewed online at: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/ACIP-list.htm. • Included in this packet are materials concerning pneumonia vaccines: ■ Two guides to recommended use of pneumococcal vaccines in children and adults. ■ Vaccine Information Statements for Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV 13) and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide (PPSV23) vaccines. Adults with asthma and those who smoke cigarettes are considered at risk for invasive pneumococcal disease. They are included in CDC's targeted groups for vaccination with pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. Children who were previously vaccinated with PCV7 are now recommended to receive one dose of PCV 13 to be immunized against the 6 additional strains of pneumococcal bacteria included in the newer vaccine. This recommendation applies to all children under age 5, and children under age 6 with certain medical risk factors. Please circulate these materials among all providers in your clinic. If we can answer any questions or be of assistance, please call Jane Kurata or Lisa McKenzie, at 385-9400. S irst do no harm Visit Immunization Action Protect patients by making sure all Coalition's"Honor Roll staff receive yearly influenza vaccine! for Patient Safety"to view The best way to prevent transmission of influenza to our patients is stellar examples of influenza to mandate vaccination of healthcare workers.Leaders in medicine and infectious diseases have spoken:Mandatory influenza vaccina- vaccination mandates tion for all healthcare workers is imperative!You can refer to the po in healthcare settings at sition statements of these leading medical organizations to help you develop and implement a mandatory influenza vaccination policy at your healthcare institution or medical setting. Policy titles, URLs, www•imm`Inize.Org/hOnor-roll publication dates,and excerpts follow. American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) American Pharmacists Association (APhA) AAFP Mandatory Influenza Vaccination of Health Care Personnel(June 2011) Requiring Influenza Vaccination for All Pharmacy Personnel(April 2011) www.aafp.org/online/en/home!clinical/immunizationres/influenza/ www.pharmacist.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=House_ mandatoryinfluenza.html of_Delegates&TEMPLATE=/CM/Con tentDisp1ay. "The AAFP supports annual mandatory influenza immunization for health cfm&CONTENTID=25910 care personnel(HCP)except for religious or medical reasons(not personal "APhA supports an annual influenza vaccination as a condition of employ- preferences).If HCP are not vaccinated,policies to adjust practice activi- ment,training,or volunteering,within an organization that provides phar- ties during flu season are appropriate(e.g.wear masks,refrain from direct macy services or operates a pharmacy or pharmacy department(unless a patient care)." valid medical or religious reason precludes vaccination)." American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) American Public Health Association (APHA) Policy Statement—Recommendation for Mandatory Influenza Immuniza- Annual Influenza Vaccination Requirements for Health Workers(November tion of All Health Care Personnel(October 1,2010) 9,2010) http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2010- www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/policysearch/default.htm?id=1410 376v1 "Encourages institutional,employer,and public health policy to require in- "The implementation of mandatory annual influenza immunization pro- fluenza vaccination of all health workers as a precondition of employment grams for HCP nationwide is long overdue.For the prevention and control and thereafter on an annual basis,unless a medical contraindication recog- of influenza,now is the time to put the health and safety of the patient first." nized in national guidelines is documented in the worker's health record." American College of Physicians(ACP) Association for Professionals in Infection Control ACP Policy on Influenza Vaccination of Health Care Workers(October 1, and Epidemiology(APIC) 2010) Influenza Vaccination Should Be a Condition of Employment for Health- www.acponline.org/clinical_information/resources/adult_immunization/ care Personnel,Unless Medically Contraindicated(February 1,2011) flu_hcw.pdf www.apic.org/Content/NavigationMenu/GovernmentAdvocacy/ "Vaccinating HCWs against influenza represents a duty of care,and a stan- PublicPolicyLibrary/APIC_Influenza_Immunization_of HCP_12711.PDF dard of quality care,so it should be reasonable that this duty should super- "As a profession that relies on evidence to guide our decisions and actions,we sede HCW personal preference." can no longer afford to ignore the compelling evidence that supports requir- ing influenza vaccine for HCP.This is not only a patient safety imperative,but American Hospital Association(AHA) is a moral and ethical obligation to those who place their trust in our care." AHA Endorses Patient Safety Policies Requiring Influenza Vaccination of Health Care Workers(July 22,2011) Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) www.aha.org/advocacy-issues/tools-resources/advisory/2011/110722- IDSA Policy on Mandatory Immunization of Health Care Workers Against quality-adv.pdf Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza (rev.July 28,2010) "To protect the lives and welfare of patients and employees,AHA supports www.idsociety.org/HCW_Policy mandatory patient safety policies that require either influenza vaccination or "Physicians and other health care providers must have two special objectives in wearing a mask in the presence of patients across healthcare settings during view when treating patients,namely, `to do good or to do no harm'(Hippocratic flu season.The aim is to achieve the highest possible level of protection." Corpus in Epidemics:Bk.I,Sect.5,trans.Adams),and have an ethical and mor- al obligation to prevent transmission of infectious diseases to their patients." American Medical Directors Association(AMDA) Mandatory Immunization for Long Term Care Workers(March 2011) Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America(SHEA) www.amda.com/goveniance/resolutions/J11.cfm Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Personnel(rev.August 31,2010) "Therefore be it resolved,AMDA-Dedicated to Long Term Care Medicine www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/ful1/10.1086/656558 supports a mandatory annual influenza vaccination for every long-term "SHEA views influenza vaccination of HCP as a core patient and HCP safe- health care worker who has direct patient contact unless a medical contra- ty practice with which noncompliance should not be tolerated." indication or religious objection exists." continued on page 2 www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2014.pdf • hem#P2014(10/1 I) Immunization Action Coalition • 1573 Selby Ave. • St.Paul,MN 55104 • (651)647-9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org First Do No Harm... continued from page 1 Practical Resources for Vaccinating HCP Against Influenza • Association for Professionals in Infection Immunization Action Coalition(continued) Control and Epidemiology(APIC) •Screening Questionnaire for Live Intranasal Influenza Vac- Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself toolkit features cination:www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4067.pdf a variety of helpful resource materials for healthcare •Declination of Influenza Vaccination(for healthcare worker institutions to implement or expand their healthcare worker immunization programs: www.apic.org/Content/ refusal):www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4068.pdf NavigationMenu/PracticeGuidance/Topics/Influenza/toolkit_ Visit IAC's Influenza web section:www.immunize.org/influenza contents.htm Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) Read the joint HICPAC/ACIP Recommendations Influenza - _ Vaccination of Health-Care Personnel:www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ PDF/rr/rr5502.pdf For more recent guidance from CDC, see p:W-T; Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare A:� :W --° _ _ Settings: www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/infectioncontrol_seasonalflu_ o ""' , ICU2010.pdf o:. "- -- - Visit CDC's Influenza web section:www.cdc.gov/flu © _w Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) o .,�__'_' ®= _�... Guidance for Developing a Mandatory Influenza Vaccination o. — _..._.._. Program:www.cha.com/index.php?option=com_content&ta �w• sk=view&id=998&Itemid=272 www.immunize.org/influenza Document provides guidance and information for developing a mandatory influenza vaccination program within individual hospitals Department of Health and Human Services(HHS) III See HHS's Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Personnel: Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) Disease, vaccine, beliefs, barriers, and recommended strate- . Get these IAC print materials online: gies to improve vaccination: www.hhs.gov/ash/initiatives/ •Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2011-12 Influenza Sea- vacctoolkit/presentation.html son:www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4072.pdf (� Joint Commission Providing a Safer Environment for __-.-- Providing a Safer Environment Health Care Personnel and Patients „_,,,_-- -._._. r.a= ¢ r„d�d�.,.aroYa A Through Influenza Vaccination ,.... .r...._ —• for Health Care Personnel __ and Patients Through Influ- m.„mgw�.aarer« � INF'tIIIFN7A P71712 Vnrrinul..... -.. Aften.. IN LUNE Z - assets/1/18/Flu Monograp ,.,, . •. w ._, a ., _Mane. �n — Pdf - ; 3_>,..,..:_,==, -- --__ _ ®�4 ; . Monograph helps healthcare C ,' rt �� , ,,,. -_ _ organizations of all types ,1 � �` ii‘,:- O.._ _ - improve seasonal influenza ::"�—=M __ _ vaccination rates in healthcare • -_„_ _ -—... personnel. i I I -------- ----- 1 National Influenza Vaccine Summit(NIVS) •Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccine to (Co-sponsored by the American Medical Association and Adults:www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3074.pdf CDC).See the NIVS Information for Healthcare Professionals •Screening Questionnaire for Inactivated Injectable Influenza home page:www.preventinfluenza.org/professionals.asp Vaccination:www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4066.pdf • Immunization Action Coalition • 1573 Selby Ave. • St.Paul,MN 55104 • (651)647-9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org JEFFERSON COUNTY FLU VACCINE CLINICS 2012 • (9-12-12) JEFFERSON HEALTHCARE CLINICS Adult and Children's Influenza vaccines available. Call your provider's office for an appointment. • Jefferson Healthcare Family Medicine: 385-3500 • Jefferson Healthcare Primary Care: 379-8031 • Jefferson Medical & Pediatric Group: 385-4848 • Jefferson Healthcare Internal Medicine and Walk-In Clinic: 385-5330 • Jefferson Healthcare Port Ludlow Clinic: 437-5067. Walk-in clients welcome. • South County Medical Clinic: 765-3111 MONROE STREET CLINIC, 242 Monroe St, Port Townsend. • Preservative-Free vaccine available. Established clients please call for an appointment. Port Hadlock Medical Care, 121 Oak Bay Road, Port Hadlock. • Influenza vaccine available Monday thru Friday from 10 am - 12 noon and 2 - 4 pm. No appointment necessary. Walk-ins welcome. Medicare and insurances billed or $30 cash. Bring your insurance cards. QFC HADLOCK PHARMACY, 1890 Irondale Rd, Port Hadlock. • Influenza vaccine clinic Friday September 28 from 11am - 5pm. • Walk-ins welcome Monday thru Friday from 11:30 am - 4:30 pm. • Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance billed. Please bring your insurance cards. Flu shots $25. Pneumonia shots $80. Clients must be at least 11 years old. SAFEWAY PHARMACY, 442 Sims Way, Port Townsend. • Walk-ins welcome for vaccinations. No appointment necessary. • Mondays thru Fridays from 10 am - 1 pm and 2:30 -4pm. Medicare and most insurances billed. Bring your insurance card. Flu shots $30. High Dose Flu shots $57. Pneumonia and Tdap also available. Clients must be at least 9 years old. State-Supplied Children's Flu Vaccines • Now recommended for all children 6 months through 18 years old. Children's vaccines are available at the following clinics. Call your provider for an appointment. Jefferson Medical & Pediatric Group, 915 Sheridan St, Port Townsend - 382-4848. Jefferson Healthcare Primary Care, 915 Sheridan St, Port Townsend - 379-8031. Jefferson Healthcare Family Medicine, 1010 Sheridan St, Port Townsend - 385-3500. South County Medical Clinic, 294843 Highway 101, Quilcene - 765-3111. • Jefferson County Public Health, 615 Sheridan St, Port Townsend. Walk-in immunization clinics every Tuesday and Thursday from 1 - 4 pm. No appointment needed. Call 385-9400 for more information. • Board of HeaCth Odd Business & Informational-Items .Agenda Item # 2 • "Washington "Vaccine .association Competes Second year Of Operation September 20, 2012 • vAcct . •401 Lip V ri ASSOCIATION Executive Director Fred Potter fpotter@kidsvax.org P g Deputy Exec Director Margaret Lane at mlane@wavaccine.org. August 10, 2012 4111 The Washington Vaccine Association (WVA) completed its second full year of operations on June 30, 2012. We are fulfilling our mission to help maintain Washington's universal childhood vaccine program by funding vaccine purchases for insured children in Washington. We want to share some successes from our first two years, our roles, and an update on dosage-based assessment (DBA) billing. Financial Stability and Compliance The WVA is a well managed nonprofit and we've achieved our goals ahead of schedule. Thanks to provider compliance with the DBA, our partnership with the Department of Health and health carriers, and the work of our staff, our public private partnership is working! Highlights of our first two years include: • Attained financial stability— Paid all start-up expenses and consistently funded the vaccine costs for privately insured children. • Helped Washington maintain low vaccine costs. • Implemented the DBA successfully, with health carriers and third party administrators paying for vaccines for privately insured children. Roles of the WVA SThe WVA and the Department support the State Childhood Vaccine Program in partnership. The Department administers and operates the Program with help from local public health departments. The WVA's mission is financing the non-federal portion of the Program. The WVA: • Funds state vaccine purchases for insured children. • Assures providers, health carriers and TPAs comply with the DBA • Manages changes affecting the DBA and payer assessments. • Makes recommendations about vaccine choice through the Vaccine Committee. • Reports to the Secretary of Health as Required. DBA Information for 2012-2013 • The new 5010 electronic billing transaction requirements posed some challenges for the WVA and provider offices related to the DBA. Please review the information on our website about how to comply with the new billing requirements, and see our updated electronic billing template. For more information contact us or go to our website at www.wavaccine.org U f • WVA Deputy Exec. 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Assessment, • BEA H Communication& BEACH program results PROGRAM Health 2012 7 - b - E 0 S 0 V 4 - V c • 3 o, • d 2 • • • • to, n • c v • • 1 • • • • • .. " • • 3 I • .," 44. ,y�°� C5 NCO�N- �y,,,,c DNoc evN tiN 7,,N q)N 't-• Pad P'' Pte% C7 t', yeQ 5, c,�Q 1�" ti� 1 1- n N 1, 1r R titi .51 ,1,h ti V ,7 11' ri, Date(Year2012) II Fort Worde i 6 Camp Parsons herb Beck Marina —Advisory level(104 Entrococci/100rrI) j • COMMUNITY HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES WATER QUALITY • MAIN: (360)385-9400 ALWAYS WORKING FOR A SAFER AND MAIN: (360)385-9444 FAX: (360)385-9401 HEALTHIER COMMUNITY FAX: (360)379-4487 JCPH Page 1 of 1 9izvayszvorkinsfor nhealthier jeJferson. Jefferson County Public Health Port Townsend,Washington • Home About JCPH Community Health Environmental Health/Water Quality Information News&Events Public Health News and Events. • / g: Welcome HOOD CANAL RECREATIONAL SHELLFISH BEACHES RE-OPEN Port Townsend,WA,September 14,2012-Hood Canal from Seal Rock south to the Mason County line has re-opened for recreational shellfishing. Levels of the marine biotoxin that cause Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning(DSP)are currently below the recreational closure level. Many of Jefferson County's recreational shellfish beaches remain closed due to marine biotoxin levels. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (P$P) is the primary biotoxin of concern although DSP is still present. Below is a complete list of all beaches that are closed by DOH to recreational shellfish harvest in Jefferson County.Commercially harvested shellfish are tested for toxin prior to distribution and should be safe to eat. PSP closures are in effect for the following beaches: •Discovery Bay(also closed for DSP) •Admiralty Inlet •Port Townsend Bay • Kilisut Harbor including Mystery Bay •Oak Bay • Mats Mats Bay • Port Ludlow south to the Hood Canal Bridge Warning signs have been posted at high-use beaches warning people not to consume shellfish from these areas.The closure includes • clams,oysters,mussels,scallops and other species of molluscan shellfish.This closure does not apply to shrimp.Crabmeat is not known to contain biotoxins but the guts can contain unsafe levels.To be safe, clean crab thoroughly and discard the guts(butter). Marine biotoxins are not destroyed by cooking or freezing. People can become ill from eating shellfish contaminated with the naturally- occurring marine algae containing toxins.Symptoms of PSP can appear within minutes or hours and usually begins with tingling lips and tongue,moving to the hands and feet,followed by difficulty breathing,and potentially death. DSP can cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and chills,very similar to gastrointestinal or stomach flu type symptoms. If you eat DSP-tainted shellfish,symptoms could begin within a few hours and last one to three days at the most.Anyone experiencing symptoms should contact a health care provider. In most cases,the algae that contain the toxins cannot be seen and must be detected using laboratory testing.Therefore, recreational shellfish harvesters should check the DOH website at http://www.doh.wa,qov/CommunityandEnvironment/Shellfish/BeachClosures.aspx or call the DOH Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 before harvesting shellfish anywhere in Washington State. ### Always Working for a Safer&Healther Jefferson County Jefferson County Public Health t 615 Sheridan Street-Port Townsend,WA 98368 Community Health:360 385.94001 Environmental Health:360.385.9444 '` inio@ieffersoncountypublichealth.org JCPH Employee Resources • http://www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/index.php?hood-canal-beaches 9/14/2012 :,ninsula Daily News http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201030... This is a printer friendly version of an article from www.peninsuladailynews.com To print this article open the file menu and choose Print. • Article published Aug 9, 2010 Port Angeles' Hollywood Beach high on dirty-water list for 2009 Peninsula Daily News c_ Hollywood Beach on the Port Angeles waterfront had the second-dirtiest water in Washington state of those monitored for fecal bacteria in 2009, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Camp Parsons Boy Scout Camp in Brinnon was tied for the fifth-dirtiest in the state in "Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches," the council's 20th annual beach water quality report. The report, released in July, singled out beaches that fell short of federal standards for clean water for swimming in 2009. It also tracked the number of closing and health advisory days for beaches because of contamination that could make people sick. The report, which can be found at http://tinyurl.com/ywnwlp, pulled data submitted to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. In 2009, Washington state reported 1,345 coastal beaches, of which 73 -- or 5 percent -- were monitored once a week and 1,272 were not monitored. The dirtiest of the monitored beach water in the state was found at Freeland County Park/Holmes Harbor in Island County, where 20 percent of samples exceeded the daily maximum standards for fecal bacteria, according to the report. Next were Hollywood Beach in Port Angeles at 19 percent and Bayview Boat Launch in Skagit County at 18 percent, followed by Silverdale County Park in Kitsap County at 16 percent. At both Camp Parsons in Jefferson County and Belfair State Park in Mason County, 15 percent of samples exceeded standards, according to the report. The seventh-highest was 11 percent at the Port Williams Boat Launch northeast of Sequim; the ninth-highest 9 percent was at Sequim Bay State Park. The state's beach-monitoring website at ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/beach said Sunday that water quality was good for Hollywood Beach, and there were no advisories or closures for any Clallam County beach. 1 of 3 8/24/2010 9:42 AM «s ninsula Daily News http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201030..: The Point Whitney tidelands near Brinnon was rated as needing "caution" from users because of high indicator bacteria called enterococci, a type of fecal bacteria. There were no advisories or closures for any other Jefferson County beach. • Camp Parsons was listed as "unknown." A 100,000-gallon sewage spill closed Hollywood Beach to water recreation for four days last December after an alleged drunken driver crashed into a wastewater pumping station on Front Street. Dr. Tom Locke, health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties, said that represented the only beach closure on the North Olympic Peninsula in 2009 or 2010. Locke said Hollywood Beach has been rigorously tested for water quality because of its popularity at the entrance to City Pier and in front of the Red Lion Hotel. When higher levels are recorded at Hollywood Beach, Locke said "invariably things would be OK" the following day. Asked why Hollywood Beach passed the threshold in 19 percent of the samples taken last year, Locke said it is probably a "mixed phenomenon." "Some of the [high levels] may be naturally occurring," Locke said. He added: "Storm overflow is probably an issue." • The water quality tests are geared toward mammalian fecal matter, so seals and other marine mammals in the Port Angeles Harbor may be contributing. "One dog doing its business on the tidelands is enough to cause these levels to spike up," Locke said. Personal watercraft can affect water quality, as can higher temperatures in tidal areas. "A certain amount of this is inevitable in marine tidelands because they're so biologically active," Locke said. "There's there's a lot of organisms in the environment." Historically, Locke said Hollywood Beach is the worst for water contamination in the region, followed closely by the Boy Scouts' Camp Parsons in Brinnon. Sequim Bay and Port Williams also have had contaminated water historically, he said. "We try to prevent human, pet or agricultural contamination," Locke said. "Those are the areas we can control." Health officials have seen improvements in water quality in Sequim Bay and Dungeness Bay • because of efforts to replace failing septic systems and best-practices efforts on the part of 8/24/2010 9:42 AM 2 of 3 ;ninsula Daily News http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201030... d livestock owners. Beach monitoring on the Peninsula is overseen by the state departments of Ecology and Health, • which submit data to the EPA. The program monitors high-risk saltwater beaches, which are those that have many recreational users and are near potential bacteria sources such as sewage treatment plants, septic tanks and storm drains. Statewide, 3 percent of samples taken from beaches that were monitored in 2009 violated health standards, indicating the presence of human or animal waste, according to the report. That's down from the 4 percent reported in 2008. Nationwide, 7 percent of beach water samples violated health standards, the same as 2008 and 2007. The national report did not include a year-to-year comparison of pollutants for beaches. The state beach-monitoring program uses local agencies, tribes and volunteers to check bacteria levels at popular, high-risk beaches. The website also provides current beach status, including maps. In addition to Hollywood Beach, Cline Spit County Park, Port Williams Boat Launch and Salt Creek Recreation Area, a county park, are monitored by the program in Clallam County. • In addition to Point Whitney tidelands in Jefferson County, Fort Worden State Park and Quilcene Beach (Herb Beck Marina) are part of the program. All materials Copyright©2010 Horvitz Newspapers. • 3 of 3 8/24/20 l 0 9:42 AM • Boars-of a TeaCth New Business Agenda Item # I'V., 3 Communicable Disease rtl date: Pertussis, 'West NiCe 'Virus & WN2 Influenza September 20, 2012 • 1 Heal t Weekly pertussis update for Washington State 2012 year to date (YTD) confirmed and probable cases reported through 9/8/2012 (week 36) •This update summarizes reports of pertussis in persons with 2012 onsets received by local health jurisdictions (LHJs) during weeks 1-36, made visible to Washington State Department of Health (DOH) - Communicable Disease Epidemiology, and containing sufficient information for a DOH case classification to have been assigned. • There have been a total of 4,007 cases reported statewide through week 36, compared to 405 reported cases in 2011 during the same time period. Dates for the 2011/2012 comparison were based on LHJ notification date. Number of Pertussis Cases Reported in WA State by Notification Week 2011 vs.2012 YTD (9/8/12) 260 Additional cases may have 17240 occurred,especiallyirithemost rZ 220 recent three weeks,that are not O yet available to DOH. '&200 O 180 13 I E 160 c 140 ' -9-• 12o N 100 I 8D 60 4D III II1 - , ''' Ilk" Ill 0 NC7VNCOI-NOON-NM,I,O(Dr-a000.-NMVU,(01�o000 NMV001�N00,-NOVNCOf�o000r-N r-,-a-,-,-�NN-NNNNNNC,INNNOC')OChMC'000MnChVVV,1VVV V,t,r,OLIitn Notification week Kmw7ka j:sY 4v.