VIEW FROM THE HELM: After 25 years, “Steady as She Goes”

By Tom Putnam, Acting Executive Director & Soundkeeper

After 25 years with PSA, I now have the privilege of acting as interim Puget Soundkeeper. I find a well-kept ship and a fine crew. There is no doubt that there are threatening seas, but staff and board alike are united and committed to continuing PSA’s work in both Clean Water Act Enforcement and Pollution Prevention. In many ways we are better equipped to do this than at any time in our history.  Just in the past six months, PSA has settled 10 Clean Water Act cases to protect our water, certified the 43rd Clean Marina in Washington, engaged over 1,200 volunteers in cleaning up Puget Sound waterways and generated over $260,000 in mitigation funds for Puget Sound related projects. 

PSA was founded as the Puget Sound Alliance in 1984. Its seminal early achievements were the establishment of the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority as a state-level entity to protect Puget Sound, and the commitment to install secondary sewage treatment facilities at West Point in Seattle.

We acquired fresh life, focus and spirit in 1992 with the founding of the Puget Soundkeeper program, the sixth “Keeper” organization in what has become the Waterkeeper Alliance with over 190 Waterkeepers in the U.S. and throughout the world.  As the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, we have the broad mission to protect and preserve Puget Sound.  We accomplish our mission through the enforcement of the Clean Water Act, with its emphasis on the rational, fair, and scientific protection of our waters. We have an equal commitment to providing assistance and encouragement to programs that actively prevent pollution.

Our most recent accomplishments include:

• Development of stringent, enforceable stormwater permits through the stakeholder process and persistent appeals;
• Litigation against permit violators (over 125 cases initiated) leading to settlements or consent decrees that reduce pollution. PSA has never lost a case and has never taken any money from these settlements to benefit PSA beyond legal fees;
• Funding and sponsorship of over $1 million of environmental projects including restoration, salmon enhancement and scientific research;
• Leadership and project management in the EnviroStars, Clean Boating, and Clean Marina programs; and
• Training over 500 Soundkeeper Volunteers to patrol our waters and report pollution.

Our successes are built on the contributions of many people: founding board members such as Polly Dyer, Vim Wright, Gummy Johnson, Kathy Fletcher, Ken Pritchard, Elliot Marks, Marcia Landolt, Charlie Eaton and many others; Directors and Soundkeepers such as Jim Abernathy, Kathy Callison, Roberta Gunn, Ken Moser and BJ Cummings. Special recognition is due to our latest Soundkeeper, Sue Joerger and to our current terrific staff: Margy Wallace, Chris Wilke, Paul Fredrickson and Betsy Moyer. 

What will Puget Sound be like twenty-five years from now?  We can imagine a vibrant recovery with salmon powering up clean Puget Sound rivers and orca whales returning in greater numbers. All Puget Sound oysters and clams will be clean enough to eat and sustainable commercial fishing will be an important Puget Sound industry. With these goals in sight, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance will continue to protect, preserve and enhance Puget Sound.

FLOTILLA OF BOATS ATTACKS GARBAGE!

On May 9th, a motley assortment of 72 vessels converged on Lake Union to sweep up plastic and other debris contaminating our inland waterways.  Our seventh annual Lake Union, Portage Bay and Union Bay Sweep collected nearly TWO TONS of trash this year!
 
No lily pad was left unturned by 260 volunteers riding in kayaks, canoes and motor boats.  With support of more than 36 organizations and local government, enthusiastic volunteers picked up everything from grocery bags to bicycles.

Thanks to our Sponsors!
Presenting Sponsor: Brown Bear Car Wash.
Partnering Sponsor: Adobe
Community Sponsors: Floating Homes Association, Restore Our Waters, Vulcan Real Estate and Werner Paddles.

Thanks to our Kayak Donors, City Partners and Lunch Sponsors: Alki Kayak Tours, Moss Bay Rowing Club, Northwest Outdoor Center, Northwest Yacht Brokers Assn, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Raft and Kayak, The Center for Wooden Boats and the University of Washington Waterfront Activities Center.

BEACHFRONT OYSTER ROAST SELLS OUT!

What do you get when you combine savory roasted oysters, foot-stompin' tunes, and lots of sunshine?  You get a great time at PSA's second annual Community Oyster Roast!  We had perfect weather again at Golden Gardens and fed 240 voracious oyster fans and volunteers. 

