This Topic: Freeland Park or Freeland Cesspool?

[Bonnie Netzel]

Thanks for your hard work. I, too, am very upset with the county's indifference. If possible, I would like to attend a mtg. in support of pressing the county to act. Also, to whom should I send letters? Where might they do the most good? If we are trying to incorporate, action on Holmes Harbor must come soon, prior to yet more development.

I have not been able to respond on-line with old password or new password. I finally set up a different e-mail and name for the Forum. Your messages should still be sent to my old mail. -Bonney Netzel

[Lou Malzone]

Kathleen Parvin is the County DOH reoresentative leading the County. Her e-mail is kathleenp@co.island.wa.us and we, representing FOHH, have send her an e-mail requesting to be on any correspondence on the subject. FOHH will be part of the Closure Response Group and look forward to learning what that group responsibilities entail and finding a solution to this serious water quality issue.

[Gerry Rawlings]

Lou and Emily, Jim Short, Christine Goodwin and others:

Does anyone have the latest information on what is going on with the continued shut down of Holmes Harbor? I've not seen any articles in the Record nor heard of any further action to encourage the county to do its job to clean up this situation. Does anyone know when the BICC will be meeting? Should the Boards of Directors of the FOF, FOHH, and the Chamber go to the BICC meeting in force?
I am not about to be the test case to find out if it's OK to eat the clams from my beach even if I said I would earlier, but all of our community would like to know what's going on to resolve the pollution of the Harbor.

Gerry

[Diane Kendy]

The Board of County Commissioners meets on Mondays in Coupeville, the first three Mondays of the month at 9:30 AM and the fourth Monday at 1:30 PM.

[Lou Malzone]

I heard from Kathleen Parvin that the BICC meeting with WA DOH may occur on June 12th. However, this is only a "may occur" and Kathleen said she would notify us as soon as she knows for certain.

Please go to the IC website an keep an eye on the BICC meeting agendas that are posted under the "Commissioners" link. The agenda for the 12th is not yet posted.

[Doris/Catherine Howard-Clark]

I was in the park yesterday I live just above it, I read the notification regarding the closure, I did not know that there was no plan for remedies it is alarming that the fecal ccontamination is not being addressed. What can we do about pushing the WSDOH into action.
DHC

[Lou Malzone]

WADOH is taking action and will shortly be presenting to the County its options to form a shellfish protection district and address the problem by identifying the pollution source and correcting the problem. Please stay informed and attend any County meetings as they are announced.

[Lou Malzone]

I just received this from Kathleen Parvin. Everyone who can make this meeting should do so. If the County wavers in any way on making this a priority, then let your voice be heard.

The State Dept. of Health will present information on the Holmes Harbor shellfish closure to the Island County Board of Commissioners on Monday, June 12, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. Excerpt from the Agenda follows.

ISLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
(including Diking Improvement Dist. #4)
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA – JUNE 12, 2006
Location: (Unless indicated otherwise) Board of County Commissioners Hearing Room (Room # 102B) Island County Annex Building, 1 NE 6th Street, Coupeville, WA

9) 1:30 p.m. WA St. Dept. of Health Shellfish Briefing

[Nancy Bartlett]

Lou - Water quality has been on my mind this summer as the lovely orange plankton bloom repeatedly decorates Holmes Harbor. Over the years the bloom seems to be increasing in frequency and size. Ten years ago we only saw it once or twice per summer, and we never smelled it, whereas now it's a weekly occurrance and perfumes the air for days.

Has anyone been discussing this? It seems to me, though I'm no biologist, that this might be a sign of too much nitrogen in the water.

Also, any follow up on the coliform problem and the shellfish district?

Thanks,

Nancy

[Lou Malzone]

This was received today from Kathleen Parvin:

The Order from DOH was final on Friday, Aug 11. The County now has 180 days (till Feb. 11, 2007) to form the District. There are quite a few steps in the process of forming the district and the Board of County Commissioners has directed Planning, Public Works and Health to put together the work plan on how that will be accomplished. I expect to know more within a week or so. Check back with me. Kathleen

[Diane Jhueck]

Well, its just a few days over 3 years later and I just counted eighty one dead jelly fish on the portion of the beach between the dock and the blue house (walking in the direction of downtown.) As with global warming, this problem is much larger than a few melting icebergs (or toxic shellfish.)

<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o247/djhueck/?action=view¤t=101_3548.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o247/djhueck/101_3548.jpg" border="0" alt="whidbey island,holmes harbor,pollution"></a>

The "Red Tide" has now escalated to weeks of presence and so saturated the water a few weeks ago that the harbor was solid orange from the shore to the end of the dock, with a trail many miles down the center of the harbor toward the Straight. It smells so badly that its nauseating.

<a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o247/djhueck/?action=view¤t=101_3205.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o247/djhueck/101_3205.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

One has to marvel at all the crabbers putting their boats in the water. One man pointed to the algae yesterday and said to me: "Hmmm. That's a funny color, isn't it?"

Here are a few words from a longer post by Lou, in 2006:

"Island County has adopted a Water Quality Monitoring Ordinance that has Holmes Harbor water quality monitoring scheduled for 2008. That is only monitoring and the 2008 monitoring program is not yet funded. The County has spent over $2,000,000 on outside legal advice (that is a correct number) to get to this Ordinance. And not one dime has been spent to correct the water quality issue in Holmes Harbor that it has been monitoring for two years. If we are not all outraged, we are not paying attention.

Further, the County stated that it has no intention of enforcing water quality issues as that (according to the BICC and their outside legal consultant) is the role of the State. If you don't believe that, read the last few weeks of the BICC meeting minutes. And, in the Ordinance, the County will report to the State the results of the Monitoring Program only on an annual basis."

Several of the posts in this link refer to these problems in 2004. So, its half a decade later now. The only obvious investment appears to have been for warning signs posted everywhere...