-w( - *Health •2012 2011 WA State Pertussis Cases Reported by Month and Year with Projected Baseline and Epidemic Thresholds 2005-2011 and 2012 YTD (through July) 850 a 800 2 750 0 700 t" 650 O 600 a 550 E 500 450 a 400 350 Lri cu • 300 U 250 0 200Baseline'150 Epidemic Threshold - - -c2 100 % ------ ------ -------- 50 - oh o`' 4 o`° o. c' 4 4 4 4 ,moo 'moo "^ ''ti ^ti 410 ,�c ,j ,rtc ,j ,ac , ,.c ., an,,,,,, ,, .." -, ,� , bac -, Onset Month and Year 0 1' The highest 5 o/monthly data values }-i 717 t1 i were excluded when projecting the bowline. ! Page 1 of 4 • Two counties have reported no pertussis activity in 2012. • Among the thirty-seven counties with pertussis activity, the number of pertussis cases reported in a given county so far this year ranges from 1 to 624, and the year to date rate of disease in a given county ranges from 2.3 to 461.0 per 100,000 persons (see Table 1). • o The median and mean county rates in counties reporting pertussis activity are 40.5 and 61.4 per 100,000 persons year to date, respectively. • The overall incidence year to date is 59.5 pertussis cases per 100,000 Washington residents with a rate in infants under one year of age of 316.2 per 100,000 (see Table 2). Two hundred and eighty infants under one year of age were reported as having whooping cough and fifty-five of them were hospitalized. Of those hospitalized, forty-six (84%) were very young (three months of age or younger). Adolescents aged 10-13 years old also have a high incidence rate, 264.1 per 100,000, and comprise 23% of the total cases. Table 1. WA State pertussis cases by county, Table 2. WA State pertussis cases by age group, 2012 YTD 2012 YTD County 2010 OFM Number Rate per Age Rate per %cases Population of 100,000 Group 2010 OFM Number 100,000 by age Population of Cases cases persons (years) persons group p Adams 18,300 2 10.9 <1 88,544 280 316.2 7.0 Asotin 21,700 2 9.2 1-4 355,275 509 143.3 12.7 Benton 172,900 70 40.5 5-9 432,656 769 177.7 19.2 Chelan 73,300_ 32 43.7 10-13 346,396 915 264.1 22.8 Clallam 70,100 26 _ 37.1 14-18 454,703 670 147.3 16.7 Clark 435,600 270 62.0 19-24 577,706 141 24.4 3.5 Columbia 4,150 2 48.2 25-44 1,830,703 409 22.3 10.2 Cowlitz 100,000 71 71.0 45-64 1,823,910 243 13.3 6.1 Douglas 38,500 7 18.2 65+ 823,357 71 8.6 1.8 Ferry 7,850 7 89.2 All ages 6,733,250 4,007 59.5 • Franklin 75,500 39 51.7 Grant 87,700 34 38.8 _Grays Harbor 71,600 22 30.7 Island 81,100 45 55.5 Jefferson 29,300 25 85.3 King 1,933,400 615 31.8 Kitsap 248,300 73 29.4 Kittitas 40,500 28 69.1 WA State Pertussis Rates by Age Group Klickitat 20,500 6 29.3 2005-2011 Lewis 75,600 66 87.3 T 225 Lincoln 10,500 2 19.0 c 200 Mason 57,100 13 22.8 0 \175 Okanogan 40,900 13 31.8 0 150 Pacific 22,100 7 31.7 125 Pend Oreille 13,100 4 30.5 a 100 Pierce 814,600 624 76.6 u 75 San Juan 16,500 15 90.9 c Skagit 119,300 550 461.0CD 50 Skamania 10,900 2 18.3 25 - 0 Snohomish 711,100 475 66.8 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Spokane 470,300 130 27.6 Stevens 44,300 34 76.7 Thurston 252,400 36 14.3 *Health Walla Walla 59,600 48 80.5 Whatcom 195,500 276 141.2 Whitman 43,600 1 _ 2.3 Yakima 239,100 335 140.1 • Note. Counties with no reported cases classified as confirmed or probable,2012:Garfield and Wahkiakum. . Page 2 of 4 Arie Jo Washington State Department of 0 f 1 News Release For immediate release: September 13, 2012 (12-139) Contacts: Donn Moyer, Communications Office 360-236-4076 Julie Graham, Communications Office 360-236-4022 West Nile virus update: two more Washington cases confirmed One case acquired the disease in Washington; the other was travel-related OLYMPIA—A Benton County woman is the second Washington resident to be infected with West Nile virus without leaving the state. The woman in her 50s was hospitalized. Another travel-related case has also been confirmed—a teenage boy who lives in Clark County. Test results were confirmed at the Washington State Public Health Laboratories in Shoreline, bringing the total 2012 West Nile virus case count in Washington to four. Nationally, 48 states have reported human West Nile virus infections this year. • In Washington, tests have also confirmed the virus in five mosquito samples so far this year, all from the south central part of the state. A horse in Benton County was diagnosed with West Nile virus infection in August and was euthanized. West Nile virus is primarily a bird disease, and often dead birds are an early sign that the disease is active in an area. People may report dead birds online. No dead birds have been reported with the infection so far this year in the state. The virus is spread when mosquitoes feed on infected birds then bite people, horses, and other mammals. Avoiding mosquito bites is the best prevention for West Nile virus, and the state Department of Health recommends using an effective mosquito repellent when mosquitoes are active. Always follow label instructions when using mosquito repellents. Other West Nile virus prevention tips are available online. West Nile infection can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the spinal cord and brain). People over age 50 have the highest risk for serious illness. Symptoms may include fever, headache, body aches, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation,tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis, and coma. People with severe symptoms should contact a health care provider. —More— West Nile virus confirmed in two more state residents September 13, 2012 Page 2 In 2009, there were 38 human cases of West Nile virus infection among Washington residents, • including the only death from the disease in our state. In 2010, there were two human cases in the state, along with detections in two dead birds and 126 mosquito samples. Five mosquito samples tested positive in 2011 but there were no human or horse cases or dead bird detections. The West Nile virus information line, 866-78-VIRUS, and an online West Nile virus chart are updated as conditions and detections change. The agency YouTube site has three fun videos that remind viewers of the personal protection measures they can take to avoid West Nile virus. The Department of Health website (doh.wa.gov) is your source for a healthy dose of information. Also, find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. ### • • Page 1 of 2 Worst Of West Nile Epidemic Appears S To Be Over by RICHARD KNOX 05:30 pm September 12,2012 � r 3 Justin Sullivan/Getty images Technicians with the Contra Costa County Mosquito and Vector Control District spray insecticide in Brentwood,Calif., last month.Workers fogged areas of the county that had an increase in the numbers of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus. The numbers for West Nile virus cases continue to rise, up 35 percent in the last week. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is confident the nation has turned the corner on its worst-ever epidemic of West Nile virus disease. "Based on historical data, in most of the country the epidemic probably peaked around the end of August,"the CDC's Lyle Petersen told reporters in a teleconference Wednesday. "We're hopeful that the worst of the outbreak is behind us." The current tally is 2,636 cases and 118 deaths. But those numbers don't tell the whole story. Petersen says only about 3 percent of West Nile cases get reported. A more reliable measure comes from the number of people who get the dangerous form of West Nile, so-called neuroinvasive disease. That's infection of the brain or surrounding tissue. . The number of neuroinvasive cases so far this year is 1,406 — about half the highest- ever recorded back in 2003. But because of reporting lags, Petersen is pretty sure this year's total West Nile neuroinvasive infections will match or surpass the 2,866 reported in 2003. nnr nrcr/hings/health/2012/09/12/161022636/worst-of-west-nile-epidemic-appe... 9/13/2012 Page 2 of 2 This gets us close to a real appreciation of West Nile's big impact on America. The CDC figures that for every case of neuroinvasive West Nile infection, 150 to 250 other people get innocuous or mild infections. So if 3,000 Americans get neuroinvasive West Nile infections this year—a rough ID guess of the eventual total — "that could translate into roughly 450,000 infections," Petersen says. Three-quarters of people with infections don't have symptoms. The rest — about 100,000 Americans —will have suffered fever, headache,body aches, nausea and other miseries of symptomatic West Nile infection in 2012. Most likely, almost 300 will have died. But why is this year's West Nile epidemic likely to be the worst since the virus landed on America's shores 13 years ago — probably inside a mosquito that stowed away on a plane or ship?And why was Dallas,with 40 percent of the cases, so susceptible? The CDC is planning to investigate those questions in the months ahead. Researchers plan to look at who got infected and where they were, along with weather information, data on West Nile infection rates among the Culex mosquitoes that carry the virus, and data on populations of susceptible birds such as robins, blue jays and crows.They're also looking at the virus itself,but so far see no genetic signal that it's changed. Clearly weather is important. Outbreaks don't occur in abnormally cold seasons, Petersen says, and they often occur during heat waves. But that's not always the case. • Between now and next spring, he and his colleagues will try to make mathematical models using all these data to see if they can explain why 2012 was such a bad year. But Petersen warns not to expect too much. "The models we've made to date have not been very successful, simply because it's very,very complicated," he says. "It may take more years of observation to tease all this out." west nide virus cdc infectious disease • 1,tt„•//www„nr.org/b1ogs/health/2012/09/12/161022636/worst-of-west-nile-epidemic-appe... 9/13/2012 Dear LHJ Flu Coordinators, • No H3N2v virus infections have been detected in Washington state in people or pigs. From July 12 through August 30, 2012, a total of 288 H3N2v virus infections have been reported in ten states(Hawaii [1],Illinois [4],Indiana[138], Maryland [12], Michigan [5],Minnesota [2], Ohio [101],Pennsylvania [7],West Virginia[3],and Wisconsin [15]). Of these cases, 15 have been hospitalized. One death has occurred in an older adult from Ohio with multiple underlying health conditions who had direct exposure to pigs in a fair setting. This death is a reminder that flu can cause severe illness. CDC has strengthened its public messaging urging people at high risk for influenza complications to avoid contact with pigs and pig arenas at fairs this summer (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/spotlights/h3n2v-more-cases.htm). Last week,CDC reported limited person-to-person transmission of the H3N2v virus (h .://www.cdc..ov/flu/s.otli ts/h3n2v-new-cases.htm). Limited person-to-person transmission of this virus was detected in 2011 so these events are not surprising. At this time,no sustained person-to-person transmission has been identified. The vast majority of cases continue to be associated with swine exposure.More than 90%of cases have occurred in people who are exhibiting or helping to exhibit pigs,or who are family members of these people. CDC has developed a new document with Key Facts for People Exhibiting Pigs at Fairs: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ndf/swineflu/fair exhibitor factsheet.pdf (8/30/12) Other CDC materials you may find useful are available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/h3n2v-resources.htm • We encourage you to share these materials with your fair organizers. Kathy Lofy,M.D. Medical Epidemiologist Washington State Department of Health Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology Phone: 206-418-5500 Public Health--Always Working for a Safer and Healthier Washington • Dear Washington State Fair Association Directors: • Everyone enjoys a fair.Animal shows and exhibits are some of the most popular attractions.They provide people with a firsthand look at an important part of Washington's agriculture. However, livestock and other animals can carry diseases that can be transmitted to people and make them sick. For this reason,the Washington State Board of Health adopted regulations in 2011 that included requirements to protect against disease transmission by animals being exhibited at petting zoos and fairs. These rules require animal venue operators to, • post hand washing signs at each exit, • provide easy access to hand washing stations,and • provide a prominent sign at entrances reminding visitors that: o Animals can carry germs that can make people sick, even animals that appear healthy. o Eating,drinking, or putting things in a person's mouth in animal areas could cause illness. o Older adults, pregnant women, immunocompromised people, people with chronic medical conditions and young children are more likely to become ill from contact with animals. o Young children and individuals with intellectual disabilities should be supervised in animal exhibit areas. o Strollers, baby bottles, pacifiers,and children's toys are not recommended in animal exhibit areas. Exhibitors and animal owners should observe their animals closely for signs of illness and fair/venue officials should be notified immediately when signs of illness are observed.Animals that are confirmed ill should return home immediately to limit exposure to the public and other animals. We encourage fair managers to ensure animal venue operators follow these requirements.This is particularly • important in light of the recent reports of human Influenza A H3N2v virus infections in three states, Indiana, Ohio, and Hawaii. All human cases reported having close contact with swine. In the vast majority, contact occurred while attending or exhibiting swine at an agricultural fair. For details see CDC Health Advisory, http://www.bt.cdc.gov/HAN/han00325.asp.Although we have not detected the H3N2v in swine or people in Washington State,the virus has been found in swine in many states and may be circulating widely in US swine at this time. For more information on these requirements or access to print ready hand washing signs, visit: htt.://www.doh.wa._ov/YouandYourFamil /11InessandDisease/AnimalTransmittedDiseases/RulesandGuidelines/An i m al V en ueOperator.asp x. • �" $t. 9 t f 3 i "fit-$43#"�J a � c " z ar N , ,� ptp 4�a "'3"'jrLrr• p vna . ...ate, . ... ,$ .. ... °` ,,:«INC" ;.. f Pigs are commonly infected with swine influenza (swine flu) viruses that are usually different from human 1 influenza viruses. While rare, influenza can spread from pigs to people and from people to pigs. 1 When people get swine flu, it's usually after contact with pigs. This has happened in different settings, 1 including fairs. Right now, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)is concerned about a new influenza virus that has been found in U.S. pigs and has infected people too. This virus—called H3N2v 1 when it infects people-may spread more easily to humans than is usual for swine flu viruses. There are ways to reduce the spread of influenza viruses between pigs and people. ICDC recommends you: • Wash your hands often with soap and running water before and after exposure to pigs. If I I soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. • Never eat, drink or put things in your mouth in pig areas, and don't take food or drink into pig I. areas. • Never take toys, pacifiers, spill-proof cups, baby bottles, strollers or similar items into pig areas. li • Avoid close contact with pigs that look or act ill. I • Avoid contact with pigs if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms. Avoid contact for 7 days 1 Iafter symptoms begin or until you have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever- $ reducing medications, whichever is longer. • • Watch your pigs for signs of illness and call a veterinarian if you suspect they might be sick. • Children younger than 5 years, people 65 years and older, pregnant women, and people with ; certain chronic medical conditions (like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, weakened immune systems, and neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions) are at high risk from serious f. complications if they get influenza. These people should consider avoiding exposure to i I pigs and swine barns this fair season, especially if sick pigs have been identified. • Take appropriate protective measures if you must come in contact with pigs if you are 3 experiencing flu-like symptoms, or if you must be in the vicinity of pigs known or suspected to be infected with influenza viruses. Protective measures include wearing protective i clothing, gloves, masks that cover your mouth and nose, and other personal protective 1 equipment. Always cover coughs and sneezes, and wash your hands often. A seasonal flu vaccine will not protect people against H3N2v, but there are influenza antiviral drugs that can treat human H3N2v illness as well as infection with seasonal influenza viruses. These antiviral drugs must be i. prescribed by a physician. Early antiviral treatment is most effective for treating influenza, so see a physician as soon as illness hits. F For more information: Telephone:I.-Boo-CDC-INFO (232-4636)/TTY: 1-888-232-63548 Email:cdcinfo(a�cdc.gov Web: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/influenza-variant-viruses-h3n2v.htm •UgUSt 9,2012 -44: , ti Inf( enx DI4flsi' >' u l I ltll}� Washington State Fairs 2012 Dates MARCH III North Central WA Jr Livestock Show March 30—31 AUGUST(continued) Clallam County Fair August 16-19 APRIL Pend Oreille County Fair August 16-19 Whatcom County Youth Show April 6-7 Whidbey Island Area Fair August 16-19 Puyallup Spring Fair April 19—22 Hunter Community&4-H Fair August 18 FFA Spring Fair April 19—22 Benton Franklin Fair August 21-25 Spring WA Jr Poultry Expo April 19—22 Pacific County Fair August 22—25 NW Jr Livestock Show April 19-22 Kitsap County Fair&Stampede August 22—26 St John Community Fair April 26—29 Lincoln County Fair August 23—25 Colton Uniontown Fair April 27 Klickitat County Fair August 23-26 Asotin County Fair April 27—29 Northeast Washington Fair August 23—26 Horse Events April 20—22 North Central WA District Fair August 23—26 Central WA Jr Livestock Show April 29-May 2 Evergreen State Fair August 23—Sept.3 Clayton Community Fair August 24-26 MAY Lacamas Community Fair August 25—26 Jr Livestock Show of Spokane May 1 6 Walla Walla Fair&Frontier Days August 29—Sept 2 Lewis County Spring Youth Fair May 4 6 Wheatland Communities'Fair August 30—Sept 2 Enumclaw Jr Dairy Show May 18-19 Kittitas County Fair August 30—Sept 3 Puget Sound Jr Livestock Show May 31—June 2 Ferry County Fair August 31—Sept 2 JUNE Waitsburg Jr Livestock Show June 9—10 SEPTEMBER Columbia Basin Jr Livestock Show September 6-8 JULY Chelan County Fair September 6-9 Castle Rock Fair July 19—21 Okanogan County Fair September 6—9 Kalama Community Fair July 19—21 Palouse Empire Fair September 6-9 • NW Junior Sheep Expo July 20—21 Columbia County Fair September 7-9 West Valley Community Fair July 24-28 Spokane Interstate Fair September 7-16 Horse,Dog&Cat Show July 21 Western Washington Fair September 7-23 - Cowlitz County Fair July 26—29 Washington State 4H Fair September 7-23 Mason County Fair July 27—29 Washington State FFA Exhibition September 7—23 Silvana Community Fair July 28 Adams County Fair September 12-15 Garfield County Fair September 14-16 AUGUST Washington Jr Poultry Expo September 20-23 Thurston County Fair August 1—5 SE Spokane County Fair September 21-23 King County Fair at Enumclaw August 2 5 Central Washington State Fair September 21-30 Stanwood Camano Fair August 3-5 Clark County Fair August 3—12 Grays Harbor Fair August 8-12 Skagit County Fair August 8—11 Yakima Valley Fair&Rodeo August 8—11 - Pierce County Fair August 9-12 Jefferson County Fair August 10-12 WA State Jr.Horse Show August 10-12 Weshinton m"°w,.e'er°""° The Showplace of Agncufture Valley Community Fair August 11 I'm.194o- Northwest ooNorthwest Washington Fair August 13—18 r Grant County Fair August 14—18 Southwest Washington Fair August 14—19 San Juan County Fair August 15—18 Questions-Gale Sobolesky,WSFA Executive Secretary at Skamania County Fair August 15—19 360-269-9971 or email at wastfair@comcast.net. Wahkiakum County Fair August 16-18 III • Board of 3 [eaCth New Business .Agenda Item #117., 4 • "Boomer" Demographics September 20, 2012 • I 20 M ~0 • ' o 4 ., , ,, , ,1 P i 9 la Cl C • l-n :P3 M. CCm Z3_ z Cli)illOr O ,i CI II cr • a w c s t CTli O N µ- r r VI • . • r O •O 8°: O • :f cu 3 3 n > AncaNt_ 0 to co 0 CD CD fa CD Q. — u+°f+ w (71 A° O f 4 17 D N pp A 1 ' ' III :nADP of •co OchA.fi o 0 0 0 I6* i w N 'CIV CD fib W 1 In 1946, less than a year after World War II ended,Americans began to notice something unexpected:The economy was not sinking back into the Great Depression.Rather,to everyone's surprise, it was growing strongly.And then • people noticed something else: lots of babies. Married couples who had put off having kids in the 1930s and during the war were now eager to start a family. Birth rates surged.The nation was ready to grow."The Great American Boom is on,"announced Fortune magazine that summer. By the early 1950s,everyone was talking about this"baby boom."When would it end?Not soon, it turned out. Increasing productivity and rising wages for young workers--along with new social infrastructure such as suburbs and the interstate system--kept families growing for another decade and a half. By the mid-1960s,the live-for-today counterculture finally extinguished the urge to marry early and have lots of kids,and the birth rate fell. But by then, America had already experienced a seismic demographic shift unlike anything in its history. Baby boomers, defined by the Census Bureau as everyone born from 1946 to 1964,had arrived. The oldest boomers began entering America's college campuses in the mid-1960s,helping to ignite countercultural passions and push the nation into an era of political idealism,cultural awakening and social upheaval. In the years that followed--from LBJ to Reagan,from hippie to yuppie--boomers shook the windows and rattled the walls(to paraphrase Bob Dylan)of everything their parents had built. In so doing,this generation began to manifest so many of the collective attitudes and behaviors for which they have since become famous:their individualism,their attraction to personal risk,their distrust of big institutions,their carelessness about material wealth,their cultivation of self,their die-hard moralism. Now the baby boomers are starting to get old.The first boomer born in 1946 turned 65 last year;the last will reach age 65 in 2029. By then,the total population of Americans over 65 will swell from 41 million to 70 million,a 75 percent increase. In many states,the increase will be even more extreme. For most of the next two decades,the senior population will be growing at well over 3 percent per year.That's far faster than total U.S. population growth, and faster than real gross domestic product(GDP)growth(in recent years,anyway). In 2010,seniors accounted for 13 percent of the population;in 2029,they'll account for 19 percent. One in five people you see walking down the street will be over 65. And the elderly themselves will be getting older.Thanks to the tremendous advances in medicine over the past half III century,the boomer wave isn't just about the post-65 crowd. Between 2020 and 2039, boomers will expand the 75- and-over population by 93 percent. Between 2030 and 2049,the number of Americans 85 and over will climb by 113 percent.Come midcentury, people over 65 will outnumber those age 15 and younger. The consequences of this quantitative population shift are dramatic and sweeping. First and foremost,of course, health-care consumption will skyrocket, along with massive spending increases in federal entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.As retirement-age boomers begin to move out of the workforce,there will be a depressing effect on employment, production, revenues and GDP. Consumption rates will increase,while savings rates will fall. Public capital investments in areas such as training,education and work-related infrastructure will likely decline. But the real story of America's aging population goes far beyond the numbers.There are huge forthcoming shifts in the attitudes and behaviors of seniors.The generation that's about to retire will have vastly different wants, needs, likes and dislikes from previous waves of retirees.To understand the real impact that this demographic change will have--to prepare for this unprecedented shift in population--one must examine what it is that makes this particular generational cohort unique from all others. It's time to get to know the boomers. There's a persistent myth that baby boomers have a lot of wealth.They don't. Even before the Great Recession, boomers weren't very well positioned for retirement. In 2007,just before the housing bubble burst,older households (between 55 and 64)had a median net worth of$266,000, according to data from the Federal Reserve.As David Callahan,an author on wealth and a senior fellow at the liberal Demos policy organization,wrote in June, "That figure included everything--home equity,savings,401(k)s,etc.--and is hardly the kind of money people need to get through their golden years. By 2010,though,the nest eggs of Americans approaching retirement had shrunk dramatically,falling to$179,400--a 33 percent drop." Thanks to a host of factors--including a declining focus on socking money away,the high costs of funding their kids' college educations and paying for their own aging parents'care--a large portion of boomers have found their savings wiped out.A Harris Interactive poll last year found 25 percent of boomers don't have any money saved for 11111 retirement, and 26 percent have no personal savings at all. Today's elderly, especially"Silent Generation"retirees currently in their 70s, are fairly well off. Indeed, relative to younger households, present-day retirees are more financially comfortable than at any time in history.This is a generation that,for the most part, played by the rules and saved scrupulously.They were able to retire on generous • defined-benefit pension plans and got to cash out their home and retirement assets before the 2008 crash. Federal data released earlier this year show that,for the first time ever, households headed by people age 75 and over have a higher median net worth than any younger age bracket. Yet this elder affluence is destined to fade fast as successive waves of boomers turn 65.There will be a pronounced, predictable shift in retirees'overall socioeconomic situation,including a decline in educational attainment and the share with college degrees, a decline in the professional share,a decline in household net worth and pension assets, and a relative decline in pre-retirement income.As a result,these new elders will be in gradually greater risk of ending up in poverty or on the brink of it.That means a rising challenge for public officials concerned for"young elders"without income,food, personal care or health insurance. At the same time that the living standards for the median elder will be on the decline,the inequality of living standards will be on the rise.As economists Mary Elizabeth Hughes and Angela M. O'Rand explain in The Lives and Times of the Baby Boomers,this generation(especially the late-wavers)was hit hard in the 1960s and'70s by rising divorce rates,surging immigration and a widening gap between college and non-college wages.The combined effect was to increase the distance between the haves and have-nots. Other authors,such as Myron Magnet or Charles Murray(in his recent book, Coming Apart),stress a different reason for the rising"spread"in boomer outcomes:the greater lifestyle freedoms young boomers enjoyed, including the freedom to not go to school,get a job,get married or plan for the future.They argue this freedom has adversely impacted America's working class more than its elite. Whatever its causes,this rising inequality will reshape the material look and feel of the new elder lifestyle. High-end vacations and luxe retirement goods may still find a niche market. But staunchly middle-class retirement options likely will disappear. Boomers invented"the hourglass economy,"according to business writer Michael Silverstein,which is characterized by"death in the middle"for the merely average,as opposed to the premium or discount. Even if they can afford it, most boomers are repelled by the idea of a middle-class brand. In the homes of tomorrow's Old Aquarians,you'll find more things from Restoration Hardware or the Dollar Store, and fewer items from anywhere in between. Ethnic and racial diversity will also be on the rise. If today's Silent Generation of elders seems culturally S homogeneous,there's good reason: Due to their spot in history as children of the Great Depression and young adults of the 1950s,the Silent Generation has turned out to be the least-immigrant generation per capita in American history. Boomers will not follow suit.The Hart-Celler Act of 1965 greatly widened the legal window for newcomers, and many other boomers climbed through windows that weren't exactly in the law--making boomers a generation of rising immigration from first to last cohort. Between now and 2030,the Hispanic share of Americans ages 65 to 84 will jump from 7 to 12 percent;the Asian share,from 3 to 6 percent;and the African-American share,from 9 to 11 percent. Boomers aren't as diverse as the younger generations--Generation Xers and millennials--that follow them. But in languages,cuisines, religions and customs,boomers will be a markedly more diverse generation of retirees than the last. What does all this mean for retiring boomers?How will they differ from the generations that preceded them? For starters, boomers will redefine the whole idea of retirement.As the"G.l.Generation"(born between 1901 and 1924)began to retire in the mid-1960s,they pulled the retirement age down dramatically. Back in 1960,one-third of all males over age 65 were employed. By the mid-1980s,thanks to Social Security, Medicare and the spread of private retirement plans,only 15 percent were employed.The retirement age has essentially remained unchanged since then, but boomers are starting to push it up again.The median age of retirement on Social Security,after lingering around 63 for many years, recently ticked up to 64.And the number of Americans in their late 60s who are still working has skyrocketed. In fact,the Great Recession has hardly touched the employment of seniors. Since 2007,the number of jobs held by Americans over 60 has risen by 3 million--while declining by more than 5 million for everyone 60 or younger. It's not hard to explain why more seniors are working,and why the number will accelerate even faster as more boomers rush past 65:economic necessity.According to MRP, "current financial