Back by popular demand: the popular Ballard bluegrass band, "The Tallboys."  New this year: a raw oyster bar courtesy of Taylor Shellfish Farms.  Over 300 dozen oysters were gobbled up to benefit Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.  Raffle items were hot, too and all donated by local folks and businesses - dinners at Daniel's Broiler, binoculars from Fisheries Supply, gift certificates for Kumo oysters and manila clams from Taylor Shellfish, Majestic Bay Theatre packages, Salmon Gift Baskets from Wild Salmon Seafood Market, an ammonite and shell necklace handmade by our own Penny LeGate and two signed Oyster Cookery books by Sharon Montoya-Welsh.

PSA is grateful to our Partnering Sponsors, Taylor Shellfish & Seattle Parks and Recreation and our Community Sponsors, Alaskan Observers & Metropolitan Market.

The event launched Fish Brewing Company’s Soundkeeper Organic Pale Ale -- Fish Brewing and its distributors donate a portion of the proceeds from Soundkeeper Ale to Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.
 
Local chefs and personalities who pitched in for a clean Puget Sound behind the grills and in the kitchen including Roastmaster David Smead; Xinh Dwelley from Xinh’s Clam & Oyster House in Shelton; Dustin Ronspies and Laurie O’Donnel, The Art of the Table; Greg Atkinson; Seth Caswell of soon-to-open Emmer & Rye; Tamara Murphey, Brasa; Tony CasCioppo of CasCioppo Brothers; Oyster Bill Whitbeck; Judy Kirkoff, Ballard Farmer’s Market; Bill and Betsy Taylor, Taylor Shellfish Farms; Sharon Montoya-Welsh, “Oyster Cookery” author and Jon Rowley.

In-Kind Sponsors:  Ample Power, Art of the Table, Bacchus & Arianna Catering, Ballard Farmer's Market, Brasa, CasCioppo Brothers, Cedar Grove Composting, Elliott's Oyster House, Firesteed Winery, Fish Brewing Co., Honey I'm Home Catering, Latent Image, Ray's Boathouse, Seattle Park Foundation, Tall Grass Bakery, The Tallboys, Xinh's Clam & Oyster House.

Record Turnout for the annual July 5th Fireworks Cleanup

It was already warm and sunny at 9:00am on Lake Union on the morning of July 5th –  a perfect day to clean up the spent fireworks debris and the related trash from the Chase Family Fourth event. Forty-seven volunteers met at the Northwest Outdoor Center (NWOC) to get their working orders and hop in their kayaks.

Other volunteers scouted for the floating debris in powered boats: a dinghy skippered by Tobey Wilkins, and a 26’ sailboat manned by PSA’s stellar graphic arts crew Beth Bronson and Gerry Grady.  After being on the water for two hours, the tired and slightly sunburned kayakers relaxed with pizza and beverages on the observation landing above NWOC. Over 600 lbs. of debris (including cardboard and bits of spent fireworks as well as general trash) was recovered from the lake. The impressive pile of bagged trash was later picked up by crews from Seattle Public Utilities. The award for the most debris went to Tobey Wilkins and Gene Brandzel who retrieved over forty-five lbs. of fireworks material from the water.

It is not uncommon to spot other pollution sources whenever PSA is on the water, and this event was no exception. Ever-vigilant Kate McPeek, a long time PSA volunteer, spotted, photographed and reported two separate oil sheens while on the water. (The 24-hour State hotline for oil and chemical sheens is 1-800-OILS-911. Pollution events can also be reported to PSA’s Pollution hotline: 1-800-42PUGET).

For the third year in a row, the event planning and kayak rental were sponsored by One Reel, the producer of the Chase Family Fourth event. PSA thanks them for taking a proactive role in cleaning up on both land and water from this large event. PSA would also like to thank the ongoing support from John and Herbie Meyer at the Northwest Outdoor Center, who have worked with PSA for the last seven years by providing kayaks for weekly patrols and other cleanup events including the Lake Union and Portage Bay Sweep each May. Finally, thanks to all the volunteers who came out to pitch in on a holiday weekend!

The Docket

Puget Soundkeeper Alliance continues its efforts to enforce Municipal and Industrial Stormwater General Permits (SGP’s) under the Clean Water Act.

