As lawmakers debate how to rein in these cameras, sheriffs, civil rights groups and transparency advocates are clashing over how much access is too much
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today issued its long-awaited final decision about the extent of cleanup that will be required at the Duwamish River Superfund site — the biggest toxic waste site in Seattle.
Details are still emerging and the agency is conducting a news media briefing this hour. But it's clear that EPA has boosted cleanup requirements from the tentative plan the agency issued last year: The price tag has gone from $305 million to $342 million. That's to be spent over seven years of active cleanup and 10 years of "natural recovery" that involves allowing sand, dirt and mud washed down the river to cover what the agency describes as low levels of contamination on portions of the river bottom.
The Boeing Co., King County, the city of Seattle and the Port of Seattle all lobbied to hold down cleanup costs, as InvestigateWest reported last month. Environmentalists, community groups and others banded together as the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition have pressed for a plan that would cost substantially more and would call for all the contaminated river bottom to be dug out and hauled away. That plan would have cost about $500 million.
Robert was co-founder of InvestigateWest and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. At the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Robert exposed a major weakness in the Endangered Species Act and deficiencies in Puget Sound restoration efforts.
The story you just read is only possible because readers like you support our mission to uncover truths that matter. If you value this reporting, help us continue producing high-impact investigations that drive real-world change. Your donation today ensures we can keep asking tough questions and bringing critical issues to light. Join us — because fearless, independent journalism depends on you!
As lawmakers debate how to rein in these cameras, sheriffs, civil rights groups and transparency advocates are clashing over how much access is too much