need"is by far the single biggest reason older workers cite for working past the normal retirement age.What's more,this is no surprise to most r boomers,who have known for a long time that they would have to retire later. Between 1996 and 2006,according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute,the share of workers ages 45 to 54 who expected to retire at some point beyond age 65 rose from 13 to 31 percent.Since the financial meltdown,the numbers have simply tilted further. In 2012,43 percent expect to retire after 65. But money isn't the whole story. Even among aging Americans who can afford to retire, many will choose to keep working. For a lot of successful boomers,retirement sounds like death.They'll choose to stay engaged in productive activity even if they don't need the money. One out of five boomers,according to AARP,insist that they work mainly for"psychological or social fulfillment."Millions of boomers are following the model of Bill Clinton or Bill Gates and starting a post-retirement"encore career,"using their skills in the service of some higher cause--education, health, the environment,social welfare--for little or no pay.New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof calls this a"give- back revolution"and hopes that if enough boomers find a meaningful calling late in life, "they may just be remembered more for what they did in their 60s than for what they did in the Sixties." The bottom line is that over-65 households in the next few decades are much more likely to be working households than their counterparts 10 or 20 years ago.That will be helped along by the increasing popularity of free-agent and part-time working arrangements, as well as broadband and other technological improvements that make it easier and more acceptable for the multitude of boomer"cultural creatives"to work from home. Boomers whose jobs don't allow them to work remotely or part-time--and those with disabilities that prevent them from continuing to work--will be at a disadvantage. Unfortunately,many of those people are already low-income earners. In recent years, boomers(mostly those without college degrees)have been"retiring"on disability insurance (DI)before age 65 at a 50 percent higher rate than the Silent Generation did back around 1990. Few DI recipients ever work again or regain any sort of income security.The disability boom among boomers(DI cash benefits have grown nearly as fast as Medicare over the last decade),accompanied by surging employment by nondisabled boomers approaching age 65,further reinforces the widely divergent outcomes within this new generation of elders. All told, retirement for boomers won't look anything like what it's been for the past several decades. For most, retirement will be delayed and gainful employment will become the new normal.And if the weak job market lingers for younger Americans,fat senior wages could trigger broader policy changes. Gen Xers and millennia's may complain • that boomers'refusal to retire is making it impossible for them to advance in their careers. It was just that kind of argument that helped secure passage of the original Social Security Act of 1935--intended to clear out the deadwood and,in the words of New York Sen. Robert Wagner,the original sponsor of the bill,to"make new places for the strong and eager." Thirty or 40 years ago,there were stark, clear differences in generational likes and dislikes.Youthful boomers invented the generation gap and the notion that you shouldn't trust anyone over 30. Boomers actively, purposefully chose to have nothing in common with their parents. Not so today. Pop culture now is much more universal. Boomers and their kids swap book recommendations and trade emails about last night's"American Idol."They post Facebook updates about the same celebrity breakups,and they see the same movies.Their iPod playlists overlap.The generation gap has been erased. Beyond pop culture, a growing closeness between boomers and their young adult children reflects a major shift in family dynamics. One example: Millennials are much more comfortable gravitating back home. in 1980, 11 percent of 24-to 34-year-olds lived with their parents. In 2010,22 percent did. Part of that certainly has to do with the weak job market, but it's also indicative of the complete closure of the values gap. Boomers and their children maintain much closer financial relationships than boomers did with their own parents. Boomers are still helping their kids find jobs, cosign mortgages or car loans, pay for family vacations,and care for grandchildren. Grown kids, meanwhile,are helping their boomer parents with chores, shopping and other errands. Those stronger family connections will continue to play out as boomers get older.When the G.I.Generation retired, many of them packed up their bags, sold their homes and moved to retirement communities in sunny climes far away from their adult children. Most boomers won't want that--partly because of the desire to be near their kids,and partly because, again, many boomers will continue working well past retirement age.The new elders are much more likely to choose to age in place, in the house where they already live,than to decamp to an existing retirement village.The boomer buzzword for this phenomenon will be NORC,or"naturally occurring retirement community." Four out of five boomers tell AARP they want to remain in their own homes even when they need assistance. The 410 next decade promises to be the golden age of the home remodeler,as boomers with funds turn that circa-2000 t pleasure-palace McMansion into a rambling circa-2020 extended-family home reminiscent of the rambling Depression-era residences in all those old Frank Capra movies. To the extent that boomers do move,they'll be much less interested in exclusive elder communities. Many will prefer mixed-use urban quarters where they can be around young people.And of course many will be attracted to locales-- university towns,art centers--where they can reaffirm their connection to the world of the mind and culture. Even when they do opt to move to active adult communities,they'll choose to stay closer to home.Already,retirement- home developers have begun building fewer massive seniors-only projects in Arizona and Florida,and more smaller developments around various cities in the Northeast and Midwest.Wherever it's located,though,the elder community of the next couple decades is likely to have fewer rules and more opt-out provisions.Forget those restrictions against kids living in the communities. (For now,such edicts remain a great favorite among local authorities who want the revenue that comes with retirees, but not the extra costs that come with kids.That will change.) With boomers,as always,one must keep in mind the widening spread in outcomes--not just between rich and poor, but between familied and unfamilied.Coming of age amid feminism and watershed changes in gender roles, lots of boomer women have chosen not to have kids.To be specific,the share of women who are childless at or near the end of their childbearing years has risen from 10 percent for those born around 1940 to 20 percent for those born around 1965.So even with all the reconnecting within extended families, a growing number of boomer elders will have new ways of defining family.They will be adoptive parents,connecting into blended families through remarriage or doting on their nieces and nephews. Many will gather in intentional communities,cooperatives or just close groups of friends and neighbors and consider these their"family."Today,we habitually think of elders as defined by their lifetime marriages and nuclear families.Twenty years from now,we no longer will. Compared to their parents' generation,boomers have always lived on the edge. In their youth,they launched a behavioral trend toward personal risk-taking:higher rates of drug use,teen pregnancy, suicide and self-inflicted accidents,along with lower test scores,later marriages and later career choices.They've taken that"born to be wild" streak—"If I have to break the rules to do it my way, I will"--and stuck with it.Americans in their 50s and early 60s have recently been experiencing sharply rising rates of drug overdoses,sexually transmitted diseases, motorcycle fatalities,and suicides.This will continue as they move past age 65. Especially worrisome are personal-risk habits that have adversely affected their health.As boomers have reached4111 midlife,for example,rates of chronic disease for people in their 50s and 60s have risen sharply,especially diseases driven by obesity,like type 2 diabetes. Disabilities that limit activities of daily living(ADLs)are also more common. For the last 30 or 40 years,as the G.I. and Silent generations retired,ADL disabilities among those 65 and older have been on the decline.Some health experts and demographers believe that as boomers move past 65,that trend may reverse."Even in older age, people have an amazing ability to change behavior and for that to change health risk," Teresa Seeman, professor of epidemiology at the University of California in Los Angeles,told the Los Angeles Times a few years ago."If we don't do anything,we're going to face an older population that is bigger and much more disabled." The implications for health-care spending are alarming. Even before the boomer age wave hit, U.S. health spending was already growing faster than GDP.The sheer size of the boomer demographic is certain to accelerate the pace of health spending.The elderly spend three times more than the average per capita on acute care,and 10 times more on long-term care.Adding the extra kicker of accumulated lifestyle behavior will push costs up even more. In other words, higher risks have higher costs. Yet boomer attitudes toward health care may come with a bright side.This is a generation that came of age with a new"natural"and"holistic"attitude toward diet,exercise and healthy living.While that hasn't proven very effective in improving lifestyle habits,it has certainly changed boomers'approach to health-care treatment.More than their parents or grandparents,boomers look energetically for alternatives to high-tech industrial medicine and want to be fully informed and personally involved in their own healing.Most physicians believe these attitudes tend to improve compliance and keep costs down. Hospitals are now starting to offer natural foods,allowing complementary and alternative medicines, building rock gardens,and hiring spiritual and lifestyle counselors. Many of these New Age tools may help.They can't hurt.And they're much cheaper than installing another million-dollar MRI scanner. Boomers'aversion to long-term institutional care--combined with the greater willingness of family to pitch in and the reluctance of government to spend--has already led to a dramatic reduction in the new nursing home units that state and local governments are expected to build. (Several states have flatly declared they will build no new units.) Boomers will be much more interested in home-health options or more flexible modes of assisted living.When boomers do enter long-term care,a growing share will insist on small, informal,decentralized units that have live-in staff and allow plenty of plants and pets. One prototype for this new approach is the Green House Project,whose motto("Caring homes for meaningful lives")is pitch-perfect for boomers. Overall, boomers are struggling with the challenge of staying healthy,and many are losing in that struggle.Yet they're also much more open to the argument that health is partly a state of mind. For states and cities,this outlook could allow health dollars to be more effectively targeted. It certainly opens the way to positive reforms in the way the health-care industry is organized and how it provides services. There's long been a notion that elders are active,engaged citizens and one of the biggest, most organized political blocs.That was largely true for G.I. and Silent generation retirees. But don't expect it to continue. Boomers in old age will be less"gray panthers"and more"bowling alone."The generation that invented McMansions and the exurbs has never been big on group cooperation,and that isn't going to change now.With every age bracket they've entered so far, boomers have marked a decline in civic participation,including voting,municipal meetings, petition campaigns, letter-writing and responding to pollsters.That attitude will start to transform the reputation of seniors as highly engaged civic participators to something far less—or at least different.The media keeps reiterating the idea that boomers will add their vast numbers to the powerful senior associations that exist today. But the me-first boomers don't join associations. Boomers will engage on issues, but they'll tend to be single-cause issues. Unlike their parents, boomers have never organized successfully around their own self interest. In other words, boomers won't respond at all until you push their buttons and elicit passionate and perhaps"uncivic"engagement. Distrust and cynicism will rise.Today's retirees tend to be civil and respect expertise even when they may disagree with it.Tomorrow's boomers will find it much easier to be uncivil,to regard passion as a sign of commitment and to disrespect expertise freely. Prepare for a plethora of angry bloggers and retired professionals who know how to file an obstructive lawsuit in a heartbeat. For state and local governments,that could represent a shift in how they communicate and interact with the population at large.Currently,government communications often start with older generations--including seniors--as the best way to get everyone on board: Elected officials phone civic leaders,visit corporate boards and place editorials in newspapers. By engaging older people and getting their attention and compliance,the assumption is that tuned-out young people will simply go along.As time passes,governments may want to rethink that strategy.A better • way may be to try harder to connect with a more trusting,networked and plugged-in generation of young adults while actually doing less with an increasingly unplugged generation of elders.This means communicating more through K- 12 schools, colleges,youth groups and on Facebook--and leveraging the power of young parents and volunteers to spread the message and sway opinion through their own networks. Boomers can still be helpful, but in a new way.The boomers'parents--those whom we still call"senior citizens"-- were(and in their 80s and 90s, still are)happy to serve as ground troops, licking 100 envelopes, phoning 10 friends, and following any directions they are given.With boomers,though,that won't be any more effective after age 65 than it was before.What works much better is to bring in boomers early in the process,listen to their insights, help them "discover"for themselves the need for a new government initiative and then let them communicate that"vision thing" to the community in any way they want.Again, boomers have always been better talkers than doers. Don't even try to give them orders. Instead, inspire them to become passionate advocates of your cause. Even while boomers fall in civic engagement and dissociate themselves ever further from the"senior citizen"self- image,they will continue to rise in terms of social cachet and cultural creativity.They'll continue to drive popular culture: Expect to keep seeing the likes of Mick Jagger,Tom Petty, Madonna and Brian Wilson celebrated during Super Bowl halftimes even as they age into their 70s. For boomers,the most sought-after local communities will be renowned for their culture,their soul,their unique story,their authenticity--not,as it might have been for G.I. Generation retirees,for their wide roads, gleaming tiles and endless golf courses. Many boomers will be congregating around universities and colleges,art and music hubs,and natural and historic landmarks. In so doing,the boomers will have entirely reversed the reputation of their G.I. Generation predecessors in old age as civically powerful and culturally weak;elder boomers will be civically weak and culturally powerful. The takeaways for policy leaders are clear. Even as officials push communication about rules, regulations, cooperation,and compliance toward the young,they will want to invite the old to frame the rhetoric and announce the vision around which the community is being asked to come together. In the 2020s,young people will listen to the old on values--in a way they never dreamed of doing back in the 1970s. • • Board of 3feaCth mew Business .Agenda Item #117., 5 Substance .Abuse Advisory Board • Re-appointment September 20, 2012 • 4111 PORT TOWNSEND POLICE DEPARTMENT 1925 Blaine Street, Suite 100 Port Townsend,WA 98368A a Ali(360) 385-2322 lip Fax: (360) 379-4438 _ '',10111 si,.: September 5,2012 Jefferson County Commissioners Jefferson County Washington RE: Substance Abuse Advisory Board Dear Commissioners: My term on the Substance Abuse Advisory Board is about to expire. I would like to re-apply to be a board member so that I may continue to serve on the board for another term. Sincerely, o i L ' f Conner L.Daily Chief of Police • • r Board of CeaCth Nledia Report • September 20, 2012 • e � _ Jefferson County Public Health August/September 2012 _ NEWS ARTICLES 1. "Back-to-school immunizations offered, laws on exemptions have changed," Port Townsend Leader, August 10th, 2012. 2. "Anderson Lake's toxins drop, but it's still closed," Peninsula Daily News, August 13th, 2012. 3. "Quilcene, Dabob bays reopen to shellfish harvest," Port Townsend Leader, August 13th, 2012. 4. "Jefferson County schools prepare to open after Labor Day," Peninsula Daily News, August 15th, 2012. 5. "Fall sport practices to begin," Port Townsend Leader, August 15th, 2012. 6. "Septic system workshops set," Port Townsend Leader, August 15th, 2012. 7. "Second ORCAA station unlikely," Port Townsend Leader, August 15th, 2012. 8. "Landfill opponents aim to fill BOH meeting Thursday," Port Townsend Leader, August 15th, 2012. 9. "Letter: Precipitator efficiency is issue," Port Townsend Leader, August 15th, 2012. 10. "Letter: Voice concerns to health board," Port Townsend Leader, August 15th, 2012. 11. "Let's Focus on the Landfill of the Port Townsend Paper Corporation," Port Townsend Leader, August 15th, 2012. 12. "FREE Septic System Classes Offered," Port Townsend Leader, August 15th, 2012. 13. "Vibrio bacteria prompts closure in Dabob Bay," Peninsula Daily News, August 17, 2012. 14. "Port Townsend Paper mill officials expected to meet with county, state on landfill permit," Peninsula Daily News, August 19th, 2012. 15. "BPA mulls contract extension with mill," Peninsula Daily News, August 19th, 2012. 16. "Anderson Lake open - but no one shows on first post-quarantine day," Peninsula Daily News, August 19th, 2012. di17. "Lake algae problem eases; Anderson Lake reopens," Port Townsend Leader, August 22nd, 2012. 18. "Health board hears both sides in mill landfill debate," Port Townsend Leader, August 22nd, 2012. 19. "Letter: Anti-cogen scare tactics do a disservice," Port Townsend Leader, August 22nd. 2012. 20. "LEE HORTON'S OUTDOORS COLUMN: Anderson Lake is open for now," Peninsula Daily News, August 23rd, 2012. 21. "Gibbs Lake joining Anderson Lake on closure list; toxins again," Peninsula Daily News, August 24th, 2012. 22. "DANGER: Lake algae toxins spike: Anderson, Gibbs lakes are closed," Port Townsend Leader, August 27th, 2012. 23. "Jefferson to consider creating mental health court," Peninsula Daily News, August 28th, 2012. 24. "PT AirWatchers pleased EPA to review Clean Air Act rules," Port Townsend Leader, August 29th, 2012. 25. "Toxins drop, but lakes will stay closed," Peninsula Daily News, September 3rd, 2012. 26. "Immunization exemption rates still high in JeffCo," Port Townsend Leader, September 5th, 2012. 27. "West Nile cases first human ones in state in two years," Peninsula Daily News, September 9th, 2012. 28. "Gibbs reopens in East Jefferson County," Peninsula Daily News, September 9th, 2012. 29. "Mental health court seen as budget savings," Port Townsend Leader, September 10th, 2012. 30. "FREE Septic System Classes Offered," Port Townsend Leader, September 12th, 2012. 31. "Watchdog group meets after mill permit deadline," Port Townsend Leader, September 12th, 2012. 32. "Mystery Bay management plan wins national award," Peninsula Daily News, September 12th, 2012. • 8/10/2012 1:32:00 AM,Port Townsend Leader • Back-to-school immunizations offered, laws on exemptions have changed Do not wait much longer this summer to consider back-to-school vaccinations for children, advises Jefferson County Public Health officials. The requirements for school shots change slightly every year. If you are not sure if your child is up to date for all immunizations, check with your health care provider or call the health department at 385-9400. Other vaccines that can prevent serious diseases are recommended for children and teens by the Centers for Disease Control, but are not required for school attendance. Vaccines are available free or at low cost for students under age 19. Ask your provider or Jefferson County Public Health about available vaccines. Meningococcal vaccine is one that is especially important for freshmen entering college. HPV vaccine is recommended for all adolescents, according to health officials. Exemptions require consult The law regarding vaccination exemptions for school changed last year. • Parents wishing to exempt their children from required immunizations must consult with a licensed health-care provider regarding the benefits and risks of immunizations and of withholding immunizations. The provider must sign the certificate of exemption form to be filed with the school. Health-care providers do not need to sign the form for parents who show membership in a church or religious body that does not allow medical treatment by a health-care provider. Jefferson County Public Health has walk-in immunization clinics from 1 to 4 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at 615 Sheridan St., Port Townsend. No appointment is necessary. Call Jefferson County Public Health, 385-9400, for more information. To schedule an appointment for school immunizations, call your medical provider. Jefferson Healthcare Primary Care, Jefferson Healthcare Family Medicine, Jefferson Medical & Pediatric Group, and South County Medical Clinic all stock publicly funded pediatric vaccines. T Anderson Lake's toxins drop, but it's still closed • By Leah Leach, Peninsula Daily News, August 13, 2012 PORT TOWNSEND—The toxins in Anderson Lake were measured below the warning level last week for the first time since it was closed for the season May 3—but the lake will remain closed for at least one more week. The level of anatoxin-a, a quick-acting nerve poison produced by blue-green algae, was measured at 0.95 micrograms per liter of water—just below the warning level of 1 microgram per liter—in a sample taken from the lake last Monday, said Greg Thomason, Jefferson County environmental health specialist, Friday after test results were received. The county recommendation to State Parks is that the lake in Anderson Lake State Park remain closed until two weeks of test results show that the lake is safe. "We need one more week of anatoxin being below the warning level and then we'll recommend that the state open it,"Thomason said. Only the lake is closed in Anderson Lake State Park, which is between Port Townsend and Chimacum. The 410-acre parkland surrounding the lake remains open. A Discover Pass is needed to park there. Toxin levels can change quickly, so public health officials want to see additional results before recommending that the lake be reopened for fishing and other recreation. The level of microcystin, a potential liver toxin over the long term that can cause skin irritation and nausea in the short term, was measured in Anderson Lake at 0.06 micrograms per liter, far below the warning • level of 6 micrograms per liter. Elevated levels of anatoxin-a have prompted closures of the lake since two dogs died after drinking lake water during the Memorial Day weekend in 2006. This season, the popular trout-fishing lake opened only for a few days before skyrocketing levels of anatoxin-a prompted its closure. Samples in the first week of July contained 619 micrograms per liter of the deadly toxin. Other lakes in East Jefferson County are safe, Thomason said, although he is watching Gibbs Lake warily. The most recent sample from Gibbs Lake showed no anatoxin-a and a safe amount of microcystin at 2.5 micrograms per liter—but the level of microcystin is rising. "Two weeks in a row, it's still rising," Thomason said. The popular swimming hole south of Port Townsend also has a heavy bloom with scum along the shore, he said. Toxins could be concentrated in the scum, he said. "People shouldn't let their toddlers get into it," he warned. Neither anatoxin-a nor microcystin could be detected in Lake Leland north of Quilcene. Caution signs remain posted at Gibbs Lake and Lake Leland because both contain species of blue-green � T algae that are known to sometimes produce toxins. Researchers know that warm weather fuels algae growth when sufficient nutrients such as phosphates • are present, but they don't know why some types of algae, which usually are benign will suddenly begin to produce toxins. The low levels of toxins are a typical pattern for the time of year, Thomason said. "It's a nice time when we have low toxins," he said. "Both tend to drop off." If the pattern holds, the level of anatoxin-a will stay low for the rest of the season while microcystin creeps up, Thomason said. "Later in August, microcystin usually picks up," he said. "We'll have to sit tight and see what happens. Anatoxin-a acts quickly and can cause paralysis and stop breathing. The most severe effect of microcystin is that some people could develop liver failure if they have consumed water containing the toxin over a long period of time. Its short-term effects can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin irritation and burning, abdominal pain, blistering in the mouth and sore throat. Weekly test results are announced Fridays after samples are taken Mondays. No toxic blue-green algae has been reported in Clallam County, where health officers do not test for toxins; instead, they visually monitor lakes for signs of algae bloom. • Report algae blooms in Clallam County by phoning 360-417-2258. Report algae blooms in Jefferson County by phoning 360-385-9444. For more information about lake quality in Jefferson County, visit the environmental health website at http://tinyurl.com/6z64ofy. Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leach(cr7peninsuladailynews.com. Last modified:August 12.2012 6:12PM • , r T 8/13/2012 11:17:00 AM,Port Townsend Leader 0 Quilcene, Dabob bays reopen to shellfish harvest Quilcene Bay and Dabob Bay have reopened for recreational shellfishing. Levels of the marine biotoxin that cause diarrhetic shellfish poisoning are currently below the recreational closure level. The majority of Jefferson County's recreational shellfish beaches remain closed due to high marine biotoxin levels. Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning closures are in effect for the following beaches: Discovery Bay and Hood Canal from Seal Rock Campground south to the Mason County line. Paralytic shellfish poisoning closures are in effect for the following beaches: Port Ludlow, including Mats Mats Bay; Discovery Bay; Port Townsend Bay; Oak Bay; Admiralty Inlet; and Kilisut Harbor, including Mystery Bay. Signs have been posted at high-use beaches warning people not to consume shellfish from these areas. The closure includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and other species of molluscan shellfish. This closure does not apply to shrimp. Crabmeat is not known to contain biotoxins, but the guts can contain unsafe levels; clean crab thoroughly and discard guts. IIICommercially harvested shellfish is sampled separately and products on the market should be safe to eat, according to a press release from Jefferson County Public Health. Recreational shellfish harvesters should check the DOH website at doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/biotoxin.htm or call the DOH Biotoxin Hotline at 800-562-5632 before harvesting shellfish anywhere in Washington. • Jefferson County schools prepare to open after Labor Day 0ArwRice • Peninsula yn Daily News,August 15,2012 Jefferson County school districts are preparing to open for the 2012-2013 school year, and students are already returning for pre-school-year activities. End of summer activities include sports camps and practices, marching band camps, class registrations and freshman orientations at area high schools. Athletics practices High school athletics practices begin today for football, and other sports practices Monday. The earliest possible first day of practice is dictated by the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association, though teams have the option of starting later. All schools are scheduled to start classes Tuesday, Sept. 4, the day after the Labor Day holiday. Port Townsend schools A sports physical clinic is set from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and the following Tuesday at the Port Townsend High School health clinic at 1500 Van Ness St. Appointments can be made by phoning 360-385-9400. Walk-ins also are welcome. Grant Street Elementary School offices will reopen Tuesday, while Blue Heron Middle School and the high school offices will reopen Aug. 22. • All-day kindergarten classes will begin Sept. 6, and half-day kindergarten students will begin Sept. 10. Middle school new student registration will begin Aug. 23. Port Townsend High's Back to School Day is Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Students can pick up their class schedules, take school photos, complete paperwork, get student identification and purchase student items. A freshman parent meeting will be at 4 p.m. Aug. 27 in the high school auditorium, and freshman orientation will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Aug. 28. New student registration will take place by appointment Aug. 28-30. For appointments, phone 360-379-4520. School bus routes and school bell schedules are available at www.ptschools.org. Chimacum schools The Fourth Annual Back-to-School clothes swap will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Chimacum Elementary School multipurpose room at 91 West Valley Road. Parents are invited to swap outgrown clothes, shoes and back packs. Participants also can donate clean ready-to wear-items in children's sizes 5-16, or purchase items for$1. Chimacum High Schools' Cowboy Day—and Chimacum Middle School's Eagle Day—will be Aug. 30, also at • 91 West Valley Road. Students can receive their class schedules and complete paperwork. r , r Cowboy Day hours are 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. for freshmen, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. for sophomores, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for juniors and 11 a.m. to noon for seniors. Eagle Day hours are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Sixth-grade orientation will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 30. School bus routes and school bell schedules are available at www.csd49.orq. Quilcene Returning students already have received their class schedules and assignments, said district registrar Carrie Thompson. New student registration will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 29-30. "If you're registering a new student, please make sure you have copies of vaccination records, and they are up to date," Thompson said. For additional information, call the district registrar at 360-765-3363, ext. 249 School bus routes and school bell schedules are available at www.quilcene.wednet.edu. Brinnon New student registration forms can be downloaded at the school's website and delivered to the district offices at 46 Schoolhouse Road. For more information, phone 360-796-4646 or go to www.bsd46.org. • Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345,ext.5070.of at arwynricer0rpeninsuladailynews.cam. Last modified August 14.2012 5 52P , , , , • • Fall sport practices to begin Paperwork is the first step For athletes who need This is also the first day of website. All freshmen must for high school (and middle physicals, the school-based practice for the remaining have a new physical examina- school) student athletes to health clinic at PTHS is open fall sports. Players without tion to participate. begin the 2012-13 season. for sports physicals from 9 paperwork clearance cannot Physicals are good for two Student athletes without a.m.to 3 p.m.on Friday,Aug. practice. years.Junior students or stu- paperwork clearance, and 17 and Tuesday, •Aug. 21. Tuesday, Aug. 21: ASB dents playing for the first time that includes a medical physi- Athletes should call Jefferson office is open 9 a.m.-2 p.m. should also plan to get a new cal document, cannot prac- County Public Health, 385- Wednesday,Aug.22:PTHS physical. tice. Physicals are available 9400 to schedule an appoint- main campus opens. Students th e h theirnetphysi- at school-based health clinics ment. Walk-ins are also wel- calg own physi - at Y at both Port Townsend High come. CHIMACUM cian or at the school-based School and Chimacum High Wednesday, Aug. 15: The Chimacum High School health clinic in the CHS corn- School. PTHS Associated Student student athletes must submit mons from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m.on Body (ASB) office opens for all required forms to their Wednesday,Aug. 15, Monday, PORT TOWNSEND fall sports paperwork on this coach or the school district Aug. 20 or Wednesday, Aug. All incoming freshmen day,9 a.m.-2 p.m.This is also office to be eligible to prac- 22. Athletes should call need a current physical,noth- the first day of football prac- tice.Forms can be obtained in Jefferson County Public ing earlier than April 2012, tice(the first game is Aug.31). the district office during the Health, 385-9400, to sched- before participating in an ath- Monday, Aug. 20: ASB summer(limited hours)or on ule an appointment, although letic team's practice. office is open 9 a.m.-2 p.m. the Chimacum School District walk-ins are also welcome. • • P r ject f- � r t � Sable cost. Homeowners who wish to be authorized need to com; plete two training courses: Septics 101, which offers the basics of septic system operation and maintenance: This class will be available both online and in a classroom format. Septics 201, which is a step-by-step inspection of the septic system and report= ing the results. This class is offered online only. Classes for Septics 101 are offered 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Aug. 21 at the Port Ludlow Fire Hall, 7650 Oat; Bay Road;3-5 p.m.,Thursda} Septic system Aug. 23, in the Gardiner Community Center, 980 Old Workshops Set Gardiner Road; 6:30-8:30 The Jefferson County p.m.,Tuesday,Sept. 18,in the Board of Health recently voted Tri Area Community Center; to change regulations to allow 10 W. Valley Road; 6:30-8:30 authorized homeowners to p.m., Thursday, Sept. 27, in complete most required sep- the Quilcene Community tic system monitoring inspec- Center,294952 Hwy. 101;and tions,and free classes are now 3-5 p.m., Monday, Oct. 1, ui being offered. the Brinnon Senior Centex', A goal of the program is 306144 Hwy. 101. to provide information about Registration is required; septic system operations, Space is limited. Call 385; maintenance and inspections, 9444 to sign up or go t0 as well as to make it easier jeffersoncountypublichealth; to complete the monitoring org for online classes and inspections at a more reason- other training. S PT a /w //r-/,2, ' r Second ORCAA station unlikely ir-monitoring station at Blue Heron Middle School could move closer to mill By Megan Ciaflin of the Leader r environment,McNair said. Jefferson County Board of Health members Adding a second air quality monitoring station �L voted earlier this year to write a letter to ORCAA in Port Townsend, closer to the Port Townsend and the Port Townsend Paper Corp.requesting a Paper Corp.,is unlikely. , s e x new air quality monitor in Port Townsend. The The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency talgT.4U=a -- , communities of Sequim and Port Angeles have (ORCAA)is looking at how to distribute service ' ,4 made similar requests,McNair said. VT fairly between six counties. Each station costs approximately$20,000. "For the fust time in our 40-plus-year history, ' . "There is a lot of public desire,but very little the public is raising serious concerns about our funding," she said. "Absolutely zero [monetary] monitoring network, so we are redrafting our CogeFieration support comes from the jurisdictions asking for plan to address needs across the peninsula,"saidadditional monitoring." ORCAA Executive Director Fran McNair on Aug. atOperating seven stations across Clallam,Grays 10. Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties, ORCAA receives a portion of its fund- MONITORING STATION COSTS ' ,, , •, ing from federal and state tax appropriations and A monitoring station is located at Blue Heron grants.Washington residents contribute about 45 Middle School to monitor wood smoke in the McNair said. cents per year—the price of a postage stamp—to Happy Valley area;the station also is used for sci- As debate surrounding the burning of woody the organization's clean air initiatives, McNair ence education.A second station at Grant Street biomass for cogeneration at the Port Townsend said. Elementary School was under consideration,but Paper Corp. intensifies, ORCAA has received "Of our seven stations, Jefferson County the addition of a new boiler with a rooftop smoke- more inquiries and requests from the public about has one and Clallam County has two, but 50 stack at that school put the site out of the running, the potential effects on human health and the See AIR,Page 8 V Air: City askec to join debate ',Continued from page 1 Port Townsend City Council's authorities, council member • percent of our customers Special Projects Committee and committee chair Michelle reside in Thurston County," voted on Aug. 8 to have the Sandoval said the city still has she said."So,we already know full council consider whether a responsibility to address the the north peninsula is getting or not to follow suit. concerns of its citizens. more bang for their buck." "If this turns into a compe- "I think it is disingenuous McNair said changes in tition with other cities,I think to simply say we don't have key staff positions, including [the city]needs to put forth an jurisdiction and rely on that as equal or greater effort," said a reason not to get involved," hiring Dr. Odelle Hadley, an atmospheric chemist who for- council member Mark Welch. she said."If we stuck to that merly conducted research at Adamant that limited 'stay in your lane' mental- Lawrence Berkeley National resources not be spent debat- ity,there are many issues we Laboratory,has put the orga- ing the merit of various opin- wouldn't have gotten involved nization in flux. She said ions related to cogeneration, in." discussion about the num- but reluctant to abstain from Sandoval gave as an ber, placement and operation the discussion altogether,the example the City Council's of stations is scheduled for committee reviewed a list of active participation in past ORCAAS board of directors possible actions the council discussions with the state meeting in September. could take. Department of Transportation Compiled by City Attorney on restoring and transforming IN THE QUEUE John Watts, options ranged local ferry service. In July,the city councils of from no action to voting on an A half-dozen people, both Sequim and Port Angeles official stance—for or against including Bill Wise,a biomass passed resolutions requesting —the project. proponent;Roger Loney,presi- ORCAA "to finance, furnish Reminding the 10 or so dent of Port Townsend Paper and maintain,"additional air community members in the Corp.; Eveleen Muehlethaler, quality monitoring stations audience that Port Townsend vice president of environmen- in their immediate vicini- officials do not have jurisdic- tal affairs for the mill; and ties. Concerned that Port tion over the Port Townsend Gretchen Brewer, executive Townsend could lose out if Paper Corp.,as the paper mill director of the Port Townsend ORCAA decided to reposition is located in Jefferson County AirWatchers,gave public coin- its monitoring stations, the and reports to state-level ment at the meeting. S Landfill oaim to fill BOH meeting Thursday By Allison Arthur of the Leader once it's full. tion project. "We got more than 350 The landfill is expected to The Port Townsend Paper signatures in three days," fill up faster because of the Corp.'s landfill permit won't said petition organizer Sally biomass project. be on the Jefferson County Shumaker. The mill has been Board of Health agenda Aug. Shumaker and others using the 25-acre landfill 16, but it's the one subject a want Jefferson County Public for more than 40 years. new group plans to bring up Health Officer Dr.Tom Locke Environmental laws took during public comment. to insist on an LPL permit effect in the 1980s and the The board meets at 2:30 and not allow the mill to do mill started out with one p.m.Thursday,Aug. 16 at the what it calls a hybrid permit, kind of permit. It conducted Masonic Hall, 1338 Jefferson an inert permit with condi- groundwater testing through' St. tions similar to the LPL. 2004, but stopped when it A new group called Port "Continuing with an`inert' obtained an inert permit. Townsend Citizen Watchdogs permit, in any form, is a Jefferson County and the is encouraging people to mistake,"the group said in a state Department of Ecology come to the meeting and full-page Leader ad. both advised the mill the ash voice support for requiring "What they support is not and lime grits being depos- the mill's landfill to be per- waiting around for the bio- ited in the landfill were more mitted under regulations mass to come in,"Shumaker appropriately classified under that are more stringent. said of what most people she an LPL permit, but the mill A petition has been start- has talked to say about the has steadfastly maintained its ed calling for the mill to have landfill permit controversy, landfill should be classified a limited purpose landfill a controversy that came to as inert. • (LPL) permit that requires the attention of the corn- For more detailed sto- groundwater monitoring and munity during a discussion ries on the subject, go to assurance the mill has the of the mill's plans for a $55 ptleader.com and search for finances to close the landfill million biomass cogenera- "landfill" • • Precipitator IIefficiency is issue At the risk of beating a dead horse, Bill Lowry did not get it quite right in his Aug. 1 letter about electrostatic precipitators Voice concerns saying " as the particle size drops below 0.3 micrometer, the efficien- cy of the ESP goes up, especially in the range of ultrafine particles Thank you for the Aug.8 article (UFPs)of 0.1 micrometer or less." on the controversial "inert" per- According to the EPA chart pub- mitting for Port Townsend Paper lished in the Leader on July 11, Corp.'s 24-acre landfill containing the efficiency goes up somewhat caustic ash. from 0.3 down to 0.1 micron, but Also in that issue was an remains as low as 50 percent effi- ad by a new organization, Port ciency, not "especially effective," Townsend Citizen Watchdogs, as claimed by the mill. Below 0.1 encouraging more citizens to micron,the efficiency is unknown. become informed and involved by The point isn't to claim any attending the upcoming meeting particular efficiency value, but to of the Jefferson County Board of recognize that without further dis- Health on Thursday, Aug. 16 — closure and study, there's no way tomorrow. for the public to know whether An unfortunate error in your emissions would go up or down. otherwise excellent article stat= Therefore, the following claims ed that our group "had planned" in the mill's cogeneration project to urge the community to attend notice of construction application tomorrow's Board of Health meet- appear to be unfounded:"The proj- ing, but that county public health ect emissions increases if all caofficer Dr. Thomas Locke is on • lutants are below their app ' vacation and that there may not be PSD SERs [prevention of s1ignifible a quorum of board members. cant deterioration significant emis- In fact, this is an important sion rates]. As such, the proposed meeting to attend and to voice con- cogeneration project is not subject cerns during the public comment to PSD STEPHEN SCy UMACH. period (sign up early to comment). SC rt Tow HER The meeting is from 2:30 to 4:30 Port Townsend p.m. at the Masonic Hall, 1338 Jefferson St. (behind the Uptown post office). Best of health to you, JOHANNA PERKINS Port Townsend Editor's note: PT Citizen Watchdogs did initially talk about canceling the ad because Dr. Locke would not be there, and there was talk about canceling the meeting entirely during the Leader's dead- line.The meeting was not canceled, and the group changed its mind after the article went through an editing process. • • E `q4 FOCUSA sa r O the PORT TOWNSEND PAPER CORPORATION • a mountain of ash • 40 feet high on 25 acres ` • l0x more caustic than ammonia; pH is 12.5 •t • no groundwater testing since 2004; wells not drilled l or laced ro er ter P P P y 1g • county taxpayers could face financial • responsibility for proper landfill closure THHE PUB' IC CAN MAKE A E PUB' IC CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCr IN THE PROPER PERMITTING OF HIS LANDFILL FOR 2012! SIGN THE PETITION FOR A LIMITED PURPOSE LANDFILL IN 2012 ATTEND THE JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING • Thursday August 16th, 2:30-4:30PM, Masonic Hall, 1338 Jefferson Street RE INFORMED • STAY INVOLVED • READ ABOUT THIS ISSUE &SIGN THE PETITION ON OUR WEBSITE (or cut out the petition below and bring it with you to the BOB meeting on Thursday the 16th!) WW W. PTWATCHDOGS. COM r Petition for:"Limited Purpose Landfill"Permit for Port Townsend Paper Corporation •• I Tell Dr. Locke, our Public Health Officer, and the Jefferson County, WA Board of Health: "This is a No Brainer!" I All papermill ash landfills in the State of Washington are operating under"Limited Purpose" , Landfill permits (WAC 173-350-400).Only Port Townsend Paper Corporation(PTPC)has an"Inert"Landfill permit(WAC 173-350-410). Both Department of Ecology and Jefferson I County Public Health have stated that the correct permit for PTPC is Limited Purpose(LP). Dr.Locke of Public Health is offering to issue a mongrel"Inert"permit with add-on features. Continuing with an "Inert"permit, in any form, is a mistake. Dr. Locke and Ecology know I it! Only a "Limited Purpose" permit has the right requirements to protect public and environmental health,and protect local taxpayers from landfill closure costs. I The Port Townsend Paper Corporation(owned by a$16 billion dollar hedge fund'in NYC) I has fought and will continue to fight this change.The PTPC is not above the law. The Public is late coming to the table, but we speak loud and clear NOW. Tell the Board I of Health to insist that Dr. Locke do the right thing. The Public wants a Limited Purpose I I landfill permit for the PTPC landfill in 2012. • I sign your name -include your address and email 1f J Paid for by the Port Townsend Citizen Watchdogs I PO Box 156,Port Townsend,WA 98368 I infoOptwatchdogs.cow FREE Septic System Classes Offered Septics 101:Basics ofseptic system operation&maintenance • Tuesday,Aug.21 ,6:30-8:30pm Port Ludlow Firehall, 7650 Oak Bay Rd. Thursday,Aug.23th,3-5pm Gardiner Community Center, 980 Old Gardiner Rd. Tuesday,Sept. 18th,6:30-8:30pm Tri-Area Community Center, 10 W Valley Rd. Thursday,Sept.27th,6:30-8:30pm Quilcene Community Center,294952 Hwy 101 Monday,Oct.1",3-5pm Brinnon Senior Center, 306144 Hwy 101 • Registration is required. Space is limited, contact 360-385-9444 to sign up. • For more infortradon go to wvvvv.ieffersoncountypublichealth.org 11110 2-7)/ Vibrio bacteria prompts closure in Dabob Bay • Peninsula Daily News,August 17,2012 OLYMPIA—The discovery of vibrio bacteria in shellfish has prompted the closure for the rest of the summer of three commercial growing areas, including one in Dabob Bay, the state Department of Health said Thursday. The closure in Dabob Bay affects 14 commercial companies, said Richard Lillie, public health adviser in the shellfish and water safety office of the state Health Department. The two other areas closed are North Bay, between Allyn and Victor on the Hood Canal, and Totten Inlet near Olympia. Vibrio bacteria has caused 30 confirmed illnesses statewide this summer, the department said. Although specific numbers of illnesses from Dabob Bay are not known, to close an area, there must have been at least four illnesses confirmed from there, Lillie said. Growth of vibrio bacteria is common in warm weather conditions, the department said. Once water temperatures begin to cool in October, these growing areas will reopen, it added. People get vibriosis from eating raw or undercooked oysters that have vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria in them. Cooking shellfish until the shells just open is not enough to kill the bacteria. Shellfish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees for at least 15 seconds. Cooked oysters shouldn't be rinsed in seawater, which can re-contaminate them. • Vibriosis symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever and chills. Symptoms usually appear within 24 hours of eating infected shellfish and can last two to seven days. Vibriosis can be life-threatening for people with low immunity or chronic liver disease. Also at greater risk are people who take antacids, heart or diabetes medication, or who have had antibiotic or cancer treatments recently. The closures announced Thursday were for commercial growing areas. Recreational harvest Recreational harvesting was closed on numerous North Olympic Peninsula beaches earlier this summer because of elevated levels of marine biotoxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, or diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, or DSP. Such closures have affected "a significant amount of Jefferson County's shoreline," the department said, as well as beaches on the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Dungeness Spit west to Cape Flattery in Clallam County. For information on recreational closures, phone 800-562-5632 or visit www.doh.wa.gov. Last modified:August 16.2012 5:27PM • Port Townsend Paper mill officials expected to meet with county,state on landfill permit By Paul Gottlieb Peninsula Daily News,August 19, 2012 PORT TOWNSEND—Officials from PortWednesday er Corp. technical to meet lPublic Health and state Departmenof Ecology staff on to discuss issues surrounding renewal of thJefferson County company's disputed landfill permit. Last October, company lawyer Leslie Nellermoe of Seattle said county Public Health Officer Dr.Tom Locke's requirement to more tightly regulate the landfill was"arbitrary"and pledged that the company"intends to challenge the decision." Company spokesman Chuck Madison,vice president of human resources,could not be reached for comment Friday. Locke,who is public health officer for both Jefferson and Clallam counties, said Friday that the company's stance against meeting tighter conditions under a new or revised landfill permit appears to have thawed. Locke has not received anything in writing from the company, but he took the fact that the company is attending Wednesday's meeting as a good sign. "They have directly communicated to me that they will apply for renewal of their permit," he said. "I would interpret the fact that they are going ahead with the technical staff meeting that that's a good-faith gesture on their part,"he said. "If they were going to apply for a simple renewal,they would not need to do that," he added. "That tells me they are working on an application that will meet the new conditions that we are imposing." The intent of the meeting, he added, is to work on"specifics of the permit language." That was similar to an interpretation offered by Peter Lyon,the regional waste resources manager for Ecology. "The point of the meeting is to go over or discuss any technical issues for the permit application that the mill may have,"said Lyon,who will be attending Wednesday's meeting. Port Townsend Paper is depositing wet, high-alkaline biomass ash at the 3-acre landfill that Ecology officials and Locke believe could pollute groundwater and should be more tightly regulated because of the ash's high alkaline content. The landfill is permitted for inert waste such as concrete and aluminum that does not have an impact on the surrounding environment. Jefferson County issues the permit for the landfill.Any appeal of the permit would go before the Board of Health. Locke,who is requiring the permit upgrade, has said science has improved in the eight years since the company was granted a less-regulated inert-waste permit. He is requiring the company to employ a groundwater monitoring plan,add a guarantee it will pay for future closure costs and pledge to conduct detailed tests on the content of the ash deposits. Locke has set a permit application deadline of Sept. 15—less than a month away. The landfill was the focus of a full hour of public testimony at the county Board of Health meeting Thursday. Board of Health chairman Phil Johnson, also a county commissioner,said Friday that between 35 and 40 people spoke during the hour, most of whom expressed concerns about the site. Those who defended the company included union members, Johnson said. 1 r Port Townsend Paper is expanding its biomass cogeneration facility to generate 20 megawatts in a$55 million • project slated for completion in 2013. Nippon Paper Industries USA in Port Angeles is also expanding its biomass cogeneration facility to generate 20 megawatts in a$71 million project,also scheduled to go on line in 2013. Nippon deposits treated biomass ash in a company landfill under requirements that Locke wants to impose on Port Townsend Paper. Biomass consists of wood waste, construction and lumber scrap,and untreated, unpainted wood left over from demolition. Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext.5060, or at paul.gottliebapeninsuladailynews.com. Last modified:August 18.2012 5:37PM • r MUM .Q.4''', a N — O .. w n nn , oa E 7,f:q - - - • 5 ' o - o g wg . oaa— sal �' c, o� � b. m 0 ,-5>W 7:' N _. C O o dQWIC ,. a, A + y at v U4Vl, U i+ '2✓ r1 wC `R ow c S � o - Urn 0 a0 0 'S ac' a 141.1. mom ": t: . OPPIN R, bA o r U1 U O L"'" N L c O E-, u)E., ter. La CC q ee bAw O O C.' R, 7.)4 S-. • 0 P � � H 0 off N a.-:. vi i 0 rii a, 0 o 0�o o m o PCI a0 U4 I. co N 0 bp c�^-I o0 a ate-' o rn 3 a m cc co ai C act Cf) 0 ca rf) aS 4-) ra, yC d O o Oo c21E-' 0 "C ts' vm zco a:i z_ O m 0 o,4_, • Q. a F Q, .t 8 v ''8 Anderson Lake open—but no one shows on first post-quarantine day eBy Leah Leach Peninsula Daily News,August 19, 2012 PORT TOWNSEND—Anderson Lake reopened for fishing and other recreation this weekend after having been closed since May 3—but no one showed up Saturday morning. That perplexed Mike Zimmerman,the state parks ranger in charge of the lake,who had expected a busy weekend at the usually popular trout-fishing lake. "I'm real surprised that we didn't get a bunch of fishermen and boaters out there,"Zimmerman said at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday. "Maybe the word just needs to get around." Zimmerman also thought that perhaps the overcast weather had dampened enthusiasm for a day on the water in Anderson Lake State Park,which is west of Chimacum. Fishing should be good, Zimmerman said. Since there has been no fishing in the lake for several months, "the fish should be nicely sized," he said Friday. The lake was reopened for all recreation on Friday. Hours are from 8 a.m.to dusk. It will continue to be tested for toxin levels until it closes for the season at the end of October. State Parks rangers closed the lake just a few days after the start of the statewide lowland fishing season at the end of April because of elevated levels of anatoxin-a, a quick-acting nerve poison created by blue-green algae. Two consecutive weekly tests this month showed the level of the toxin—which can cause paralysis and stop breathing_ • had fallen to safe levels. That prompted a recommendation on Friday from Greg Thomason,Jefferson County environmental health specialist,that the state reopen the lake in Anderson Lake State Park. Zimmerman,who is the park manager for the Fort Flagler area and who oversees Anderson Lake State Park, concurred. "We're both very comfortable with this,"Zimmerman said Friday. "It's been low for two weeks now." Test results are"surprising given the warm weather,"Zimmerman said. Warm weather generally fuels algae growth. But nutrients such as phosphates also must be present. "We haven't had much rain,"Zimmerman noted, adding that rain washes nutrients into the lake. "The lack of nutrients due to the lack of rain is probably starving the algae,"Zimmerman said. Results of tests received Friday of a sample taken Monday found the level of anatoxin-a to be 0.87 micrograms per liter of water in Anderson Lake. "That's down from last week,"said Thomason, referring to the results of the preceding week's test, which found the level of the toxin at 0.95 micrograms per liter. "We'd like to see it at zero, but it's still below" 1 microgram per liter,which is the warning level for the poison,Thomason said. Microcystin, another toxin created by blue-green algae,was measured at 0.39 micrograms per liter, way below the safety threshold of 6 micrograms per liter. IPVisitors will see"caution" signs at Anderson Lake. That's because the type of algae that can produce toxins remains in the lake, and the status of the lake can change quickly. "We want folks to be aware that the algae is still there,"Zimmerman said. Researchers are mystified as to why some species of blue-green algae suddenly begin pumping out toxins. 