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PENINSULA DAILY NEWS July 29, 2012 | $1.50
Port Townsend-Jefferson County’s Daily Newspaper
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Out of the Elwha
PT Paper landfill disputed
KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
EPA diving officer Sean Sheldrake enters the water as a dive team from the U.S. Geological Survey waits to meet up for a journey to dive point “Charlie 2� in Freshwater Bay, just northeast of the Elwha River mouth.
BY PAUL GOTTLIEB
Divers see little effect from silt off river mouth
PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
BY KEITH THORPE PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
hen it comes to the Elwha River, appearances aren’t always what they seem. That silt-laden, murky plume flowing through two deconstructed dams and their former lake beds has had minimal effect on the alluvial sea floor at the river’s mouth. A new underwater survey in Freshwater Bay at the mouth of the Elwha isn’t showing a lot of silt accumulation, at least so far, said researchers who conducted dives at the mouth of the Elwha River on Thursday. Jeff Duda, a research ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, said the discharge from the river into the Strait of Juan de Fuca has been kind of a surprise.
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County health officer challenges mill permit
SEAN SHELDRAKE/ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
This photo taken last week of the sea floor of the Strait of Juan de Fuca just off the Elwha River mouth shows a variety of life, including algae, tube worms and an anemone. “We really haven’t seen that much silting despite the striking aerial photos everybody has seen of the plume entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca,� he said. “We really haven’t seen as much accumulation as you would think based upon just looking at what’s going on at the surface.� Researchers are studying the effect of the removal of two dams on the Elwha River, a process that began in September
KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Divers Steve Rubin, left, of the U.S. Geological Survey and Sean Sheldrake of the EPA share a laugh while suiting up aboard the Sealth Arrow out of Port Angeles.
as part of the $325 milONLINE . . . lion National Park Service project to restore the Elwha River and its fish runs. Elwha Dam removal was finished in March, while Barnard Construc■Video tion crews will resume taken of sea controlled blasting at bottom off Glines Canyon Dam the Elwha: today, according to Olym- http:// pic National Park. tinyurl.com/ According to a Geolog- pdn-dive ical Survey estimate, more than 24 million cubic yards of sediment was backed up behind Elwha Dam at Lake Aldwell and farther upstream at Glines Canyon Dam at Lake Mills. That would be enough to fill eight National Football League football stadiums. About 400,000 cubic yards of sediment has been released so far in the removal of Elwha Dam and partial removal of Glines Canyon Dam, with more sediment still impounded in what remains of Lake Mills. “But not all of that is going to get transported by the river,� Duda said. “Some of it’s going to remain in place in the former reservoir area.� TURN
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PORT TOWNSEND — A showdown that may come to a head in September is brewing between Jefferson County Public Health Officer Tom Locke and Port Townsend Paper Corp. over a permit for the 3-acre landfill in which the company deposits biomass ash. Locke, who is also Clallam County’s health officer, is requiring the company to upgrade its landfill permit to include a groundwater-monitoring plan, a guarantee the company will pay for future landfill closure costs and a pledge it will conduct more detailed tests on what’s contained in the ash and how often it’s put into the company’s dump. He reiterated these points in a July 19 letter to Port Townsend Paper Corp., or PTPC, in which he said, “The time has come to conclude the permit renewal process� and is requiring the company to submit a new permit application for the landfill by Sept. 15. TURN
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Lavender’s traffic snarl at crossroads BY ARWYN RICE PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
SEQUIM — It’s time to do something about the annual traffic snarl on U.S. Highway 101 during Sequim Lavender Weekend, said the State Patrol and those involved in the festivals. For 16 years, the Sequim events in the third week of July have drawn visitors from all over the world. The estimated 25,000 to 30,000 visitors are an economic boost to the town of about 6,600, but the backup in traffic on U.S. 101 has grown worse each year. Despite traffic control by State Patrol troopers, long lines of vehicles often come to a dead stop at Sunshine Herb and Lavender Farm, 8 miles east of Sequim. “This year was particularly bad. There were a lot of people waiting,� said Trooper Russ Winger, State Patrol spokesman. TURN
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INSIDE TODAY’S PENINSULA DAILY NEWS 96th year, 181st issue — 8 sections, 82 pages
BUSINESS/POLITICS CLASSIFIED COMMENTARY/LETTERS COUPLES DEAR ABBY DEATHS MOVIES NATION PENINSULA POLL TV WEEK
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USA WEEKEND
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D1 E1 A10 C8 C4 C11 C9 A3 A2
SUNDAY FUN
PUZZLES/GAMES SPORTS WEATHER WORLD
E5 B1 C12 A3