Smelter Plume Clean-Up: Public Comment Opportunities

Tacoma’s status as the home of Washington State’s largest contaminated site is a claim to fame, or perhaps infamy we could do without.  The ongoing saga of the clean-up of 100 year’s worth of pollution from the Asarco Smelter isn’t exactly our favorite piece of Tacoma lore. 

That said, the clean-up must go on, and the Washington Department of Ecology is ready to hear public input on their draft clean-up plan.  The size of the contaminated area makes complete clean-up impossible, and the plan focuses on yards and play areas, particularly those most directly affected by the contamination.  For the next two months the Department will be holding public meetings throughout the affected region, and accepting written comment.  This is the opportunity for residents to voice additional concerns and be sure their neighborhoods are considered in the clean-up. 

Other Superfund site clean-up programs have created frustration and tensions in communities dissatisfied with clean-up plans and procedures.  If the process works as intended, Tacoma may be able to avoid this fate.  Perhaps this clean-up process can take a catastrophic environmental situation, and turn it into an example of resilience and problem-solving.  But they’ll need community input before the plan is finalized…

The Tacoma meeting is scheduled for November 2, 2011.  For more on the process, and dates and locations of meetings, see the “Daily Index story.”:http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=2055674&more=0