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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDOE 2009 Correspondence STATE o� rn ID w Y STATE OF WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY SEQ ®� eo1bs PO Box 47600 • Olympia, WA 98504-7600 •360-407-6000 711 for Washington Relay Service • Persons with a speech disability can call 877-833-6341 $Qoi oxi August 26,2009 Mr.Kent Myers, City Manager City of Port Angeles P.O.Box 1150 Port Angeles,Washington 98362 Mr. Bill James,,Interim Executive Director Port of Port Angeles 338 W 1St Street Port Angeles,Washington 98362 RE: Rayonier Site-Olympic Environmental Council's Advertisement Gentlemen: In response to your letter of August 3,2009,concerning Olympic Environmental Council's(OEC)recent advertisement in the Peninsula Daily News regarding the Rayonier Site,I wish to confirm that OEC submitted the ad to the Department of Ecology(Ecology)for review, as required in their grant agreement. Having found no technical errors,the grant officer approved the publication on June 25, 2009. The Public Participation Grant Program has historically allowed free expression of opinion,and it is Ecology's policy to not censor messages that provide technically-accurate information. In this case,the OEC is free to express their future vision of the Rayonier Mill Site, even if it is theirs alone. Ecology awards competitive Public Participation Grants to a wide variety of organizations,both to increase community involvement and to give groups a voice in local projects. Funds are typically spent on tasks,such as contracting for technical expertise,holding public forums and educational events, and sharing site information through publications and news media. Ecology grant officers oversee these grants with the aid of a technical adviser, ensuring that activities meet grant guidelines and that materials are accurate from a scientific and factual standpoint. --------Speaking-specifically to-GEC,,Ecology is-eur-rently finalizing OEC—'s-2009 20-1-1-g-r-ant.=T-he-grant officer-------- -and project technical staff plan to coordinate more closely on reviewing tasks and outreach materials produced under this new grant. Given limited resources in this biennium,Ecology is asking OEC to reexamine their use of grant dollars,with a greater focus on educational activities and technical assistance around the Rayonier Mill cleanup. However,grantees still have the right to disagree publicly with the agency or any other entity involved with a cleanup site. GEC's disclaimer correctly states that Ecology does not necessarily support their views and the agency may still approve these types of materials in the ___future.-- -- C Messrs.Myers and James August 26,2009 Page No.2 Ecology has supported the city of Port Angeles in their Rayonier cleanup and redevelopment stakeholder process,and plans to continue to work closely with local governments and other stakeholder groups..We continue to encourage diverse views and open discussions about the Rayonier Mill cleanup and the future of the properly. Thank you for voicing your concerns. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact Rebecca Lawson at rebecca.lawson@ea.wa_gov/360-407-6241. Sincerely, ` Jay J.Manning, Director By Certified Mail loos 2810 0001 3940 6470 cc: Rebecca Lawson, Section Manager, SW Regional Office,Toxics Cleanup Program Jim Pendowski,Manager,Toxics Cleanup Program Sally Toteff, SW Regional Director,Department of Ecology STATE Off, 'L 1889�� o tl CJ STATE OF WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY C#1 PO Box 47600 • Olympia, WA 98504-7600 •360-407-6000 711 for Washington Relay Service •Persons with a speech disability can call 877-833-6341 November 16, 2009 The Honorable Gary Braun, Mayor Port Angeles 321 East Fifth Street P.O. Box 1150 Port Angeles, WA 98362-0217 Re: Port Angeles Phase II Stormwater Pass-through Grant Local Toxics Control Account Grant No. G1000187 FY 10 Funding Cycle Dear Mayor Braun: I am pleased to inform you that the stormwater grant agreement for the Port Angeles Phase II Stormwater Pass-through Grant project has been signed. A signed original of the agreement has been sent to Terri Partch for project files and future reference. We appreciate this opportunity to assist you with financial and technical assistance. Ecology's Water Quality Program staff in Port Angeles is available to assist you with your project. If you have any questions or need additional information,please call Tracy Farrell, Ecology's financial manager, at 360-407-7039. Sincerely, AL, UU, �- Kelly Susewind, P.E., P.G. Water Quality Program Manager KS:MT:tf cc: Terri Partch, City of Port Angeles Tracy Farrell, Ecology HQ/WQ ,a 10