Department of Ecology News Release - July 6, 2000
SPOKANE-The public is invited to present testimony on Wednesday, July 12, on a proposal to apply bio-solids to an 80-acre piece of land in the Williams Valley area of Stevens County, near Deer Park.
The Washington state Department of Ecology will host a public hearing beginning at 7 p.m. at the Deer Park Branch of the Spokane County Library, at 208 S. Forest Ave. Prior to the hearing, an informal question-and-answer session will be held, beginning at 6 p.m.
The Ecology Department is reviewing the permit application that Duane Riggle submitted on April 27.
Area residents have raised concerns regarding the proposal, prompting Ecology to call for the hearing to gather public comments before making a final decision.
"We will consider many factors, including the site characteristics, how the material is applied, and how the operation is managed," said Mike Hibbler, a solid-waste manager for Ecology. "In addition, we want to know from the public if there are other considerations we should know about."
Bio-solids are the semisolid by-product that comes from the treatment of municipal waste water or septic-tank sludge. When applied to land, bio-solids enhance the growth of vegetation and improve soil characteristics.
Ecology has reviewed a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist submitted for the project, and has issued a "determination of non-significance." This means that Ecology does not anticipate significant adverse environmental harm from the project.
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