As directed by an executive order signed in March of this year, the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery and Task Force was charged with identifying and supporting a long-term action plan for the recovery of Southern Resident orcas. The new task force had nearly 50 representatives from diverse sectors, including tribal, federal, local and state governments, the Legislature, the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and the Government of Canada. The task force issued its first report in mid-November.
The following task force recommendations impact cities:
- Culverts: Continue to use a strategic approach to removing remaining barriers that would benefit Chinook, including those locally or privately owned. (Goal 1, Recommendation 1)
- Wastewater:
- Direct Ecology to convene discussions and develop a plan to address pharmaceuticals, identifying priorities, source control, and wastewater treatment methods. (Goal 3, Rec. 30)
- Direct Ecology to consider developing stronger pretreatment standards for municipal and industrial wastewater discharges under NPDES. For municipal wastewater facilities this would combine improved industrial pretreatment and deployment of improved treatment technologies with already planned or required upgrades to wastewater treatment facilities. New standards could be implemented through renewals of the five-year NPDES permit cycle and could allow permittees the necessary time to fully implement solutions (ideally within one permit cycle). (Goal 3, Rec. 32)
- Stormwater:
- Identify toxic hotspots in the stormwater entering Puget Sound. Prioritize these for retrofits and/or redevelopment to meet current standards. (Goal 3, Rec. 31)
- Increase funding for the Stormwater Financial Assistance Program to incentivize immediate and accelerated retrofits and other source control actions. (Goal 3, Rec. 31)
The Governor’s budget includes funding several of the task force recommendations. Notably, for cities, the operating budget includes:
- $3 million to enhance local source control programs
- $51 million to reduce and manage stormwater
- $32 million to address contaminants from wastewater systems and other nonpoint sources.
The Governor’s budget includes capital and transportation sections with $296 million to address fish blocking culverts.
Shoreline Mayor Will Hall represented cities on the task force and AWC submitted comments on both drafts of the recommendations. The task force will produce a second report by October 2019 that will outline progress made, lessons learned, and outstanding needs.
AWC will continue to monitor and engage on these recommendations and their impact on legislation as the 2019 session gets under way.