411 A caution sign suggests lake users wash their hands, clean fish well,try to keep pets and livestock from drinking the water and stay away from scum. The other two lakes sampled in East Jefferson County last week—Leland and Gibbs—are safe, Thomason said. A trace of anatoxin-a was found in Leland, north of Quilcene, and none in Gibbs, a popular swimming hole south of Port Townsend. No microcystin was found in Leland.The level in Gibbs remained near 2 micrograms per liter, a level found there for several weeks. The safety threshold for microcystin is 6 micrograms per liter. Microcystin can cause liver damage if ingested over a long period of time. In the short-term, it can cause skin irritation and nausea. Zimmerman reminded visitors that a Discover Pass is required to park in a state park such as Anderson Lake State Park. Daily passes can be purchased at the park for$10. The$30 annual pass is available online at www.discoverpass.wa.gov/, at major state park offices and places that also sell fishing licenses. Weekly test results are announced Fridays after samples are taken Mondays. No toxic blue-green algae has been reported in Clallam County,where health officers do not test for toxins; instead,they visually monitor lakes for signs of algae bloom. Report algae blooms in Clallam County by phoning 360-417-2258. Report algae blooms in Jefferson County by phoning 360-385-9444. For more information about lake quality in Jefferson County,visit the environmental health website at http://tinyurl.com/6z64ofy. Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leach a@,peninsuladailynews.com. Last modified:August 18.2012 5:42PM 8/22/2012 5:46:00 PM.Port Townsend Leader Lake algae problem eases; Anderson Lake reopens Gibbs Lake condition upgraded for swimmers Se toxic algae issue has subsided in Eas .:- -1,' ' 4.4e*.:ttiv,24-44:',': .7 t"v,J �� . �, Jefferson County's lowland lakes - let's hope4. �� warmer weather returns for summer's final few weeks. �� " # Anderson Lake and Gibbs Lake have improved to *-4 ' -„„„....10.:;° ;.f.,, 12,, the level of Lake Leland: all now carry a "caution" Y ` label from Jefferson County Public Health. The environmental health staff retested Anderson, � � g �� ,,,,.:,7_-:itj,„!.,:t,..$;:,,,, Gibbs and Leland lakes on Aug. 13. As of Friday, : s Aug. 17, the toxic rating levels officially changed, ` 'a , and Anderson Lake was reopened for public use. Anderson Lake (used as a fishing lake more than � �, :7;:,,T,s,i,:i,,:,,,,,,:ils,,,,,,r,,,,,,,,-;,,,,:::"7:,:irs,...,,f,,,I,,,,,,-4,,,,::,,,, ,,*, a swimming lake) has been closed completely to public use since early May. Blue-green algae has been a consistent problem since 2006, when two dogs died after drinking lake water filled with Sandy Shore Lake is a great place to beat the summer neurotoxins. heat, and is devoid of algae issues. Photo by Patrick J. Sullivan Now, the lake (no gas-powered watercraft allowed) has been reopened, and the fishing potential is big, considering the lake has only been fished a few days this upear. The algae caution label still suggests pets and livestock should not consume lake water, and that all fish cleaned well and the guts discarded. Anderson Lake State , located gTow , s of surrounding woodlandParkand wetland.eiTheht miles park is open Port seasonallynsendfor day-usefeatureactivitiesa70-acre such lake as bikingand410 acres hiking, horseback riding and picnicking. A Discover Pass is required for vehicle parking. For most of the summer, Gibbs Lake (with a county park and swimming beach) had been tagged with a "warning" rating, meaning it was considered unsafe for people and pets to enter the water. Although a moderate algae bloom is present, the toxin level is low, according to results of the county's Aug. 13 test, and " swimming is now OK (avoid areas of scum). Lake Leland (with a swimming beach and county campground) still carries a caution" level: Do not swim in areas of scum and do not consume lake water. This applies to humans, pets and livestock. A moderate bloom was observed, but no scum. Crocker Lake (not a swimming lake) has a "caution" rating for algae. A light bloom was visible on Aug. 13. Visit tinyurl.com/6z64ofy for lake algae updates or call the health department at 385-9444. As of Aug. 13, Sandy Shore Lake (located south of State Route 104 between Center Road and State Route 19) has no algae problem. The lake is at the end of a dusty gravel road, and there is no sandy beach, but there is easy access for anglers and swimmers. 8/22/2012 6:00:00 AM,Port Townsend Leader Health board hears both sides in mill landfill debate Iublic asks to be party to mill-county meeting this week lison Arthur, assistant editor After listening to an update on pertussis, worries about school immunization rates and a decision to install portable toilets along the Big Quilcene River during fishing season, the Jefferson County Board of Health spent more than hour last Thursday listening to people speak their piece on an item that wasn't on the agenda. More than 60 people attended the Aug. 16 meeting of the board and almost 40 signed up to speak about the Port Townsend Paper Corp.'s landfill permit. To accommodate the crowd, the board canceled reports about the cleanup of the Irondale Iron and Steel smelter site (the park site at Chimacum Creek) and an annual report on health centers in Jefferson County schools. Concerned residents and mill officials spoke out. Two spokesmen from the United Steelworkers 175 union attended, as did dozens of others to voice opinions about a pending decision by Dr. Tom Locke, Jefferson County public health officer, on the landfill. Deadline nears Locke gave the mill a Sept. 15 deadline to file a permit for 2012. Its 2011 inert permit remains in effect. Locke wants the mill to comply with stricter regulations of a limited purpose landfill (LPL) permit. ga With an LPL permit, the mill would be required to do groundwater quality monitoring and waste-stream characterization, and prove it has the financial means to close the landfill once the landfill is full. Those aren't requirements of an inert permit. The cost of the mill complying to an LPL has not been made public, but cost remains a potential issue. A number of speakers urged that a public representative be on hand this week when mill officials are set to meet with Jefferson County Public Health and state Department of Ecology (DOE) officials to discuss technical details of a permit. Jefferson County Public Health director Jean Baldwin said on Aug. 20 that the meeting would not be open to the public because it is a discussion of an application, which is not subject to the state Open Public Meeting Act. County health officials and state DOE officials say that an LPL permit is more fitting than an inert permit in part because of the high pH content of ash and lime grit deposited at the 25-acre landfill. Environmental justice Mary Marinkovich led off the comments and said people are looking for what she called environmental justice. "Every night in some sections of the county, families wake to the odor of the mill with intense migraines, 0 gasping for breath, nauseated, eyes and noses burning," she said. Marinkovich said she and others have learned that the mill plans to meet with public health officials the week of Aug. 22 behind closed doors and she questioned whether the public should be banned from the meeting. She also told health officials, two of whom are running for reelection — county commissioners David • Sullivan and Phil Johnson —that their actions could impact their political careers. Dave McWethy, who previously has raised concerns about the landfill, questioned whether managers at the mill are being cooperative. "It's time for the management to move forward and operate this landfill under a proper permit as proposed by Public Health and the Department of Ecology," McWethy said. "It's what any responsible company that wants to follow state law and protect its own community would do." McWethy also noted that the landfill operated for 10 years before current environmental regulations were in place, and so he and others question what actually is buried in the landfill. An online petition urging Locke to require an LPL has been signed by more than 400 people, one supporter said. No violations, no risk John Arndt, representing United Steel Workers Union 175, spoke as mill worker Scott Tennant stood facing the crowd. Arndt read a letter from union president Jim Beebe that said the mill has been following the law and has had no violations with its inert permit. "That means the waste is stable and unlikely to create a risk to people or the environment," he said. Groundwater monitoring in the past indicated that there has been no impact, he said, adding that the mill has agreed to do more sampling. "We see the concerns are just activist scare tactics," he said. "A cost-effective permit is critical for the ongoing operation of the mill and the workplace. We object to creating burdensome requirements at the demand of a small group," Arndt said. Speaking shortly after him, Ruth Apter said she took time off work to voice support for an LPL. She said public officials were compromising on the health concerns being raised. "The Board of Health and Dr. Locke truly have the power to set the standard," Apter said. "This is not the board of economic development. The community, like a sleeping giant, has awakened and is watching," she said, adding that people want both good jobs and to protect the environment. Eveleen Muehlethaler, PT Paper vice president of environmental affairs, said 2012 marks the mill's 85th year, which she said has remained in business that long by "doing this well and doing things right" and striving for improvement. "As Dr. Locke has stated to the board at previous meetings, there is an established regulatory process for permit renewal and it does not include reacting to those who scream the loudest," Muehlethaler said. But others questioned why, if the mill wants to cooperate, it seems to be objecting to testing and sharing • the results. Landfill, for lack of rail Annika Wallendahl, environmental manager for the mill, said she came to clarify issues that had been 40a ised. Wallendahl said she had heard the word "toxic" used to describe the waste and she said that is "an emotionally charged" word that doesn't accurately represent the ash and lime grit that she said is more akin to the ash from a home fireplace or woodstove that could be used as a soil amendment. The mill uses a landfill, she said, because Port Townsend is geographically isolated, and a railroad line never came to Port Townsend. Other mills are closer to facilities that "provide beneficial reuse options," she said. She said the mill has agreed to resume groundwater-quality monitoring and will provide financial assurance, and she suggested that most landfills don't cause environmental concerns, contrary to the perceived assumption of the public. Everyone was given three minutes to comment. A red light signaling the end of her three minutes came on just as she started to talk about how beautiful Port Townsend Bay is. She did not finish reading her letter to the board. But it, and other letters, are on the health department's website, jeffersoncountypublichealth.org under"key documents" found in the "Port Townsend Paper Corporation Inert Waste Landfill" section. Appeals process Although Locke will make a decision on a permit, the appeals process depends on what decision is Adik made, according to Pinky Feria Mingo, environmental health specialist with Jefferson County Public lip Health. "In general, both PTPC and other parties aggrieved by a decision can appeal," Feria Mingo wrote in an email to the Leader on Monday. "As soon as we have a decision, we will be able to provide more specific appeal process. ; , 'f af c xer11;1:::-'94''':::!;::: w, 7;7 ,10' 4 - 'kat ...Nit, ' 1-7 t0;4 ;� z7 e�. f ff/fP?:'14;i;*"1"4 ',,; - .*•,' *," ,4r:6--kt?,-„ ',., '-,,i ,.,,'• 2 ,..:- ' (' t ''' se ,- United Steelworkers 175 union member Scott Tennant faced the audience as union member John Arndt spoke to the Jefferson County Board of Health to remind them that groundwater testing has been conducted at the Port Townsend Paper Corp.landfill and revealed nothing. Photo by Allison Arthur S • o • t 0 . ,m ae , 41 kyr "--r",.;.‘ E ,. $� w R' � • V w Z ,`44" n „..„:,,.‘,',,,,z. _l • M1 �p•AIra !,l,:;.,,,l ::41„.„, k,...„,,,,,,4,..A„,:w.,,,,i4.*:,:,::45, _;:tr,,i1.;0.,,,,,.:. ,, ,,:,„. ;4,02.'''!..71,;:1:!;::;:-:,;.:;" e • "A. z gio fr Protest signs expressing 4110 concerns about a landfill owned by the Port Townsend Paper Corp.have become routine at Jefferson County Board of Health meetings since May.There were more pickets than ever at the Aug. 16 board meeting.Photo by Allison Arthur "It's time forth � s nine pro;Yer pellet. .t proposed by P fi 1 ® ® rfl nt of Ecology' ' Dave McWethy w A cost effective permd is critical for the ongoing operation of the mill and the workplace.We object to creating burdensomerequirements at the demandof a small group." John Arndt, reading from letter by Jim Beebe union president United Steel Workers Union,Local 175 WEB TEASER Letters on PT Paper Corp. landfill jeffersoncountypublichoalth org 4 8/22/2012 6:00:00 AM, Port Townsend Leader Letter: Anti-cogen scare tactics do a disservice S Those who oppose the PT Paper mill cogeneration plant are doing a grave disservice to their community. PT Paper has been an economic mainstay for the Port Townsend community for more than 80 years. The pulp and paper industry in the U.S. is in fragile condition —witness the recent closing of the big Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Everett. Fewer and fewer people are reading printed matter as they depend more on electronic sources for news, magazines and books. Anything that will strengthen PT Paper, making it able to continue to serve the community, should be supported. Yet there is a group of people who have spent years fighting the mill and who resort to one frightening story after another to try to persuade their neighbors that continued operation of the mill is hazardous. First was an effort early in the 2000 decade to establish that the mill was a health hazard. A thorough study by the state Health Department found no evidence of health problems in the neighborhoods near the mill. The next frightening story from the fearmongers was particulate air contamination, in particular, "nanoparticles." After an accumulation of factual information caused this scare story to lose • traction with the public, and with their court cases being repeatedly defeated, the scaremongers suddenly discovered the "ash pile" and, true to their past, are trying to scare us into actions which could further delay the mill's implementation of its cogeneration plans, and weaken it economically. The ash pile has been in place, and in use, for decades. Why it should suddenly become a grave hazard, with public forums and petitions trying to interfere with the mill's operations and plans, can only be explained as one last straw to be grasped in the long effort to curtail the mill's operations. It is worth noting that the Sierra Pacific cogeneration plant in Aberdeen, which has operated since 2003, sells its ash to a company which, in turn, sells it to the public as a soil amendment. The East Jefferson County community should support efforts to strengthen PTPC's economic condition and reject the scaremongers' latest scare stories. Incidentally, the scaremongers' claim that "the pH of the ash pile is higher than ammonia" is factually incorrect. pH is only defined in solutions —there is no such thing as the pH of solid material. LARRY BONAR • Port Townsend LEE NORTON'S OUTDOORS COLUMN: Anderson Lake is open for now By Lee Horton, Peninsula Daily News, August 23rd,2012 eA BIG WELCOME back to the lake that is less famous for its fishing than it is for its blue-green algae and poisonous toxins. Anderson Lake is open again. If you like trout or are itching to fish on a lake, go fish Anderson. But don't wait; you don't have much time.After Friday,Aug.31,Anderson Lake becomes a catch-and-release lake. That is, if toxins don't close the lake first. Anderson opened on the fourth Saturday of April,along with the rest of the lowland lakes. Just five days later, it closed down due to hazardous levels of the anatoxin-a, a nerve poison created by blue-green algae. It has become a familiar scenario. So much so,that quick closures are expected at Anderson Lake. The toxin level returned to safe levels a few weeks ago,and Anderson Lake reopened Friday. But anglers weren't exactly fighting for fishing spots on the lake. "A few have been fishing," Mike Zimmerman, the park manager for the Fort Flagler area,said. "But not the droves like I was expecting." Zimmerman said fly fishers have been more inclined to return to Anderson because they are only interested in catching the fish, not keeping them. The take-home anglers have been more hesitant. • "They're not ready to try the fish yet,"Zimmerman said. This type of thinking will receive no criticism from me. I always err on the side of staying alive. But Jefferson County environmental health specialist Greg Thomason said anatoxin-a,which can cause paralysis and stop breathing,doesn't accumulate in fish. The other toxin found in the blue-green algae on Anderson Lake, microcystin, is found in fish, but only in the guts and the parts of the fish that humans don't eat. Also,Anderson doesn't have high levels of microcystin. Even if it did, it's highly unlikely it would be dangerous. "A person would have to eat fish consistently every day from a lake that has high levels for many, many years[for it to be dangerous],"Thomason said. "We just want to make sure people are aware of the risk." Cleaning fish well and discarding the guts should keep you safe. Good fishing Those who take their fishing poles to Anderson Lake should have success. Zimmerman said that for the five days the lake was open in the spring, many people were catching the limits. Since then,those fish have been growing, so they should be big. "I sure would think so,"said Zimmerman. "I imagine they've been growing [since the closure]." 0 Aaron Teraba,the assistant ranger for the Fort Flagler area, reports that attendance at Anderson Lake has increased daily since the reopen. So we should be hearing about plentiful amounts of big fish jumping into boats on Anderson Lake until Aug. 31. Unless there is a toxin-related closure before that. Zimmerman said if the past is any indication, a toxin closure is a possibility, if not a probability. • 'The trend is it won't be open very long," he said. "And it would be uncommon for it to be opened again after a second closure." For Thomason, predicting even the short-term future of Anderson Lake is difficult because every year seems different. "Anything can happen,"Thomason said. "[Toxin levels]could bounce back with a vengeance next week." Other safety tips Anderson Lake is open to all recreation, not just fishing. Here are some other safety recommendations from Jefferson County: • Do not swim in areas of scum. •Do not drink lake water. • Keep pets and livestock away. •Clean fish well and discard guts. •Avoid scum when boating. To read the Peninsula Daily News story about Anderson Lake's reopening,visit http://tinyurl.com/andersonlakeisopen. Outdoors columnist Lee Horton appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext.5152 or at Ihorton@peninsuladailynews.com. O Last modified:August 22.2012 5:47PM S Gibbs Lake joining Anderson Lake on closure list; toxins again • By Leah Leach fh 2012 Peninsula Daily News,ga d,_74 less T t a Oa week ago, and Gibbs Lake will be closed'n, after this mom ng g been reopened for fishing and other recreation Both closures are of because of elevated levels of toxins created by blue-green algae. Zhmmerman,a State Parks ratatengePwho overseesAndersonark,which is west of )macum,was Lake State Park.closed to all recreation Thursday,said Mike Gibbs Lake,a county lake south of Port Townsend,will be posted with a closure sign this morning,said Greg Thomason, Jefferson County environmental health specialist. Both closures are in response to preliminary test results received Thursday.The tests are of water samples taken Monday. Final results are expected today. Anatoxin-a, a quick-acting nerve poison,was found to have climbed to nearly five times the safety threshold in Anderson Lake:4.9 micrograms per liter. The safety threshold for anatoxin-a—which can cause paralysis and stop breathing—is 1 microgram per liter. Microcystin was found to be at the highest level ever seen in Gibbs Lake: 19.4 micrograms per liter of water,which is 411 "over three times the warning level" of 6 micrograms per liter,Thomason said. It's also more than three times the highest level ever seen before in five years of testing: 6.8 micrograms per liter. Microcystin can cause liver damage if ingested over a long period of time; in the short-term, it can cause skin irritation and nausea. Gibbs Lake also has a thick bloom and scum over the entire lake,Thomason said. "The lake is closed,"said Lori Bond, office assistant at Anderson Lake State Park, on Thursday morning. The closure sign was posted at Anderson Lake shortly after 3 p.m., and a few people were observed on the lake earlier in the day. A ranger told those on the lake to leave at 3 p.m. The closure sign was to be erected soon afterward, said Zimmerman, park manager for the Fort Flagler area. Anderson Lake will be monitored weekly until the end of the season at the end of October. If toxin levels fall to a safe level, it is possible the lake could be reopened,Zimmerman said,though he said he"is not leaning in that direction." "It's not really doing the visitors a service if we only open for five or six days, then have to close,"Zimmerman said. The lake will become a catch-and-release-only lake beginning Sept. 1, and the entire state park will close Oct. 31. "Some of the recreation is going to be limited just by wildlife rules anyway,"Zimmerman said. The 410-acre park surrounding the lake remains open. A Discover Pass is needed to park there. • The lake was closed on the recommendation of Jefferson County Public Health, which collects samples for the weekly tests for level of toxins created by blue-green algae. The lake has been open for recreation only a couple of weeks this season. • It was opened the last Saturday in April for the start of the statewide lowland fishing season but was closed May 3 because of elevated toxin levels. The level of anatoxin-a reached a high of 619 micrograms per liter in Anderson Lake in early July. The lake was reopened last Friday after two consecutive weekly tests showed the level of anatoxin-a to be below the safety threshold. Final test results"are almost always identical to the preliminary results,"Thomason said. "But even if they are off a little bit, it's still well above the warning level of 1 microgram per liter." Preliminary results showed other lakes tested in East Jefferson County to be safe, Thomason said. Researchers know that warm weather fuels algae growth when sufficient nutrients such as phosphates are present. They don't understand why some species of blue-green algae will suddenly begin to produce toxins. No toxic blue-green algae has been reported in Clallam County,where health officers do not test for toxins; instead, they visually monitor lakes for signs of algae bloom. Report algae blooms in Clallam County by phoning 360-417-2258. Report algae blooms in Jefferson County by phoning 360-385-9444. For more information about lake quality in Jefferson County, visit the environmental health website at http://tinyurl.com/6z64ofy. Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leach(a�peninsuladailynews.com. Last modified:August 23. 2012 5:57PM • 8/27/2012 11:04:00 AM,Port Townsend Leader DANGER: Lake algae toxins spike: Anderson, Gibbs lakes are closed Anderson Lake is closed again after a spike in toxic algae levels, and Gibbs Lake now also has a Milr"danger, lake closed" assessment from Jefferson County Public Health. The public health "danger" warning is simple: Stay out of and off of both lakes. Heading into Labor Day weekend, Lake Leland and Sandy Shore Lake remain the best lakes for recreational activities in East Jefferson. As of Aug. 17, Anderson Lake and Gibbs Lake had improved to the level of Lake Leland and carried a "caution" label from Jefferson County Public Health. The improvement led Washington State Parks to reopen Anderson Lake to fishing; it had been closed since May 3. As of Aug. 23, samples taken on Aug. 20 indicated that the level of anatoxin-a, a potent and quick-acting nerve poison, had increased in both Anderson and Gibbs. Fishing is again officially closed at Anderson Lake, located about eight miles south of Port Townsend. The 410 acres of surrounding woodland and wetland are open seasonally for day-use activities such as biking, hiking, horseback riding and picnicking. A Discover Pass is required for vehicle parking. Blue-green algae has been a consistent problem at Anderson Lake since 2006, when two dogs died after drinking lake water filled with neurotoxins. For most of the summer, Gibbs Lake (with a county park and swimming beach) had been tagged with a "warning" rating, meaning it was considered unsafe for people and pets to enter the water. Now, however, the toxin level has risen, so the lake is closed. Lake Leland (with a swimming area and county campground) still carries a "caution" level: Do not swim in areas of scum and do not consume lake water. This applies to humans, pets and livestock. A moderate bloom was observed, but no scum. Crocker Lake (not a swimming lake) has a "caution" rating for algae. A light bloom was visible on Aug. 13. Visit tinyurl.com/6z64ofy for lake algae updates or call 385-9444. As of Aug. 13, Sandy Shore Lake (located south of State Route 104 between Center Road and State Route 19) had no algae problem. The lake is at the end of a dusty gravel road, and there is no sandy beach, but there is easy access for anglers and swimmers. Saltwater beaches In terms of saltwater beaches, kids and families love the sandy swimming beach and offshore float next to the Herb Beck Marina at the end of Linger Longer Road in Quilcene. Our local Washington state parks have great beaches — Fort Worden, Fort Flagler and Fort Townsend — just remember, your vehicle needs a Discover Pass for parking. East Beach Park on Marrowstone Island is a local favorite. Port Townsend has easy public beach access from Chetzemoka Park, Point Hudson and North Beach County Park. Jefferson to consider creating mental health court • By Charlie Bermant Peninsula Daily News,August 28t,2012 PORT TOWNSEND—The creation of a specialty court to deal with offenders having mental health issues will be discussed at a meeting today. "We are excited about the prospects of establishing a mental health court," said Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Scott Rosekrans. "It would work in the same way as drug court and would help treat people without putting them into the system. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the Port Townsend Police Station, 1919 Blaine St., and is open to the public. Rosekrans said support from all the stakeholders—judge, prosecutor, public defender, police and treatment facilities—are necessary for the court to work. That support exists in Jefferson County, he added. Aside from those representatives, today's meeting will include input from Alex Blanford, policy analyst with the Council of State Governments Justice Center in New York City, and Margaret Brammall who worked closely with King and Kitsap counties in their Mental Health Court programs. Brammall will speak to how cost-effective mental health courts are and the savings to local jurisdictions in which they operate, according to Rosekrans. • Rosekrans said he did not know how much a mental health court would cost Jefferson County, but said that its implementation would save costs in other areas of law enforcement and the justice system. Deputy Prosecutor Miriam Norman has indicated that she can handle the administrative aspects of a mental health court, Rosekrans said. Norman prosecutes cases in District Court, in which most of the mental health cases will be prosecuted. Drug Court diverts people who have committed nonviolent crimes and have a drug problem into a treatment program that can last as long as two years. Part of the treatment is a weekly court appearance at which the participant talks about his or her progress directly with the judge. Mental health court would operate in the same way, making the court appearance a way to keep defendants on track with their medications and treatment. As in Drug Court, participants cannot have an extensive crime record, and the crime in question cannot be of a violent or sexual nature, according to the proposed guidelines. If law enforcement personnel recognize a mental health issue in a specific case, they would call for a screening to determine eligibility. If eligibility is positive the person would be admitted to the program. "Some people might use a `mental health issue' as a dodge so they don't have to go to prison, so the screening process is important," Rosekrans said. There are five phases to the program: orientation and engagement, intensive treatment, transition and community engagement, maintenance/recovery aftercare and preparation for probation. 11111 The length of each phase depends on the individual case, with the program lasting a maximum of 24 weeks. Rosekrans said that people with mental health issues do not"recover" in the same way as drug addicts. "There is no cure for mental illness," he said. "But at the end of the 24 months, we hope they can adhere to a program that will allow them to function and not get into situations that will trigger their illness." The desired result is for the participant to"graduate" and find a job. "A lot of local employers are happy to hire people who are in or have graduated from Drug Court," Rosekrans said. "It will be the same for mental health court, employers will be grateful to have someone who will show up on time and wash dishes." Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant(a�peninsuladailynews.com. Last modified:August 27.2012 5:57PM • • LcGa ct-'v- Wednesday,August 29,2012•A 7 pT AirWatchers pleased EPA to review Clean Air Act rules Impact on local mill, $55 million cogen project unclear By Allison Arthur of the Leader mills use chemicals to dissolve wood As an example, Muehlethaler chips into fibers to make paper and noted that a recent ruling from the The Environmental Protection that the EPA has not reviewed emis- courts overturned EPA's work on Agency will be reviewing Clean Air sion-control standards, called "New the 2011 Cross State Air Pollution Act rules and how they relate to kraft Source Performance Standards," for Rule when it found that "EPA was paper mills like the Port Townsend more than 25 years. over-reaching its authority under the Paper Corp. under a proposed con- Brewer said she did not know the Clean Air Act." sent decree announced Monday impacts on the mill here and there "It's all part of the process," by the agency, Port Townsend is no way to know whether the new Muehlethaler said."We will continue AirWatchers, Greenpeace and the standards would be retroactive,"but to strive to be in compliance with the Center for Biological Diversity. we hope that they are." ever changing rules and regulations • "We haven't felt protected by the Had the EPA been updating new and thus, continue to improve our laws as they are,"Gretchen Brewer, rules while the Port Townsend mill process,"Muehlethaler wrote. executive director of PT AirWatchers, was seeking permits for its$55 mil- Brewer also called the decision a wrote in an email Tuesday,Aug.28. lion cogeneration project,Brewer said process. "For us, the ruling highlights that she didn't think the mill would have "It starts a process of the EPA the standards that PTPC has been "been able to get away with avoiding looking at a full range of toxic pollut- playing to,especially in this biomass a full environmental review." ants spewed by kraft pulp mills and power generation plan, are 20 years Brewer called it"outrageous"that cleaning up those emissions from out of date." the EPA hasn't updated its rules for over 100 kraft pulp mills across the The proposed decree provides two decades. country,"Brewer said. that by May 15 of 2013, the federal Eveleen Muehlethaler,vice presi- Pollutants include sulfur corn- PA must either complete a proposed dent of environmental affairs for the pounds, NOx, volatile organic com- lemaking revising the standards mill, said in an email Tuesday that pounds,dioxins and CO2. to reflect the best-available control mill officials have not had a chance "Kraft pulp mills put dangerous technology for pollution from mills to review the decision but will keep pollution into the air and people or declare that no further review track of EPA plans. living near them have no choice but is necessary, according to a press "As you know, the EPA is always to breathe it," said Vera Pardee, an release from the Center for Biological in the process of regulation reviews," attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, a national nonprofit orga- Muethethaler said."Sometimes they Diversity."The Clean Air Act works nization that filed a lawsuit in U.S. change things,sometimes they don't. well to clean up air pollution if its , District Court in San Francisco. Sometimes courts overturn their successful, time-tested mechanisms The organization says kraft pulp decisions." are actually implemented." • • Toxins drop, but lakes will stay closed y Leah Leach eninsula Daily News, September 3rd, 2012 PORT TOWNSEND—Toxins are at safe levels in both Anderson and Gibbs lakes, the most recent test results show, but both lakes will remain closed for at least one more week. "We have to have two weeks of results below warning levels before we can reopen" in the case of a county lake such as Gibbs, or recommend to state rangers the reopening of Anderson Lake, said Greg Thomason, Jefferson County environmental health specialist. Only 0.61 micrograms of anatoxin-a per liter of water was in test results Friday of a sample taken Monday from Anderson Lake, west of Chimacum. The lake had been closed Aug. 23 —after having been reopened for fishing and other recreation less than a week earlier—because of a level of 4.9 micrograms of anatoxin-a, a powerful nerve poison secreted by blue-green algae. The safety threshold for anatoxin-a, which can cause paralysis and stop breathing, is 1 microgram per liter. The lake has been open for recreation only for a couple of weeks this season. It opened the last Saturday in April for the start of the statewide lowland fishing season. But it closed May 3 because of elevated toxin levels before briefly reopening last month. Mike Zimmerman, a State Parks ranger who oversees Anderson Lake State Park, had said after the most recent closure of the lake that he did not know if it would be reopened this season, even if the toxin level fell and stayed low. "It's not really doing the visitors a service if we only open for five or six days, then have to close,"Zimmerman said then, adding that the season was drawing to a close. The lake became a catch-and-release-only lake beginning Saturday and the entire state park will close Oct. 31. For now, however, the 410-acre state park around the lake remains open for recreation. A Discover Pass is needed to park there. "Microcystin levels levels dropped way, way down" in Gibbs Lake, test results showed, from 19.4 micrograms per liter on Aug. 23 to 1.2 micrograms Friday, Thomason said. The county lake south of Port Townsend was closed after the high reading —the highest level ever seen in Gibbs Lake in five years of testing for algae toxins. The safety threshold for microcystin, another toxin created by blue-green algae, is 6 micrograms per liter. Microcystin can cause liver damage if ingested over a long period of time; in the short-term, it can cause skin irritation and nausea. Microcystin tends to rise and drop more dramatically than anatoxin-a, Thomason said. "We see more extremes with microcystin than anatoxin. I don't know why that is," Thomason said. "Anatoxin seems to build more slowly and drop more slowly." A trace of micrcystin was found in Anderson Lake. No anatoxin-a was discovered in Gibbs Lake. Neither anatoxin-a nor microcystin could be detected in a sample from Lake Leland, north of Quilcene. But the lake has a heavy bloom of algae. • "If scum starts to show up and the bloom gts thick, be careful,"Thomason said. Caution signs remain posted at Leland and Crocker, which is near the U.S. Highway 101-state Highway 104 intersection, beacuse both lakes contain the types of blue-green algae that can suddenly begin to produce toxins. Researchers know that warm weather fuels algae growth when sufficient nutrients such as phosphates are present, but they don't understand what sparks the production of toxins from some species. No toxic blue-green algae has been reported in Clallam County, where health officers do not test for toxins; instead, they visually monitor lakes for signs of algae bloom. Report algae blooms in Clallam County by phoning 360-417-2258. Report algae blooms in Jefferson County by phoning 360-385-9444. For more information about lake quality in Jefferson County, visit the environmental health website at http://tinyurl.com/6z64ofy. Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leach(cipeninsuladailynews.com. s e \-°T L--eact-eA✓ 1 /0Immunization exemption rates still in JeffCo By Tristan Hiegler of the Leader According to Department of want to exempt their children from Health (DOH) data, 9.5 percent of required immunizations to consult Students going back to school Jefferson County kindergarteners with a licensed health-care provider need to get their vaccinations, and were exempted in the 2011-12 school regarding the benefits and risks of more did so last year than in the year. That's lower than 2010-11, doing so. past, according to the Jefferson which had a 16 percent exemption The provider must then sign the County Public Health. rate. In 2009-10, 16.3 percent of certificate of exemption form to be Lisa McKenzie, coordinator for students in Jefferson County opted filed with the school. Health-care the JCPH Communicable Disease out of immunizations. providers do not need to sign the Program, said Jefferson County By comparison, 7 percent of form for parents who show member- has historically had high exemption Clallam County kindergartners ship in a church or religious body rates, with parents opting not to were exempted in 2011-12 and 2 that does not allow medical treat- have their children vaccinated. percent of Grays Harbor kindergart- ment by a health-care provider. "Jefferson County over the years ners were exempted. McKenzie said the consultations has always had a very high exemp- McKenzie said she believes the provide parents with more sound tion rate,"she said. lower rate is because of legislation information. But that may be changing passed last summer. "They wanted to make sure it because of a new state law. The law requires parents who See SHOTS,Page 10♦ Shots: New state law YContinued from page 1 She said she understands She added it depends on was a very thoughtful pro- getting their children immu- the disease as well. Some are cess," she said of the legisla- nized is sometimes hard for less risky while others, such tion. "We'll be interested to parents, but she added that as measles, are highly conta- see what we see with this immunization has to happen gious and airborne. upcoming school as year." for good community health. The required vaccina- McKenzie said some chil- McKenzie said 73 percent tions for the 2012-13 school dren are exempted because of of the Jefferson County per- year have been published bad data presented in various tussis (whooping cough) cases by the Washington State websites and unfounded stud- were not fully immunized. Department of Health. ies. She said a small British There were 31 cases docu- K-6 kids need three doses study raised the possibility mented since January. of the hepatitis B vaccine, of vaccines causing autism. And while the vaccine five doses of the DTap (diph- However, she added that that isn't 100 percent effective, theria, tetanus and pertus- study was disproved and the McKenzie said it does help sis) vaccine, four doses of the lead doctor lost his medical and added, that increased .polio vaccine, two doses of the license. treatment for health care pro- MMR (measles, mumps and "It's really sad.Information viders has slowed down the rubella) and one to two doses that's not scientifically sound spread of whooping cough in of the varicella (Chickenpox) ends up scaring people and the county. vaccine. that disease ends up coming McKenzie said when a dis- One dose of the TDap vac- back,"she said."In the county ease outbreak is identified at cine,which is a booster for the we continue to feel that immu- local schools, non-immunized DTap, is required for sixth nizations are the best way to children may be sent home. graders. prevent outbreaks of vaccine- "If parents are exempting For students in grades 7-12, preventable disease." their children and there is an the varicella vaccine is rec- Michele Roberts, spokes- outbreak, there is a possibil- ommended but not required. person of the DOH's ity their children would have Seventh through 11th-graders Immunization program, said to stay home during the out- also need one dose of the TDap exempting children is poten- break,"she said. booster. tially hazardous. Jefferson County Health Parents are advised to "I think it's really creat- Officer John Locke makes the bring their child's immuniza- ing pockets of risk across our decision whether or not to send tion records when getting the state,"Roberts said. children home,McKenzie said. vaccines. West Nile cases first human ones in state in two years Peninsula Daily News,September 9th,2012 OLYMPIA—The state Health Department has confirmed this year's first human cases of West Nile virus infection in Washington, echoing a national trend of the mosquito-borne disease that is worrying many health officials. While the two confirmed cases are not close to the state record of 38, set in 2009, they are the first since 2010, when two occurred. Nationwide, nearly 2,000 human cases of West Nile have been confirmed in 41 states this year and many more have probably gone unreported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both local victims, a Pierce County woman in her 70s and a Yakima man in his 30s, are recovering at home after being released from hospitals, health officials said. The woman probably was exposed to the virus while traveling out of state. A horse in Eastern Washington was euthanized last month after being diagnosed with West Nile, officials added. And five mosquito samples in Benton and Franklin counties have tested positive for the infection. Officials warned that West Nile is a potentially dangerous illness residents should protect themselves against. "This can be a very serious illness for many people, and people over the age of 50 seem to be especially vulnerable to it," said Donn Moyer, a health-department spokesman. A West Nile virus infection can cause meningitis or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), officials said. Symptoms can include fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, muscle weakness, paralysis and coma. Residents can reduce their exposure to the infection by wearing insect repellent, staying indoors around dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active and removing standing water from around their homes. Only one Washington resident is believed to have died from West Nile since it arrived in the state in 2006. That was in 2009. But just this year in other states, some 90 people have died from the infection. • Gibbs reopens in East Jefferson County By Leah Leach •enlnsuia Daily News, September 9`",2012 PORT TOWNSEND—Gibbs Lake has been reopened for recreation after two consecutive weeks of test results showing a safe level of microcystin, a toxin created by blue-green algae. The other East Jefferson County lake that had been closed because of high levels of toxins—Anderson Lake— remains closed for now because no lab results were available for anatoxin-a, a quick-acting nerve poison created by blue-green algae that has been found in high levels in the state lake for most of the summer. Lab test results of samples taken from East Jefferson County lakes generally are available on Fridays for both anatoxin-a and microcystin. But this week, results were received only for microcystin, with anatoxin-a results delayed, said Greg Thomason, Jefferson County environmental health specialist. That leaves the status of Anderson Lake, which is in a state park west of Chimacum, unknown until anatoxin-a results are received from King County Environmental Labs early this week. Gibbs reopened Friday Since no anatoxin-a has been found in Gibbs Lake all season, "I think we are safe" in reopening the county lake in light of low levels of microcystin found there, Thomason said Friday. Microcystin can cause skin irritation and nausea over the short term and liver damage if ingested over a long period of time. Gibbs Lake, which is south of Port Townsend, had been closed Aug. 23 because tests of a sample from the lake •found 19.4 micrograms of microcystin per liter of water—the highest level ever seen in Gibbs Lake in five years of testing for algae toxins. The safety threshold for microcystin is 6 micrograms per liter. The following week, the level had fallen to 1.2 micrograms per liter. The county Health Department waits for two consecutive weeks of low test results before reopening a lake closed because of toxins. On Friday, results found that the level remained at 1.2 microgram per liter. "Gibbs came down for a second week in a row," said Greg Thomason, Jefferson County environmental health specialist. "We are going to go ahead and reopen Gibbs, but with a warning sign," he said. "There's still a scum there, still a heavy bloom." Leland, Crocker No microcystin was found in Lake Leland, north of Quilcene. Caution signs remain posted there and at Crocker Lake, which is near the U.S. Highway 101-state Highway 104 junction, because both lakes contain the types of blue-green algae that can suddenly begin to produce toxins. 40 No tests results were received last week for anatoxin-a in any of the lakes sampled in East Jefferson County, including Anderson Lake. Samples are generally taken on Mondays. Because of the Labor Day holiday, they were taken Tuesday last week. On top of that, FedEx delivery was delayed by one day, according to Thomason. Anatoxin-a tests take longer to complete than those for microcystin. • Only a few weeks Anderson Lake has been open only a few weeks this season because of levels of anatoxin-a high above the 1 microgram-per-liter safety threshold. Microcystin levels usually are low in Anderson Lake. The lake was opened the last Saturday in April for the start of the statewide lowland fishing season but was closed May 3 before briefly reopening last month. Mike Zimmerman, a State Parks ranger who oversees Anderson Lake State Park, had said after the most recent closure of the lake that he did not know if it would be reopened this season even if the toxin level fell and stayed low. Fishing in the lake can only be catch-and-release now, according to state law, and the entire state park will close Oct. 31. For now, however, the 410-acre state park around the lake remains open for recreation. A Discover Pass is needed to park there. Researchers know that warm weather fuels algae growth when sufficient nutrients such as phosphates are present, but they don't understand what sparks the production of toxins from some species. No toxic blue-green algae has been reported in Clallam County, where health officers do not test for toxins; instead, they visually monitor lakes for signs of algae bloom. Report algae blooms in Clallam County by phoning 360-417-2258. Report algae blooms in Jefferson County by phoning 360-385-9444. For more information about lake quality in Jefferson County, visit the environmental health website at http://tinyurl.com/6z64ofy. Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leachc peninsuladailynews.com. S 9/10/2012 6:41:00 PM,Port Townsend Leader Mental health court seen as budget savings •effersofl County needs money to set up specialty court By Tristan Hiegler of the Leader This story first appeared in our Sept. 5 print edition and e-edition. A specialty court for Jefferson County residents with mental health issues is in the works. The paperwork is signed and the team is in place, but funding is needed to move the court forward. The Jefferson County Prosecutor's Office recently applied to be a member of a mental health court training pilot project. That application was approved by the Council of State Governments Justice Center. County stakeholders have been meeting and going over the modules provided by the center as they craft the rules for the court. "We're very excited about the mental health court at the Prosecutor's Office," Deputy Prosecutor Miriam Norman said. Norman, who volunteered to be the prosecutor, said court policies and procedures have been written and a participant handbook has been created. Special program According to the court's policies, the court is a 24-month program with a $500 fee. Participants are expected to attend weekly court dates as well as treatment sessions. The assistant prosecuting attorney must approve participants. To qualify, they can neither be charged with violent or sexual crimes, nor have a conviction history that includes violent or sexual crimes. They must be residents of Jefferson County and have been diagnosed with a major mental illness. If participants successfully complete their treatment, the charges against them are dismissed. If they drop out of the program, the presiding judge reviews their case and makes a ruling. Norman said defense attorney Richard Davies has agreed to serve as the public defender for the court, and District Court Judge Jill Landes is going to oversee the proceedings. Professionals from Jefferson Mental Health and probation officers are also onboard already, Norman said. Norman said her experience working in a mental health court comes from her time interning at the District Attorney's Office in Harris County, Texas. She said this kind of court helps cut down on repeat offenders and saves counties money. "It's definitely an asset," she said. "We don't want to see them in and out of the system. We want to address those issues so we can help them lead better lives. You get to see people succeed in life where you never thought that was possible before." Davies said he fully supports the creation of a mental health court. "A lot of what we do in the criminal justice system is chase people around," he said. "If you address the underlying issue, the client's better off, the community's better off." He said he would like to see a more collaborative approach to referring and approving participants for the mental health court. "I think whether you're let in should be a consensus-based decision," Davies said. "Not everything should run through the Prosecutor's Office." Funding • Norman added that with the personnel already in place, startup costs for the court would be small. She said another probation officer might need to be hired to cover the caseload from the mental health court. Norman said she plans to have the court up and running by late fall or early winter. "Honestly, we can probably start tomorrow," she said. While the startup costs for the court may be low, Norman said she is pursuing grant options and hoping for some assistance from the Board of County Commissioners. "We all know this would save the county money,"she said. Commissioner John Austin said he was interested in seeing the court created but was hesitant to commit county monies. "If we can offer an alternative to jail, it has great value, particularly if we can bring about the mental health court without an investment from the general fund," he said. Austin said having offenders in the mental health court as opposed to jail could save money. He said the Jefferson County Jail has a fixed minimum operating cost, but the court would save time and money on transporting prisoners, escorting prisoners and processing paperwork. "It's really tight, so if there is a way that it can be funded within the current budget, it shows great foresight on the part of the prosecutor and the judges,"Austin said of the county's available money for the court. As of last week, no specific number was available on how much money is needed to actually launch the program. Training session At an Aug. 28 meeting attended by Austin, Prosecutor Scott Rosekrans, Davies and other stakeholders, a regional mental health court expert presented on best court practices. Margaret Brammall, a longtime mental health court public defender in Thurston County, gave the stakeholders background on how Thurston's court worked and how to move forward on the Jefferson County court. She said to make the advantages and disadvantages of the mental health court system clear to participants. She also emphasized the money saved. "When you think about of the overall county savings, it's huge," Brammall said. Also present at the meeting was Alex Blanford with the Council of State Governments Justice Center. The center provided the training modules the stakeholders have been using to mesh the fields of criminal justice administration and mental health treatment. "There is absolutely no right or wrong way to use the curriculum," Blanford said. She said the Jefferson County training sessions have been part of a pilot project on the training modules' effectiveness. Blanford added that the center is rolling out the training nationally in October. Norman said the next meeting to go over the last two training modules is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 18. • • -,LstET'W.,RW;C:-.7741rinra741 A. ,t4thi D r4:Orta-P,1 !'t.-7.,;'tt...7cliri-it-4,-'''7.,;144,q,et,,41111.4:114.y: ,,,„„p-111 mek z. c:1 a g' $, Tuesday,Sept. 18\ iv':'.:k'''''' th• 6:30-8:30pm x Tri-Area Community Center ' 10 W. Valley Rat, Chimacum Thursday,Sept.27th• 6:30-8:30pm Quilcene Community Center,294952 Hwy 101 r' Monday,Oct.1"•'3:00-5:OOpm SN ,k Brinnon Senior Center,306144 Hwy 101 ,42,.°2';','Op4ws"i4tkrtil .