10 years ago 1997
More than $15 million in cash will be paid to help clean up the Tulalip Landfill. Settlements lodged Monday in federal court in Seattle resolved U.S. government claims against 14 parties who contributed to the contamination at the landfill. The site is at the mouth of the Snohomish River where the river meets Puget Sound on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. Funds from the new agreements combined with earlier settlements bring a total of more than $25 million of money and services raised for cleaning the landfill. The Tulalip Tribes will pay $1 million and the Seattle Disposal Company will pay more than $9 million in settlements. By terms of the settlement, Waste Management will spend at least $2.1 million for the design and management of the cleanup. Waste Management also agreed to pay for any cost overruns on the cleanup beyond the $16.7 million budgeted for the job. Mike Gearheard, chief of the Superfund cleanup office at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys northwest regional headquarters in Seattle, explained why the amounts of the settlements vary from party to party. The amounts differ because the settlements are intended to correspond with each partys level of responsibility for the contamination at the landfill. Also, the settlements reflect credit given to some parties for past costs they have already paid, Gearheard said in a written statement. The largest cash settlement will be paid by Seattle Disposal Company, the operator of the Tulalip Landfill from 1964 to 1979. During those 15 years, an estimated 4 million tons of commercial, medical and industrial wastes were barged to the landfill by the Marine Disposal Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Seattle Disposal. The largest settlement was signed by Waste Management Inc., whose contributions to the problems at Tulalip were made by garbage hauling companies that were eventually purchased by Washington Waste Hauling and Recycling Inc., a subsidiary of Waste Management. These companies trucked substantial quantities of wastes from the Seattle area to the disposal barges. By terms of its consent decree, Waste Management will design and build a cover for the entire 147-acre landfill. The purpose of the cover is to keep rain and snow from percolating into the soil where it filters through the buried wastes to form contaminated liquid. The liquid, once it leaks into the environment can affect fish and wildlife habitat and threaten water quality in Puget Sound. An official notice, expected to be published in the Federal Register within the next week, will mark the start of the 30-day public comment period.

25 years ago 1982
City Council Monday night extended to 30 days the public hearing dealing with a proposed resolution which would declare a moratorium on new construction for the downtown redevelopment area. The Council, responding to criticism from property owners in the affected area, said it didnt want to restrict the right of the owners but said something should be done to protect concerns from a new building going in which would not conform to the redevelopment plan. Theres a possibility that someone may build in that period, said city administrator Rick Deming, referring to the time period leading up to the citys approval or disapproval of the proposed plan. Contrary to letters to the editor, it isnt me whos pushing it, Deming said. Deming did say he thought a brief moratorium on a new building in the area is a prudent step. He said the city also realizes it would be infringing on property owners rights. But there is a possibility of condemning (new construction) later on at some considerable expense if it had come off after acceptance of the plan. City attorney James Allendoerfer explained during Mondays portion of the public hearing moratoriums are fairly routine. Governments have been using moratoriums for a long time to avoid speculation and to avoid interfering with the process. Allendoerfer said the law allows for a six-month limitation. There may be a variance procedure allowing you to act on a variance, as in a hardship case, Allendoerfer told the Council. We dont think anyone will have a need for a building permit, but we want the right, said Lars Sundt, president of the owners and tenants group for the downtown area. Floyd Turner, who recently had written a letter to the editor of The Globe protesting a moratorium, said it would be an invasion of peoples rights. George Pepelnjak, a member of the downtown property owners and tenants group, said a moratorium would be tinkering with the free enterprise system. There is no plan (accepted) yet, so, what does not conform? I dont see any reason for forcing things through at the expense of property owners. I hope the downtown (redevelopment) comes off a success. Sundt said he thought a rift between the owners and tenants group and the city government would develop if you put this hammer over our heads. Sundt suggested both bodies should sit down and work out the problem at a work session. Allendoerfer said there hadnt been any new construction permit applications in the past five years in the downtown area, but he cautioned a permit taken out during the current period might be of a speculative nature and end up not conforming should the plan get the green light.
For many years, experts and government officials across the land have pondered the pesky problem of ridding the county of its own garbage. Yet, while they continue to seek cheaper, more efficient and more effective means of disposal, the price continues to soar and many sanitary disposal sites soon prove unequal to the growing demands. The Cathcart Landfill at one time considered to be the state of the art in some circles is now often referred to as a mini-WPPSS. Then, almost like a bedtime story to put ones fears to rest, along comes Corky Smith to tell Monday nights City Council gathering there is a happy ending to this mess, after all. But Smith told the Council he needed a commitment from the city that would give him garbage to burn. I need a letter of intent to show youre interested. I need a two-year commitment, said Smith, who plans to construct an incinerator on or near Smith Island. You dont need that in advance, do you? queried Councilwoman Rita Matheny. City administrator Rick Deming, in introducing Smith, told Council Smith and the Olivine Corporation of Bellingham have a system that could solve the citys solid waste disposal problems at $20 per ton. We now pay $35 a ton to have it hauled away and the price is going to go up. One of the main fears in burning waste material is that the resulting gasses could pollute the air, but Smith explained to the Council that the Olivine Corporations system has been able to eliminate 99 percent of the smoke and all of the smell. Smith said the plant would cost $1 million to build, but said he needs commitments to proceed with the plan. I figure its going to take 90 to 100 days to get the necessary permits, and then another month to build, but I need a letter of intent like, if I do a good job, youll give me your garbage. Council voted to accept Smiths proposal, but Deming said it might not be feasible if the plant isnt built close enough to the city.

50 years ago 1957
Meeting in regular session Monday night, directors of the Marysville School District discussed progress in negotiations to acquire options on several sites for future school buildings in and around Marysville. Dissatisfaction had been expressed by one owner in a letter to the board concerning the appraisal price set on his property, part of the 20-acre site east of the Liberty School where a new junior high is proposed. In some cases appraised valuations on the various pieces is much lower than prices set by owners. It was brought out in the directors discussion, that land values, without any buildings, were appraised at $1,500 per acre in that area. Directors voted to have W. A. Gissberg, attorney, contact the property owners in person for further negotiations. A 10-acre site under consideration on the Tulalip Indian Reservation must await approval by tribal membership or the Department of the Interior, directors learned. Board members approved a letter of protest to the Snohomish County Commissioners concerning their recent action in appropriating all the Federal Forest Reserve Funds into the county road budget for this year instead of dividing it with local school districts. This action on the countys part means a budgetary loss to the Marysville School District of more than $7,000 in anticipated revenues.