The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has moved on to the stakeholder process regarding the Municipal SGP appeal decision and the recommended use of low impact development (LID).  Puget Soundkeeper Alliance (PSA) will participate as a stakeholder in these meetings.  Some of the issues worthy of discussion are:  1) removing the barriers to LID and convincing the developers of this, 2) encouraging permitting entities to recognize Best Management Practices as equivalents and 3) analysis of the feasibility of LID based on cost and effectiveness.

Two new Clean Water Act 60-day notices of intent to sue will be filed by PSA:  One against a producer of concrete masonry products and the other against a recycling and disposal company.

Work continues on follow-up for the 9 unpermitted businesses letters sent earlier this year.  Our research pin-points companies that may need a pollution discharge permit, and sending a warning letter initiates the necessary action to: 1) determine if the permit is required and 2) make sure the permit is obtained if needed.

Ecology may omit a copper benchmark from the final Boatyard SGP.  Stormwater treatment technology exists to lower copper discharges, and several boatyards have installed equipment.  These voluntary participants would like assurance that there will be a level playing field and that all boatyards will be required to reduce their copper discharge to the benchmark level or below.

Department of Transportation (DOT) has made a serious settlement proposal, in response to the appeal of the DOT SGP.  Since, the Washington State Legislature drastically cut the DOT’s item for stormwater permit compliance, PSA may choose to issue comments instead of filing an appeal of the permit.

Clean Marina Update

Forty-three Certified Marinas and Counting! Under PSA’s leadership, Clean Marina Washington continues to expand its efforts to assist Washington’s marinas in preventing pollution, managing waste and gaining certification under the statewide program. PSA congratulates the achievements of the four latest certifications: Bermerton Marina, Port of Bremerton; the moorage facility at Port of Bellingham’s Cruise Terminal; Spencer’s Landing Marina, Lopez Island; and LaConner Marina, Port of Skagit County.

PSA is pleased to announce that Clean Marina funding is being renewed for two more years through the Department of Ecology Public Participation Grant program.

In addition to its work in certifying marinas, PSA recently concluded a pilot project to test bilge water disposal techniques at eight participating Clean Marinas. Bilge water is water that accumulates in the very bottom of a boat. It can usually be safely discharged if there is no oil, fuel or other pollutants in the water, but when the bilge water becomes contaminated, boaters are often left without a convenient option of disposal. A quick flick of a switch or the action of an automatic float switch is all it takes to illegally drain a bilge and its contaminants into Puget Sound. PSA hopes that by demonstrating the cost effectiveness and ease of marina-based, boater-operated bilgewater collection, it will raise the awareness and expectation among the boating population that all waste that goes to sea must come ashore for safe disposal. 

DONOR’S CORNER

Celebrating 30 years of caring for the Earth, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance partnered with Aveda™ as they announced a record-breaking 2009 Earth Month campaign that united its network professionals and guests for a single cause: to protect clean water. Aveda Earth Month 2009 called for strategic local and global action to protect local waterways. Thanks to Aveda salons and spas throughout Washington, over $54,000 was raised for Puget Soundkeeper Alliance’s mission to protect and preserve Puget Sound.

This year Aveda introduced Walk for Water, a new global initiative acknowledging the daily struggle of over one billion people around the world who do not have access to clean water. The Walk for Water campaign united the Aveda network and guests in a series of walks around the world to raise awareness, funds and excitement of the need to protect clean water. Puget Soundkeeper Alliance organized and led the Seattle Walk for Water on April 25, 2009 along Shilshole Bay near Golden Gardens Park.  Seattle was one of twenty-two cities throughout the world that participated. 

Gary Manuel Salon was the Pacific Northwest fundraising leader for Aveda’s Earth Month 2009 campaign bringing in over $22,000 between Gary Manuel Salon and Gary Manuel Aveda Institute.  In addition, Gary Manuel Salon participated in the Walk for Water and cleaned up the Capitol Hill and Belltown neighborhoods of trash and debris on Earth Day, April 22nd.  

Thank you to Aveda!

How Clean Is Your Water?

Find out what we know about the waters and habitats in your community. Go to www.imrivers.org/pugetsoundkeeper and see PSA’s interactive water quality mapping tool.