° ° 1 6' 1:41,0- ``,,'VIV:414' 4449. v $4,,,,-,, ue ,, es° <e; r eas . :, f ;� •�a : '�: fit.', •: z • • • • /p7i 9/12/2012 6:00:00 AM,Port Townsend Leader Watchdog group meets after mill permit deadline opies of application expected to be made for public Allison Arthur,assistant editor Port Townsend Citizen Watchdogs plan to host an open meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 19 to review the Port Townsend Paper Corp.'s landfill renewal application, which is due to Jefferson County Public Health by Sept. 17. The meeting is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Port Townsend Community Center, and organizer Sally Shumaker expects her group to focus on the details of the application to see whether it meets the group's goal and complies with guidelines of a limited-purpose landfill (LPL) permit. "We plan to print it and hand it to everyone," Shumaker said of the mill's application. Shumaker added that this is an open meeting and she is hoping that mill officials, union members and mill supporters attend. The keynote speaker is Bob Lynette, co-chair of the Sierra Club's North Olympic Group, who talks about the importance of ensuring that the proper regulatory and enforcement requirements are put in place for the Port Townsend Paper landfill. Lynette has extensive experience in permitting issue and corporate-to-government contracting. Paper mill spokeswoman Annika Wallendahl said in early August that PT Paper plans to . resubmit its annual application for an inert permit under WAC 173-350-410, not the LPL permit that both county and state officials have suggested the mill needs. But Wallendahl has also said the mill will comply with requests by the county and state to do more groundwater testing and provide financial assurance that it has the means to close the landfill, two requirements of the stricter LPL permit. The mill's 25-acre landfill, which sits on a slope on 250 acres south of the mill near Port Townsend Bay, has become controversial, with concerned residents regularly attending Jefferson County Board of Health meetings and insisting the mill seek an LPL permit. Mill officials also have spoken up at the meetings, saying they are complying with regulations, are willing to do more testing and plan to submit a detailed closure cost estimate that includes a "specific instrument," according to minutes of an Aug. 22 meeting between the mill, the county and officials with the state Department of Ecology. Details of that Aug. 22 meeting are online at jeffersoncountypublichealth.org under the heading: "Port Townsend Paper Corporation Inert Waste Landfill." • r • Board location changed • The Port Townsend Citizen Watchdogs are a "group of individuals, who choose to work together, in order to achieve agreed-upon goals centering around social justice," according to its mission statement. "This group works openly, honestly, and for the public interest. It does not work behind closed doors, nor does it exclude anyone from its meetings." Shumaker said she expects to have an expert on landfills speak, offer a PowerPoint presentation and hear from the public. "If 500 [members of the public] want to come, by all means," she said. "I believe this application is important for the whole community." Dave McWethy, who has been a main researcher for the organization, also speaks and gives an update on his take on what the mill has submitted that week. Dr. Tom Locke, health officer for Jefferson County, gave the mill a deadline of Sept. 15, but because that is a Saturday, the deadline was extended to Monday, Sept. 17. The Sept. 19 meeting is in advance of the Jefferson County Board of Health meeting, which is set for Thursday, Sept. 20. The Sept. 20 meeting location has been changed from the regular space on Sheridan Street to the Masonic Center, on corner of Van Buren and Jefferson behind 411 the post office in Port Townsend. ` �..�} fit.; wr.., . .A -Y= 5 if4st s":„ k moi^ ,: e ICY :l:r`� ` i� 3 s '. �w YRO. 4i�TY� 1 � k` _rt 1-77.A.,� p�.4 y... � ``semt.. AF 'q"^Y " � `'d:.. ``' SEs ' s a� _ a�``�"�x 'E ,' gig%' aq.' .'..�'*€ �: - ' � .� , e " , .'� U+ ,- ',7,,,„..:.:4;,!%-.7,:t.171 ��:,%erg" `. s.P"''''''44' '� '.''' r+� s . '' =s�jr.d. gar`-�i#`�..,"+"?h`, ,. +"°:�+ raw:' Port Townsend Paper's ash landfill makes up 25 acres of a 250 acre site. State and county officials are discussing what landfill regulations are needed as Port Townsend Paper Corp. attempts to expand its burning of biomass, which mill officials acknowledge will produce a larger II volume of ash. Photo by Patrick J. Sullivan, flight by Port Townsend Aircraft Services ".W`Mystery Bay management plan wins national award -- Port Angeles Port Townsend Sequi... Page 1 of 2 Port Angiolon The Olympic Peninsula Online Connection in Washington State Since 1998 66°F 11111T i7 � w.pernns adai alnew&c m. 'ts!tier Forecast 11 r- - Peninsula Daily Deals How 'W ashingtton .. bes CI Ft re l access our �, r' --- preserving history_ and chute? ha.6 May! SEARCH ONLINE LOCAL NEWS: ! Search Advanced Search C Click Here To View The tete tea stol'atlotl Wets Came Jobs Classifieds Place a Classified Autos HOME ! NATION/WORLD SUBSCRIBER SERVICES THINGS TO DO/CALENDAR s REAL ESTATE I OBITUARIES j PHOTONIDEO i ABOUT PDN I Path:HOME.NEWS Mystery Bay management plan wins national award By Charlie Bermant Peninsula Daily News MARROWSTONE ISLAND—A management plan for Mystery Bay was recognized with a national award that lauded its ability to accommodate several different functions in a single aquatic area. .mac Print This I Email This The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators presented its Waterways Management Award to the Mystery Bay Management Plan Team at its 53rd annual conference in Mobile,Ala.,on Monday. Recent Headlines Port Angeles police arrest fugitive The award will be presented locally this coming Monday to planning team members at the Nordland Garden Club at the end of Garden Club after search--9/13/12-10:05 AM Road. Updated:High fire danger for Olympics facing Hood Canal-- The presentation will be at 7 p.m. 9/13/12-09:30 AM Discover Your Legacy workshop The plaque will be on display at the Jefferson County Department of Community Development in Port Townsend. scheduled today 9/10/12-02.59 In 2009,the state Department of Health dosed the beds in much of the bay during boating season because the number of boats exceeded PM federal standards for commercial shellfish safety,the state Department of Natural Resources said. 'River as Spirit'to be shown at • Rose Theatre—9/12/12-05:42 The shellfish beds were reopened after the plan's six elements were found to be a workable and sustainable solution. PM Anderson Lake to stay closed These elements included permitting boat moorage,removal of unpermitted buoys,exceptions for local residents,management of transient despite test results--9/12/12- boaters,establishing an ongoing monitoring plan and modifying the process to adapt to changing conditions. 05:42 PM Twenty local entities,including the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners,three tribes,several local businesses and the Army Corps of Engineers,worked together to develop the plan. FIRE/SECURITY AIARMS The plan,which was finished in 2010,had been initially developed to address the problem of too many boats anchored or TED moored near shellfish beds in the bay. Compromises included establishing a no-anchor zone in certain parts of the bay that were prime for shellfish harvesting, y , 't, according to Brady Scott,a DNR manager who helped pull the plan together. 'w 910.=� ___ °+r` 't` ' x,�9 CE "Receiving recognition by a national boating organization certainly puts an exclamation point on the success of the L. _ ' collaborative planning process,"Scott said. NORTHWEST, INC, "It resulted in both the protection of commercial shellfish and continued use of Mystery Bay by boaters." 24 Hour The plan consists of a memorandum of understanding signed by all 20 stakeholders,which limits the use of boats as they e Local Monitoring interfere with fishing operations and can cause pollution that can contaminate the harvested shellfish. 0800.18594463 Mystery Bay shellfish harvesting is important to the county's economy,since 11 of 26 local shellfish companies operate out of that location,representing sales of$7 million annually,according to the agreement. The monitoring of boats from May t to Sept.30 is done in conjunction with water quality level testing and restricts the number of boats according to those results. Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at Charlie.bermantApeninsuladailynews.com. Last modified:September 12 2012 5:42PM Reader Comments Arid a comment... _... .. [Comment 40 To report a comment,email moderatorApeninsuladailynews.com and refer to the article and offending comment,or click here:REPORT ABUSE. http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120913/news/309139992/mystery-bay-man... 9/13/2012 JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH • Community Health Fees All of the services/fees listed for Jefferson County Public Health and Community Health are set as follows: A cost analysis will be completed every year to set reimbursement rates for family planning services and immunization programs. Fees for medications, antibiotics and treatment methods will be based on cost of acquisition unless acquired by an outside vendor at no cost to Jefferson County Public Health. No handling fee to cover staff time on inventory and ordering will be assessed. All fees for vaccines not subsidized by the Vaccine for Children or Washington Vaccine Association will be based on the cost of the vaccine, shipping and handling, and allowable market reimbursement rates. Laboratory Services are based on the actual fees of laboratory contractors, price lists are available upon request. Office visit fees are calculated and reviewed annually, and are based on cost analysis. In the event the cost analysis exceeds the contracted private insurance provider rates or market rates, the lower of the rates will apply. The Clinical Services Financial and Operations Guidelines policy is in place, reviewed and updated annually, which includes the Federal Poverty Guidelines used to establish the sliding fee schedule. A copy of the sliding fee schedule will be available upon request. The sliding fee schedule will not be offered for privately purchased vaccines administered for international travel or outside laboratory cost. Certain service fees may be waived, including but not limited to communicable disease prevention services, medications, laboratory services or vaccines to prevent outbreaks of communicable disease. Services for vaccines subsidized by the Vaccines for Children or WA Vaccine Association and Family Planning Services will not be denied due to a client's inability to pay. Board Members Phil Johnson(Chair),County Commissioner District#1, Jill Buhler(Vice-Chair),Hospital Commissioner David Sullivan,County Commissioner,District#2,John Austin,County Commissioner,District#3, • Catharine Robinson,Port Townsend City Council,Sheila Westerman,Citizen(City),Roberta Frissell,Citizen(County) 615 Sheridan• Castle Hill Center•Port Townsend• WA• 98368 (360)385-9400 Jefferson County Public Health will automatically implement future modifications • to fees for vaccines, medications, and medical supplies when any of the following changes occur: 1. There is a change in the actual cost of the service provided by an outside vendor, the supply, medication, vaccine, laboratory charges, or shipping and handling costs. 2. The Federal Poverty Level Guidelines change. 3. The maximum allowable Medicaid reimbursement rate changes and is more than market rate. Awf 111 art, ti I Chair, Jefferson County Board of Health Date Jefferson County Health Officer Date Board Members Phil Johnson(Chair),County Commissioner District#1, Jill Buhler(Vice-Chair),Hospital Commissioner David Sullivan,County Commissioner,District#2,John Austin,County Commissioner,District#3, Catharine Robinson,Port Townsend City Council,Sheila Westerman,Citizen(City),Roberta Frissell,Citizen(County) • 615 Sheridan• Castle Hill Center•Port Townsend•WA• 98368 (360)385-9400 Port Townsend unique — and this issue has created an atmosphere of distrust — distrust for a company that has • deep roots in this community and distrust for those who have a mandate to execute the Powers and Duties of the Local Board of Health as stated that: "Each local board of health shall have supervision over all matters pertaining to the preservation of health and life within it's jurisdiction and shall provide for the prevention, control, and abatement of nuisances detrimental to the public health . . . or in any way renders other persons insecure in life and in the use of property." • Dr. Locke - I appreciate the pressure you are under and believe you want to make the right choice. Oliver Wendell Holmes said: "The character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done." You're circumstances are not ideal --but-l-have confidence in your character because--I--know someone who knows you. The legal, ethical and right action in this circumstance is to issue Port Townsend Paper Corporation a Limited Purpose Landfill Permit without delay. Thank you for your time and consideration. Taxpayers may be on the hook for Mount Solo landfill August 14, 2010 8:55 pm by Barbara LaBoe/The Daily News-serving Lower Columbia Jeff Wilson,a homeowner concerned with industrial dumping practices behind his house,stands on his deck Tuesday at his home off Mount Solo Road in Longview.The dump is visible beyond the slough behind Wilson. Photo by Tyler Tjomsland/for The Daily News 40 _,,_ "; Editor's note: The Mount Solo Landfill is private and owned by Robert Radakovich Sr.It is located near the Columbia River and near the old Reynolds Metals Co.plant.This landfill was never r „ owned by either Cowlitz County or Weyerhaeuser and is not connected with the Headquarters Road r'" ,` 5 landfill in Toutie that Weyerhaeuser is negotiated to sell to the county. The closed Mount Solo Landfill,a privately owned facility where thousands of tons of Weyerhaeuser -' , Co.pulp mill waste were buried decades ago,has flunked its annual inspection two years running, and no one knows whether the site poses a long-term threat to public health and the environment. Cowlitz County officials say they'll likely have to go to court to get the landfill maintained and monitored as state regulations require.Complicating matters,though,is whether anyone has both the money and the obligation to pay for the work.If the dispute isn't resolved,taxpayers may get stuck with the costs,which could total hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. A$9 million trust fund set up to maintain the 100-acre landfill in West Longview has dwindled to less than$5,000.The owner,Robert Radakovich Sr., and his son Robert Radakovich II,who managed the landfill,say they're broke.Weyerhaeuser officials insist the company already paid its share by creating the closure trust fund in the 1990s. The county has given the Radakovichs until Wednesday to submit a plan to bring the landfill into compliance.The younger Radakovich said he and his father,who did not return calls for comment,simply can't comply. "They can go to court and try to find some assets,"Radakovich said."There are no assets.We don't even have money for attorneys." The situation leaves landfill neighbor Jeff Wilson fuming and fearing that Cowlitz County taxpayers will get stuck with the maintenance bill. "Why should we have to spend our money to fulfill his responsibility?"Wilson demands about Radakovich,whom he's complained about to the county about for two years."What do you do when the owners of a landfill say'I quit?'" �o tests,numerous violations: While they differ on who should pay,everyone agrees about what's wrong with the landfill:None of the required nitoring tests or upkeep have been done since 2009,when the trust fund ran low. The landfill failed every category of the county's 2010 inspection report and has 28 violations,according to a July 16 county letter sent to the Radakovichs and Weyerhaeuser. The violations range from minor procedural matters to serious concerns,such as cracked pipes in the gas collection system that prevents the buildup of explosive methane in the landfill.Also,no one is testing to see if wastes are contaminating groundwater(see breakout). The failure to test and maintain the site"is a threat to public health and the environment" Katie Bohren,a county environmental health specialist,wrote in the July letter to the Radakovichs. Although no water quality testing is taking place,county officials stress they're visually inspecting the site and don't believe the landfill is posing any imminent danger. "We have a full complement of staff monitoring the situation...it needs to be fixed but it's not an immediate threat,"said Chris Bischoff,the county's environmental health manager. Wilson,though,owns land on both side of the landfill and has spent hours researching the Radakovichs and the landfill. Wilson founded Cowlitz Clean Sweep and has years of experience in environmental cleanup.He knew he was moving next to a landfill eight years ago, but said he never dreamed the owners could just stop testing and maintaining the site.And he's not so sure the landfill is safe,adding all county residents should worry about the environmental implications of an untested,unmonitored landfill. "Nobody can tell me the landfill is safe at this point because no one has any current,required test results,"Wilson said."Until they're back in compliance there's no answers to the public or my family....And when tests aren't done,that's how things like oil rigs blow up." Where did the money go? When the landfill was closed,the state required a host of post-closure requirements and the$9 million officials estimated ,uld be needed to pay for them. At the time,state officials expected monitoring for at least 20 years and longer if the material in the landfill hadn't fully ed. In recent years they've determined that 20 years isn't not long enough,Bischoff said. The money was held in a Bank of America trust account The Radakovichs,as the landfill managers,submitted bills for work such as testing,lawn mowing and records storage.Both the county and Weyerhaeuser could object to any of the bills,but mainly the money was paid as long as the bills seemed legitimate and not overly excessive,Bischoff said. "The price was probably inflated on some things...but there was nothing on the surface that was fraudulent"he said. Essentially,the Radakovichs went through the trust fund at a clip exceeding an average of$500,000 a year. In 2009,with the fund dwindling, Weyerhaeuser challenged some payments.The Radakovichs say the company still owes them$100,000 for that disputed work,but they never took the matter to arbitration because they figured they couldn't afford the legal fight,Robert Radakovich II said. The county's environmental health department hasn't audited the bills because at this point the focus is resuming the monitoring and upkeep at the • landfill,Bischoff said. "It's possible that might come up in the legal proceedings,"he said."But we're here to make the landfill right.We want it to be safe and we want it to be fixed and done right" Troubled past: This isn't the first time the Mount Solo Landfill,opened in the 1960s and closed in 1993,has run afoul of state regulations.Nor is this the first time the owners have said they didn't have enough money to meet closure requirements. Weyerhaeuser,which was by far the landfill's biggest customer,paid the nearly$9 million for the trust fund in the early 1990s because Robert Radakovich Sr.was out of money and couldn't satisfy the state's new,more stringent post-closure requirements. The landfill was temporarily closed in 1990 because a stench made workers and nearby residents sick. As it was winding down,the landfill was closed again when a variance—exemption—to state regulations ran out.It reopened only after Weyerhaeuser agreed to create the trust fund. Several other problems prompted the state Department of Ecology to rank the site a"top priority"for closure. The Headquarters Road landfill that Weyerhaeuser is now trying to sell to Cowlitz County was built specifically because the company wanted a more stable and self-managed place to store its waste after the Mount Solo problems. "That place is a black hole,"Robert Radakovich II said of his family's landfill."I don't know if the place is cursed or what" Annual costs: After starting nuisance abatement proceedings,county crews can bring the landfill back into compliance and then bill those responsible for the costs. An outside study estimates it will cost about$300,000 to bring the landfill into compliance and between$70,000 to$200,000 annually for maintenance,Bischoff said.More tests are needed to know how long the maintenance work will be required,he said. Ron Marshall,the county's chief civil deputy prosecutor,says it's clear the Radakovichs are responsible for the costs.A state law also requires the generators of waste to pay some closure costs,though,meaning the county also could go after Weyerhaeuser if the Radakovichs can't pay,Marshall said. Weyerhaeuser is expected to oppose any efforts to get more than the$9 million it's already paid. "Weyerhaeuser again wishes to restate our position that we have met our financial obligations in regards to Mount Solo landfill,"company environmental. manager Carol Wiseman wrote the county in July. The potential complications and work on other cases has delayed legal action until now.But Marshall and Bischoff hope the county commissioners can hire an outside lawyer to handle the matter in the coming months. "I think it's probably time for us to take the next step(and begin legal proceedings),"Commissioner Axel Swanson said last week.Commissioners want the people responsible to monitor and maintain the landfill.But,"we're also mandated to make sure the closure is being taken care of,and that's the primary concern,"Swanson said. As for Wilson,he just wants something,anything done. "You expect the lead agency to do something,"he said."But the pace so far has been intolerable." Some of the major concerns listed in the county's 2010 inspection of the Mount Solo Landfill include: •The methane gas created by the landfill isn't being burned off as required-and hasn't been since January 2009.The risk of explosion is extremely low, but officials do worry about the gas dispersing instead of being burned off,said Chris Bischoff,the county's environmental health manager. •Groundwater samples aren't being taken,meaning officials have no way to know if the land or groundwater is being contaminated. •Soil covering the plastic liner on top of the landfill is starting to slip and crack,leading to the possibility the plastic liner could fail and expose the trash. •The landfill's system to collect and treat leachate—water that could be contaminated from contact with wastes—is overtaxed because some sump pumps aren't working. • None of these problems are considered an immediate health threat,Bischoff said. But they all need to be addressed.Without adequate water quality testing,it's impossible to rule out other potential problems,he said. ,q ? i ( —14 ),c5/ 0),' 7, ,77, 111 WATCHDOGS • OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM PT WATCHDOGS TO PTPC: LANDFILL APPLICATION IS DEFICIENT AND LEGALLY INDEFENSIBLE! As published September 16, 2012 (ptwatchdogs.wordpress.com) • by PT Watchdogs Both Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) and our State's Department of Ecology agree: the application submitted on August 31, 2012 by Port Townsend Paper Corporation (PTPC) for a landfill permit is woefully inadequate and does not protect our community or the environment. After reviewing the application, it is clear: what PTPC proposes is a mere continuation of its current Inert Landfill Permit, with the exception of some misguided groundwater testing and deficient financial assurance. Totally missing from the landfill application is a scheduled transition to a Limited Purpose Landfill permit. This has been the stated goal of Jefferson County Public Health, the permit-issuing agency, DOE, and The Public. PTPC proposes resuming groundwater monitoring, utilizing wells numbered 5, 6, 7 and 8. Several of these wells are only 20 feet deep and do not reach the water table. One shows a small amount of water, but not enough for proper sampling. DOE's hydrogeologist considers all four wells deficient for their intended purpose. PTPC says it plans to monitor wells numbered 1 and 4. At least that one step is endorsed by both JCPH and DOE. It is viewed as a low-cost solution for obtaining possible data that may be useful. . Note these problems with the groundwater testing proposal of the PTPC: 1) Proper groundwater monitoring should be done in an active aquifer. Wells 1 and 4 were drilled down into a confined aquifer, which is beneath a semi-permeable barrier under the active aquifer. It's a no-brainer that proper monitoring must be done in an aquifer that has water flow. New wells must be drilled that can tap into water. DOE has informed PTPC of this fact. 2) Because existing wells at the landfill are inadequate, data derived from them is also inadequate. Reliable decision-making is not possible, using unreliable wells. PTPC's description of groundwater monitoring in their landfill application purposely avoids acknowledging the reason for monitoring in the first place — i.e. to respond to contamination at an early stage. Negative results in the present do not argue for less monitoring in the future. Monitoring is necessary on a regular and consistent basis, because there is always the potential for pollution. 3) PTPC provides no time frame for commencement of groundwater monitoring in their application. Now, let us review the landfill application in terms of its proposal for Financial Assurance: 1)The proposal is based on the presumption that the landfill's waste is Inert and therefore closure costs would be minimal. PTPC insists that they have an Inert Landfill closure. The reality is this: the waste in the landfill in NOT inert; therefore, Financial Assurance must be based on costs for the closure of a Limited Purpose, not an Inert landfill. • 2) PTPC speaks of "phased closure " in its application. This is quite a curiosity! PTPC implies that it has closed some of its landfill "units," including the original historic unit. Therefore, only current and future open units would be included under its Financial Assurance proposal. By law, proper closure must consider ALL past and future landfill operations within the entire 25-acre site, not just a fraction of that site. S For ten years,prior to 1983,Crown Zellerbach dumped what they have referred to in written correspondence as "paper-making wastes."The waste now sits in PTPC's current "historic unit," comprising 4.4 acres of the total 25-acre site.The dumping by Crown Zellerbach was prior to any regulations for financial assurance. Its waste has never been tested and remains suspect for toxicity and the potential for contamination. As the current owner of the landfill, PTPC is responsible for the Financial Assurance of not only the 4.4 acre "historic unit,"but all other units, closed, open, or proposed. A landfill must be permitted according to the worst potential content, not based on something (ash) currently dumped, which could produce lesser risk. The whole question of whether the ash and lime grits are, or are not, characterized as "Inert" is not the issue;JCPH and DOE are clear that the waste is NOT INERT. This landfill has a substantial amount of historic waste that must be properly monitored today and into the future. No currently existing groundwater well is positioned to monitor this historic waste. There is no financial assurance in place for the closure of this unit, being part of closing the overall 25-acre landfill site. 3) PTPC vaguely speaks of "a schedule upon which funds will be provided." All details are left blank. 