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Water District 90 is planning to take their wells offline due to contamination from the proposed asphalt plant, at a cost of $500,000 per year. Renton’s wells are just downstream and the cost to Renton would be $10,000,000 (ten million) per year. Renton Council could end the risk for both water districts by purchasing the proposed asphalt plant property for about $15 million, using state grant money.
Water District 90 has three wells in the Cedar Valley Aquifer, a short distance upstream of Renton’s wells. District engineers have determined that their wells are threatened by the proposed Lakeside Industries asphalt plant. In 2018, they determined the chemical poisoning risk would likely make their wells unusable within ten years. This was before it was established that the Asphalt plant would purposefully inject their runoff into the ground. If Water District 90 can’t replace the wells, they will begin paying Seattle $500,000 per year to supply the water to the equivalent of 6000 residents. (Water District 90 already buys 70% of their water from Seattle, and they are serving a total of 20,000 residents).
Water District 90 resolution opposed to asphalt plant due to poisoning of their wells
Renton’s wells serve 20 times as many people as Water District 90’s wells, so Renton customers would have to pay ten million dollars a year to Seattle to replace our poisoned water. Even worse, our wells are sized for our city’s future growth projections, capable of delivering water to 60 % more Renton population. And this water would also have to eventually be replaced by purchases from Seattle. Given past rationing during droughts, Seattle may not even have this excess capacity.
And there is increasing need for water for fire protection. Renton’s wells are capable of delivering enough water to fight multiple fires in our city while simultaneously maintaining service to all our customers. I’m honored to have helped build this large system during my 28 years on Renton Council (as the Council’s only engineer), along with Renton fire chiefs and former Public Works Director Greg Zimmerman. Renton ratepayers have paid for our advanced well-water system over the past 30 years, and should now be able to expect relatively low cost water as more ratepayers join the system.
But the asphalt plant puts all of our wells at risk, while also creating the largest fire risk in our jurisdiction. Our current fire chief has stated unequivocally that the asphalt plant should be stopped based on fire risk alone. I’ve attached his letter below.
Renton must stop the Asphalt plant or the damage to our water system, along with the fire risk, will be immeasurable.
Our Council could easily move to purchase the property, using eminent domain if necessary, per RCW 8.12.030 . There are many sources of funding that can be tapped, including environmental and fisheries grants.
Our current Public Works Director, Martin Pastucha, should act to protect the work of his predecessor and our Fire Chief, and lead this effort. Greg Zimmerman raised transportation issues and water runoff issues about this plant in 2018 before he retired. It had not been decided during Mr. Zimmerman’s tenure that plant runoff (including water used in fighting asphalt fires) would be purposefully injected into our aquifer recharge area. That frightening decision happened during Mr. Pastucha’s watch. Mr. Pastucha should help the Council save our water system. It’s the most basic, fundamental role of a Public Works Director. And Council must make sure it happens.
Please see my previous articles here and here on this topic for further information, including how you can help.
Six weeks ago this asphalt fire in Tacoma required hours of firefighting effort. It followed a major fire at Tacoma’s asphalt plant in 2020. Fresh asphalt is highly flammable, and diesel fuel is often used to clean equipment.
Fire Chief Heitman’s letter:
The Renton Regional Fire Authority (RRFA) is an all-hazards capable fire service agency for the City of Renton, Fire District 25 and Fire District 40. Despite this, the RRFA has serious concerns regarding the proposed asphalt plant, located at 18825 Renton-Maple Valley Road in Renton, due to the high hazard risk it presents.
This type of plant has several highly toxic, combustible and flammable chemicals for the manufacture of asphalt that are incompatible with life and the environment. Also, asphalt plants can include emergency incidents that result in explosions from asphalt fumes, fire and toxic exposures.
The RRFA also has concerns over the runoff that would occur from either fighting a fire or a chemical spill that may occur, and the close proximity of the Cedar River. A catastrophic failure due to explosion or a seismic event could create the right conditions for entry into the river and grow the hazard area exponentially due to the movement of the water.
Despite requiring vigorous safety and fire prevention systems, these plants are vulnerable to catastrophic failures if any part of the system fails. The atmospheric release of toxins from a spill or fire can have long-reaching impacts on the surrounding population, and the crews who respond to mitigate the emergency. Any type of emergency at this facility will involve several resources from multiple agencies, that may have an impact on other jurisdictions and their response capabilities to other emergencies, due to the large number of resources required, and the time needed to effectively handle an emergency of this magnitude.
In addition, in talking with other jurisdictions that have asphalt plants in their area of response, some noted issues with the delivery vehicles and the problem of leaking chemicals as they traversed area roads, and the lack of ability to address these issues. With the Renton-Maple Valley Road consisting of only two lanes, the RRFA is concerned regarding the potential for these chemicals to combust on the roadway. Not only would this close a major thoroughfare, but access to mitigate these emergencies would be hampered at the least by difficult access and slow response times.
Due to the high hazard nature asphalt plants can present, our organization would be concerned with, and attempt to address, the following through our fire code review process during the planning, construction and operation of this plant.