4) At least three dates can be identified for possible closure of the PTPC landfill: • PTPC estimates that its landfill has a life of 30 years; • Independent calculation, using PTPC's own numbers, indicates a life of only 9 years; • In the case of bankruptcy, which is possible ANY time, end of life could be NOW! Considering all the possibilities, Financial Assurance must be required immediately and in full. • Due to delays by PTPC and a lack of urgency by JCPH, nothing has been gained in progress towards a Limited Purpose Permit since 2011 . Even now, despite all its lawyering and lengthy negotiations with JCPH and DOE, it is possible that PTPC thinks it can delay and negotiate even further! Given PTPC's intransigence and desire for delay, its "woefully deficient" landfill application begs the question: did PTPC intentionally submit such an application to provoke confrontation? If so, it certainly has succeeded. The time has come for JCPH to simply reject PTPC's proposal. It is an embarrassment on its face. We need a Limited Purpose permit NOW. As a kind gesture, it is possible that Dr. Locke might even allow PTPC a final, brief 30 days to amend its application. Be assured: Dr. Locke's intention is to move forward according to existing deadlines. He has stated that a short-term Inert permit may be approved; BUT, it must transition to a Limited Purpose permit soon. To conclude: Both JCPH and Ecology have stated, and still affirm, that this landfill must be permitted as limited Purpose. Both must stand up to the Port Townsend Paper Corporation and be prepared for a confrontation if necessary, and committed to transitioning to full compliance in the near future. • PortTownsendCitizenWatchdogs • www.ptwatchdogs.com • ptwatchdogs.wordpress.com • info@ptwatchdogs.com Statement to Board of Health—September 20, 2012 My name is Bill Wise, 710 Foster, Port Townsend. • I am now in my sixth year as Chair of Team Jefferson, Jefferson County's Economic Development Council. As you consider possible action regarding the Mill's landfill, I encourage you to consider our community's economic wellbeing. I am confident you understand the direct correlation between our County's economic wellbeing and quality of health. The Mill, a manufacturing company, is operating fully within the bounds of federal, state and local law and regulations and now for 85 years. The Mill is now on the other side of restructuring, providing some 300 jobs at an average salary of$70,000. That represents 300 families with healthcare and these jobs in turn leverage two to four times that number in terms of economic impact(re: Michael Shuman"Local Dollars, Local Sense"). In short, we need the Mill in support of our economy. The Mill is willing to invest $55 million dollars in local renewable energy and as part of that investment, is committing to invest $10 million to provide cleaner air for our community—specifically reducing particulate emissions by 70%from today's levels and in further improving its continuous point source emissions monitoring. The Mill recycles one third of Washington State's collection of recycled cardboard. The Mill's end product, its output, is itself recyclable pulp, paper and cardboard. The materials used for production, its input, are either recyclable or renewable. In summary, the Mill is performing at an incredibly high level of social responsibility. This past spring in a two month period of time, 2,778 citizens signed a petition supporting the Mill and Sthe cogeneration project—they want a successful Mill, they want cleaner air, and they want and need the jobs and drive the Mill delivers to our economy. As part of your deliberations, I know you will additionally consider two core questions... What impact will Board of Health decisions have on Mill's continued ability to successfully operate here in Jefferson, and, Second... What message will Board of Health be sending to manufacturing businesses operating in our County or to those businesses wishing to start up or locate here? If you were at the town meeting Tuesday night, you know that jobs are a precious thing here in Jefferson County. Our unemployment continues to hover in the 10%range and underemployment considerably higher than that. There are 2,778 people that signed their support for this project. They want the Mill to succeed. - - . - - •- -, please keep these 2,778 people in mind. Thank you. irZr Cheryl R. Montgomery, Ph.D. Research Biologist Risk Integration Team US Army Corps of Engineers (US ACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) 696 Virginia Road Concord, MA 01742 W: 978-318-8644 F: 978-318.8891 C: 781-530-8317 Cheryl.R.Montgomery@usace.army.mil http://www.erdc.usace.army.mil • r 1__ 0 -.... J 1 �'. LL Ij ',.� t 4 r ` i • 1 , t -1 ( , r j / ,,,, p [N. 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(31 6111 no '-. co $ c.0 fo- t., ° 0 ilh. i I 1 J 6 , o t co > tn 8 K tri; I 0 B 0 0 0 , 1 CD co 5 . - o 3 a =co ch ran 24 00C6O0 aco:c=r a8-nc0i0oEo--oLT>-> c2+50a=aol I1I I I -6U70S-U-10 .1 — . — , "CI Z (J) - .-- - -- "0 i,.. - -..- - - -5 - t -.. ....,iITI 4,3 I , ... ,N) 7 0 G) (0 * .... 1 , (a) CY1 ci I III s. Cathy Avery From: scshumaker@aol.com Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 12:58 PM To: Tom Locke �Cc: Cathy Avery; peter.lyon@ecy.wa.gov ubject: Comment to Dr. Locke from a Port Townsend Resident who attended the Citizen Watchdog Meeting on Sept. 19, 2012 Dear Dr. Locke, We had a very good meeting of the Port Townsend Citizen Watchdogs at our local Community Center last night. It was like a college course 101 on landfills, with detailed discussion on such topics as financial assurance and groundwater testing. We had an expert in both areas give 20-minute lectures. Three other speakers talked for 15 minutes each. We had an open forum after that, where anyone could ask questions and get up in front of the audience to say anything they wanted. Many people did. The meeting started at 7:15pm and did not end until 10pm. From all reports, those who attended (about 65, according to one person who hand counted every attendee) ... everyone felt it was a worthwhile and informative meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to create dialogue within our community on the controversial issue of the landfill permit of the PTPC. An invitation to the meeting was hand delivered and written personally to key Administrators of the PTPC. Those include: Roger Loney, CEO, Eveleen and Annika in the Department of Environmental Affairs, and to Chuck Madison, VP of Human Resources. Chuck was invited to pass on to all employees of the PTPC our cordial welcome to attend the meeting. A copy of the meeting's Agenda was included with each invitation, so people could see in advance what topics would be covered. Oelivered to the Department of Public Health, personal handwritten invitations, also with copies f the Agenda, were addressed to you, Jean Baldwin, Jared, Pinky, and Cathy Avery. To the Jefferson County Courthouse, the same kind of invitation was personally delivered to all three County Commissioners and to the County Administrator. To the City of Port Townsend, invitations were personally delivered to the Mayor, all City Council Members, and the heads of all Departments. To the Hospital of Jefferson Healthcare, invitations to the meeting were extended to Mike Glenn, CEO and every member of the Hospital Board. Beyond that, I personally delivered 300 additional copies of the Agenda throughout the community, talking to individuals who were shopping at our local Food Co-Op, at Safeway, downtown businesses, Uptown businesses, medical clinics, health-care related businesses, realtors, banks, etc. etc. etc. Beyond that, The Leader very graciously wrote a FRONT PAGE article in their newspaper, appearing on the day of the meeting itself; they also wrote a prominent article in their paper a week before the meeting. Both articles gave opinions on the landfill issue from both sides. The Leader articles stated that the meeting hosted by the Port Townsend Citizen Watchdogs was a "community meeting" open to everyone. Now that the meeting at the Port Townsend Community Center of Wednesday September 19, 2012 is a piece of history, we want those who missed it in person to see it on PowerPoint and with the recorded words. Speakers labored over their computers for several weeks, to put together a finished PowerPoint. They knew how important the information was and that it had to be correct. The PowerPoint was a collaborative, team effort. We would like to send the PowerPoint and the recording of the meeting to you for your review. And we would like these items to be made available to everyone on the Jefferson County Board of Health and to everyone at the Port Townsend Paper Corporation. tease know that the most courageous person to attend last night's meeting was Scott Tennant, 1 a member of United Steelworkers, Local 175. Scott was the sole person representing the Mill who cared enough to attend. We applaud him. We want Scott to know that the Public here in Port Townsend is in solidarity with his Union members. Just like them, we want to understand better what is going on "behind the scenes" in the minds of those who run and own the PTPC. We do not to this day fully understand why the Port Townsend Paper Corporation is stonewalling Ilka Limited Purpose Landfill Permit. However, we got an interesting clue from one member the audience last night. He has business dealings with the Mill. He said when he was at the Mill recently, talking to an Executive there about his business, that he was informed he had just "one more year in which to do business there." This gentleman was a professional chemist, with nationwide experience with the pulp and paper industry. He appeared very knowledgeable and well-informed, a person to be trusted with his Word. Dr. Locke to be very direct with you based on this man's testimony and from what we have been hearing from others, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you no longer stall and that you no longer give the PTPC just one last chance to "negotiate" a better landfill application permit with you. You do not need "to enable"the PTPC any longer. The time for negotiations is past. As time goes by.... well.... a lot of time has gone by, Dr. Locke, and nothing has been accomplished from all your hard work. The PTPC has an attorney representing them at over$400/hour. We estimate that her bill to the PTPC has accumulated to about$200,000. So, the big winner in this situation is attorney Leslie Nellermoe! She has set it up for her client that they not negotiate with you in good faith. Just look at the landfill application that is FINALLY submitted: it is totally unresponsive to the community's needs! It gives nothing of substance in the areas of groundwater testing or financial assurance. All the application appears to be is a "clever legal document," specifically written in an attempt to cover the ass of the PTPC. I'm sorry, but I needed to say that. Dr. Locke... let's be serious, and let there be no transition at all, from an Inert to a Limited Purpose landfill permit. You are quoted on your own Health Department website, and in The Leader newspaper, to say these things: "You do not negotiate the Public Health" and you "hear the Public's concerns," and you also promise, that if the PTPC does not submit an adequate permit application, then you will mandate a Limited Purpose Landfill permit and be done with the shenanigans. filk. Locke, can we trust your words and that you are going to take the action you have promised? en please mandate a Limited Purpose landfill permit, and take that action NOW. THANK YOU. Sally Shumaker PO Box 156 Port Townsend, WA 98368 .... NOW, please read the comments of one person who attended last night's meeting, but who is unable to attend the Board of Health meeting taking place today, Thursday, September. His comments and story are well worth reading. Original Message From: Pogo Here <herepog2@gmail.com> To: scshumaker <scshumaker@aol.com> Sent: Thu, Sep 20, 2012 1:27 am Subject: Re: PT Citizen Watchdogs THANKS YOU for your donation A well run meeting. All the info was very much to the point. I won't be at the BofH meeting tomorrow. If I could, I'd have suggested to Dr. Locke that the position he is in reminds me of Dr. Stockman in Ibsen's "Enemy of the People." Dr. Thomas Stockmann is a popular citizen of a small coastal town in Norway. The town •as recently invested a large amount of public and private money towards the 2 development of baths, a project led by Dr. Stockmann and his brother, Peter Stockmann, the Mayor. The town is expecting a surge in tourism and prosperity from the new baths, said to be of great medicinal value, and as such, the baths are a source of great local pride. However, just as the baths are proving successful, Dr. Stockmann discovers that Waste products from the town's tannery are contaminating the waters, causing serious ness amongst the tourists. He expects this important discovery to be his greatest achievement, and promptly sends a detailed report to the Mayor, which includes a proposed solution which would come at a considerable cost to the town. To his surprise, Dr. Stockmann finds it difficult to get through to the authorities. They seem unable to appreciate the seriousness of the issue and unwilling to publicly acknowledge and address the problem because it could mean financial ruin for the town. As the conflict develops, the Mayor warns his brother that he should "acquiesce in subordinating himself to the community." Dr. Stockmann refuses to accept this, and holds a town meeting at Captain Horster's house in order to persuade people that the baths must be closed. The townspeople — eagerly anticipating the prosperity that the baths will bring — refuse to accept Dr. Stockmann's claims, and his friends and allies, who had explicitly given support for his campaign, turn against him en masse. He is taunted and denounced as a lunatic, an "Enemy of the People." see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An Enemy of the People thanks for your efforts, David g AWn Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 12:13 AM, <scshumaker@aol.com> wrote: ear David, Thank you very much for your donation. Believe me, it is going to a good cause! Did the meeting meet your expectation? Can you come to the Board of Health meeting tomorrow at 2:30pm at the Masonic Hall,just behind the PO on Jefferson Street? That would be very special. Sally Shumaker Just One of the Dogz • 3 Qom,. TOWNSEND September 20, 2012 To: Jefferson Board of Health Subject: Landfill Permit Renewal My name is Eveleen Muehlethaler (100 Mill Road) and I am here today to represent the Port Townsend Mill. I want to thank the Board of Health and the staff at the Health Department for their time and efforts in regard to the renewal of our landfill permit. As you know, we first submitted our application for renewal earlier this year but were informed that the County wanted to impose some new requirements. We have worked with the Health Department and with Ecology staff through this and have amended our application to include groundwater monitoring and financial assurance. The application was submitted ahead of schedule and received by the County on September 4, 2012. We are committed to finishing up the work with Dr. Locke and the Department of Environmental Health and we look forward to receiving our renewal. We thank the Board for its patience in listening. Thank you for your consideration. !n Lis ALIA-44-(7-2' Eveleen Muehlethaler Taxpayers may be on the hook for Mount Solo landfill August 14, 2010 8:55 pm by Barbara LaBoe/The Daily News-serving Lower Columbia Jeff Wilson,a homeowner concerned with industrial dumping practices behind his house,stands on his deck Tuesday at his home off Mount Solo Road in Longview.The dump is visible beyond the slough behind Wilson. Photo by Tyler Tjomsland/for The Daily News • _ .0 Editor's note: The Mount Solo Landfill is private and owned by Robert Radakovich Sr.It is located near the Columbia River and near the old Reynolds Metals Co.plant.This landfill was never - A owned by either Cowlitz County or Weyerhaeuser and is not connected with the Headquarters Road landfill in Toutle that Weyerhaeuser is negotiated to sell to the county. Z- ;;, The closed Mount Solo Landfill,a privately owned facility where thousands of tons of Weyerhaeuser J=: .I , f Co.pulp mill waste were buried decades ago,has flunked its annual inspection two years running, ` and no one knows whether the site poses a long-term threat to public health and the environment. F Cowlitz County officials say they'll likely have to go to court to get the landfill maintained and monitored as state regulations require.Complicating matters,though,is whether anyone has both the money and the obligation to pay for the work.If the dispute isn't resolved,taxpayers may get stuck with the costs,which could total hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. A$9 million trust fund set up to maintain the 100-acre landfill in West Longview has dwindled to less than$5,000.The owner,Robert Radakovich Sr., and his son Robert Radakovich II,who managed the landfill,say they're broke.Weyerhaeuser officials insist the company already paid its share by creating the closure trust fund in the 1990s. The county has given the Radakovichs until Wednesday to submit a plan to bring the landfill into compliance.The younger Radakovich said he and his father,who did not return calls for comment,simply can't comply. "They can go to court and try to find some assets,"Radakovich said."There are no assets.We don't even have money for attorneys." The situation leaves landfill neighbor Jeff Wilson fuming and fearing that Cowlitz County taxpayers will get stuck with the maintenance bill. "Why should we have to spend our money to fulfill his responsibility?"Wilson demands about Radakovich,whom he's complained about to the county about for two years."What do you do when the owners of a landfill say'I quit?'" No tests,numerous violations: While they differ on who should pay,everyone agrees about what's wrong with the landfill: None of the required •itoring tests or upkeep have been done since 2009,when the trust fund ran low. The landfill failed every category of the county's 2010 inspection report and has 28 violations,according to a July 16 county letter sent to the Radakovichs and Weyerhaeuser. The violations range from minor procedural matters to serious concerns,such as cracked pipes in the gas collection system that prevents the buildup of explosive methane in the landfill.Also,no one is testing to see if wastes are contaminating groundwater(see breakout). The failure to test and maintain the site"is a threat to public health and the environment" Katie Bohren,a county environmental health specialist,wrote in the July letter to the Radakovichs. Although no water quality testing is taking place,county officials stress they're visually inspecting the site and don't believe the landfill is posing any imminent danger. "We have a full complement of staff monitoring the situation...it needs to be fixed but it's not an immediate threat,"said Chris Bischoff,the county's environmental health manager. Wilson,though,owns land on both side of the landfill and has spent hours researching the Radakovichs and the landfill. Wilson founded Cowlitz Clean Sweep and has years of experience in environmental cleanup. He knew he was moving next to a landfill eight years ago, but said he never dreamed the owners could just stop testing and maintaining the site.And he's not so sure the landfill is safe,adding all county residents should worry about the environmental implications of an untested,unmonitored landfill. "Nobody can tell me the landfill is safe at this point because no one has any current,required test results,"Wilson said."Until they're back in compliance there's no answers to the public or my family....And when tests aren't done,that's how things like oil rigs blow up." Where did the money go? When the landfill was closed,the state required a host of post-closure requirements and the$9 million officials estimated uld be needed to pay for them. At the time,state officials expected monitoring for at least 20 years and longer if the material in the landfill hadn't fully led.In recent years they've determined that 20 years isn't not long enough,Bischoff said. The money was held in a Bank of America trust account The Radakovichs,as the landfill managers,submitted bills for work such as testing,lawn mowing and records storage.Both the county and Weyerhaeuser could object to any of the bills,but mainly the money was paid as long as the bills seemed legitimate and not overly excessive,Bischoff said. "The price was probably inflated on some things...but there was nothing on the surface that was fraudulent,"he said. Essentially,the Radakovichs went through the trust fund at a clip exceeding an average of$500,000 a year. In 2009,with the fund dwindling, Weyerhaeuser challenged some payments.The Radakovichs say the company still owes them$100,000 for that disputed work,but they never took the matter to arbitration because they figured they couldn't afford the legal fight,Robert Radakovich II said. The county's environmental health department hasn't audited the bills because at this point the focus is resuming the monitoring and upkeep at the e landfill, Bischoff said. "It's possible that might come up in the legal proceedings,"he said."But we're here to make the landfill right.We want it to be safe and we want it to be fixed and done right" Troubled past: This isn't the first time the Mount Solo Landfill,opened in the 1960s and closed in 1993,has run afoul of state regulations.Nor is this the first time the owners have said they didn't have enough money to meet closure requirements. Weyerhaeuser,which was by far the landfill's biggest customer,paid the nearly$9 million for the trust fund in the early 1990s because Robert Radakovich Sr.was out of money and couldn't satisfy the state's new,more stringent post-closure requirements. The landfill was temporarily closed in 1990 because a stench made workers and nearby residents sick. As it was winding down,the landfill was closed again when a variance—exemption—to state regulations ran out.It reopened only after Weyerhaeuser agreed to create the trust fund. Several other problems prompted the state Department of Ecology to rank the site a"top priority"for closure. The Headquarters Road landfill that Weyerhaeuser is now trying to sell to Cowlitz County was built specifically because the company wanted a more stable and self-managed place to store its waste after the Mount Solo problems. "That place is a black hole,"Robert Radakovich II said of his family's landfill."I don't know if the place is cursed or what" Annual costs: After starting nuisance abatement proceedings,county crews can bring the landfill back into compliance and then bill those responsible for the costs. An outside study estimates it will cost about$300,000 to bring the landfill into compliance and between$70,000 to$200,000 annually for maintenance,Bischoff said.More tests are needed to know how long the maintenance work will be required,he said. Ron Marshall,the county's chief civil deputy prosecutor,says it's clear the Radakovichs are responsible for the costs.A state law also requires the generators of waste to pay some closure costs,though,meaning the county also could go after Weyerhaeuser if the Radakovichs can't pay,Marshall said. Weyerhaeuser is expected to oppose any efforts to get more than the$9 million it's already paid. "Weyerhaeuser again wishes to restate our position that we have met our financial obligations in regards to Mount Solo landfill,"company environmental manager Carol Wiseman wrote the county in July. The potential complications and work on other cases has delayed legal action until now.But Marshall and Bischoff hope the county commissioners can hire an outside lawyer to handle the matter in the coming months. "I think it's probably time for us to take the next step(and begin legal proceedings),"Commissioner Axel Swanson said last week.Commissioners want the people responsible to monitor and maintain the landfill.But,"we're also mandated to make sure the closure is being taken care of,and that's the primary concern,"Swanson said. As for Wilson,he just wants something,anything done. "You expect the lead agency to do something,"he said."But the pace so far has been intolerable." Some of the major concerns listed in the county's 2010 inspection of the Mount Solo Landfill include: •The methane gas created by the landfill isn't being burned off as required-and hasn't been since January 2009.The risk of explosion is extremely low, but officials do worry about the gas dispersing instead of being burned off,said Chris Bischoff,the county's environmental health manager. •Groundwater samples aren't being taken,meaning officials have no way to know if the land or groundwater is being contaminated. •Soil covering the plastic liner on top of the landfill is starting to slip and crack,leading to the possibility the plastic liner could fail and expose the trash. •The landfill's system to collect and treat leachate—water that could be contaminated from contact with wastes—is overtaxed because some sump pumps aren't working. • None of these problems are considered an immediate health threat,Bischoff said. But they all need to be addressed.Without adequate water quality testing,it's impossible to rule out other potential problems,he said. Cathy Avery From: no-reply@parastorage.com Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 11:59 PM To: boh@jeffersoncountypublichealth.org Object: New message via your website You have a new message via: http://www.ptwatchdogs.com Message details: From: charlotte goldman Email: chargold@earthlink.net Date: 20 September 2012 Subject: PT Paper's Landfill permit Message: Dear Jefferson County Board of Health, Washington State Department of Ecology, EPA, my State and Federal representatives: The Port Townsend Paper Corp. industrial landfill must be permitted as a "Limited Purpose" landfill, as urged by Department of Ecology. It is at present wrongly permitted as an "Inert" landfill. The Mill is alone among all other paper mills in Washington in having an ash landfill permitted as "Inert". Every other industrial ash landfill is permitted as "Limited Purpose". The Mill's ash is as alkaline as 12.3 pH -ten times more caustic than ammonia. DOE points out that risks to human health and environmental groundwater contamination are in clear violation of the inert criteria law. A "Limited Purpose" landfill permit (LPL) requires groundwater monitoring and assurance of funds to close the landfill in the future. These requirements are necessary to detect problems of contamination at an early stage, and to have the user of a landfill pay for closure instead of a possibly costly cleanup at taxpayer expense. The final decisions on permitting are up to Jefferson •ounty Public Health, which issues the permit . . . I am urging all to remind the board of its obligation to protect our health, the environment, and to follow state law. Port Townsend Concerned Citizen, Thank you! • 1 Statement to Board of Health—September 20, 2012 My name is Bill Wise, 710 Foster, Port Townsend. 11111 I am now in my sixth year as Chair of Team Jefferson, Jefferson County's Economic Development Council. As you consider possible action regarding the Mill's landfill, I encourage you to consider our community's economic wellbeing. I am confident you understand the direct correlation between our County's economic wellbeing and quality of health. The Mill, a manufacturing company, is operating fully within the bounds of federal, state and local law and regulations and now for 85 years. The Mill is now on the other side of restructuring, providing some 300 jobs at an average salary of$70,000. That represents 300 families with healthcare and these jobs in turn leverage two to four times that number in terms of economic impact(re: Michael Shuman"Local Dollars, Local Sense"). In short, we need the Mill in support of our economy. The Mill is willing to invest $55 million dollars in local renewable energy and as part of that investment, is committing to invest $10 million to provide cleaner air for our community—specifically reducing particulate emissions by 70% from today's levels and in further improving its continuous point source emissions monitoring. The Mill recycles one third of Washington State's collection of recycled cardboard. The Mill's end product, its output, is itself recyclable pulp, paper and cardboard. The materials used for production, its input, are either recyclable or renewable. In summary, the Mill is performing at an incredibly high level of social responsibility. This past spring in a two month period of time, 2,778 citizens signed a petition supporting the Mill and the cogeneration project—they want a successful Mill, they want cleaner air, and they want and need the jobs and drive the Mill delivers to our economy. As part of your deliberations, I know you will additionally consider two core questions... What impact will Board of Health decisions have on Mill's continued ability to successfully operate here in Jefferson, and, Second... What message will Board of Health be sending to manufacturing businesses operating in our County or to those businesses wishing to start up or locate here? If you were at the town meeting Tuesday night, you know that jobs are a precious thing here in Jefferson County. Our unemployment continues to hover in the 10%range and underemployment considerably higher than that. There are 2,778 people that signed their support for this project. They want the Mill to succeed. - -• r- • - - - . • • - please keep these 2,778 people in mind. Thank you. • JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH • GUEST LIST ,f TITLE: Regular Meeting V DATE: Thursday, September 20, 2012 2:30 -4:30 pm PLACE: Masonic Hall, 1338 Jefferson St., Port Townsend NAME (Please Print) STREET ADDRESS CITY Testimony? YES NO MAYBE 2 l 1 11 X 11 ThLL, . �� '�,_C_ Tc4)-1 44 10'.0\ `lel 0 i-Ii N V 77 X' .- ,5-,; Y l e -/ N ; V 5. 6 5-LV ee& P -1- M I I ...._ i t ctckor o $v x /6 Z 1 1 1 --=,v1"c-ije. C77-/-_,(A:C71 /C 0 , te b Pr X n D C,G-11A Alo -c,i, eiCr 6 S f C1- • � - 1_a wr I6-4, . �27ii-d Y2 T - -- I i— ,AL .---",e,,LW_, -,(.2 --Tiut..,64.„_,6e t____ -- PT- HI 1 g Li-;-r 4(.'Xr-A2)-s ..:) l N n — il II n 1 HI 1111 LALAreA v. . I NI • JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH • GUEST LIST TITLE: Regular Meeting DATE: Thursday, September 20, 2012 2:30 -4:30 pm PLACE: Masonic Hall, 1338 Jefferson St., Port Townsend NAME (Please Print) STREET ADDRESS CITY Testimony? 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