Design and construction that mitigates hazards and includes the following elements:
- Fire detection and suppression systems
- Automatic shutdown of systems, power and gas during emergencies
- Fire resistive construction materials
- Adequate water supply and fire department access
- Control of ignition sources, static electricity and electrical equipment installation
- Adequate setbacks from other surrounding properties
Operational concerns and requirements to mitigate and reduce hazards include the following elements:
- Regular inspections of the facility, storage, handling, and use of on-sight ignitable and chemical materials
- Cleanup and maintenance procedures
- Where hot works occur
- Emergency planning and response procedures with facility staff
- Inspections, maintenance and upkeep of fire protection systems and operational equipment of the facility
While there are a number of codes that have been adopted nationally that attempt to mitigate and reduce hazards, this high-risk occupancy presents some unique challenges that will require ongoing review through the life of operations to ensure community and firefighter safety.
Very Respectfully,
Steve Heitman
Fire Chief, RRRFA
This article should be a wake up call for everyone around this proposed Asphalt Plant!!
As a history researcher of the site, I would love Renton to purchase it and make it into a park. We could even add historical markers explaining the history of the site including how the Duwamish used the Cedar River in close proximity. So much history that can be shared. ”
If the Plant goes forward, I am concerned/worried that it will make new history that we don’t want to contemplate. A spill will change the Cedar, Renton and Water in the area for generations.
Let us be good stewards of the land and support Renton’s purchase of the land. Maybe King Co Parks could co-sponsor the land purchase.
Great article as usual Randy. I completely agree with Robin Adams comment: it should be a wake up call! Why won’t our mayor and council even acknowledge to us that the asphalt plant is a serious threat and danger to Renton for years to come? They have the power to actually DO SOMETHING to prevent this insanity. I propose writing down the motion for a council member to make to begin the eminent domain process, which as you point out per RCW 8.12.030 they can use. It’s hard to believe there wouldn’t be 4 council votes to pass it. It IS an election year for 3 council members, and the other 4 will be up in 2 more years. This topic will be high on the lists for voters to ascertain qualified candidates to oversee Renton’s future. I certainly have no confidence in the current elected officials to keep Renton safe and liveable as I watch them dodge and ignore such important issues. The media will find these growing concerns more and more interesting as time goes on and nothing is done. It’s shouldn’t take unwanted publicity to spur action.
Marcie Palmer
Renton City Council Member
2004-2015
This has been an issue of great concern to me since I first learned of it several years ago. Up until now, I was under the impression that as a community, our hands were tied in protecting ourselves as a result of some extremely unwise legislation enabled by Dunn eons ago. To hear that there is not only an immediately obtainable solution, not just legally, but also in terms of potential funding, makes me ecstatic. There are not words, however, for the fact that this solution is being ignored by the Mayor & City Council. The damage this plant would cause to our drinking water, air, salmon, and ecosystem, cannot be undone. I hope they choose, quickly, to prioritize the feedback of the community & act on this issue. If not, I smell a lot of protests, and whatever else it takes, coming in the future.
Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment Jamie. One of the reasons I think the County might come forward with funding is the number of County Councilmembers that have complained about the way the zoning on the property was mishandled. While Councilmember Dunn was involved in the errant industrial zoning decades ago (when it was Sunset Materials), he along with other county council members have expressed strong objection to this location for the asphalt plant. It’s particularly advantageous that Dave Upthegrove is now State Public Lands Commissioner, and he was also on record opposed to the plant. This makes both the County and the State potential strong allies in directing environmental grants to the city’s purchase, to make the site a park or natural area instead of an asphalt plant. But neither the state or county appears to have the regulatory capacity to stop this. Renton is best positioned right now.
Here’s Dave Upthegroves response to an email inquiry from a resident on this project a couple years ago:
______________________
Subject: RE: CM Upthegrove: Asphalt Plant Follow Up
Thank you for talking with me last week about your opposition to the construction of a planned asphalt plant near Maple Valley—and in particular, your concern that the King County Comprehensive Plan includes requirements that would preclude the asphalt plan as an allowed use. I appreciated our conversation and followed up with our legal counsel regarding this specific concern you raised.
You raise interesting points, but I want you to understand the overall process and where this proposal is at this point in time. As a councilmember, my present involvement with this matter is limited. While the legislative branch of county government (the King County Council) is responsible for adopting the Comprehensive Plan, the executive branch (through its planning agencies) is responsible for implementing the plan and any directives within the plan. It is therefore executive agencies who are charged with making the determination of allowable use under the current plan. As of this point in time, they have determined that the planned use is allowable on this site. Ultimately, of course, differences in interpretation of laws are resolved by the judicial branch, but, for now, questions as to the details of their reasoning and interpretation are best addressed to the King County Executive.
Dave
Councilmember Dave Upthegrove
King County Council
District 5
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Reagan Dunn shared this position in 2022: https://kingcounty.gov/zh-cn/dept/council/governance-leadership/county-council/newsroom/archived-news/2022/april/4-14-rdunn-asphalt-plant-permit-release