Buck backs Marrowstone water line

The following article appeared in the May 14, 2006 Jefferson County edition of the Peninsula Daily News.

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Buck backs Marrowstone water line
Lawmaker on record backing PUD effort

By Jeff Chew
Peninsula Daily News

PORT TOWNSEND — Republican state Rep. Jim Buck has joined his Deocratic 24th District colleagues in support of Jefferson County Public Utility District's public water project to Marrowstone Island.

Citing issues of dry wells and saltwater intrusion, whch has affected hundreds on the island, Buck said: "Many of Marrowstone Island's residents have been in need of potable water for much longer than necessary."

"There are substantial public health concerns resulting from the lack of access to a public water system, ranging from stress to exacerbation of medical conditions, that are very worrisome to me."

Buck's correspondence to Jefferson County came Friday, before a 1 p.m. Tuesday shoreline substantial permit hearing before Hearing Examiner Irv Berteig.

"I strongly support the PUD's application for a shoreline substantial development permit as required for those portions of the pipeline that would be located close to the island's shores," Buck said.

Courthouse hearing

The hearing is set to take place in the county commissioners chambers on the ground floor of the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St.

The PUD Marrowstone water project was also recently endorsed by the other two of Jerfferson County's three state lawmakers, Rep. Lynn Kessler and Sen. Jim Hargorove, both Hoquiam Democrats.

All three PUD Commissioners — Dana Roberts, Wayne King and Kelly Hays, himself a Marrowstone resident who has to sell water — have long backed the project, as have top officials with the state Department of Ecology.

Buck, in his correspondence to the hearing examiner, also says that the State Parks Department "has recognized the seriousness of the issue by posting a warning sign on its water tap at Mystery Bay State Park."

Buck said the values of affected homes are so severely reduced that retired homeowners — depending on the investment value of their property cannot afford to relocate, "even if they develop health problems so serious that they should be much closer to health-care resources."

'One small step'

"Granting the necessary shoreline permit to allow construction of the water system to proceed is one small step toward granting the affected homeowners reasonable access to potable water, one of the most basic of human needs." Buck wrote to Berteig.

Marrowstone Island resident Scott Cassill, who along with his wife, Joyce, helped found Water for Marrowstone and first circulated petitions to residents to get the PUD project rolling three years ago, said he was grateful for Buck's support.

"I think it's a good thing that he was finally heard from," Cassill said Friday.

"He's been active in so many other major concerns, but I am glad that he is active in this issue, which is a big one."

'We are losing our water'

"It is a terrible thing that we are losing our water."

Cassill said he expects a large turnout of Marrowstone residents in favor of the project at Tuesday's hearing.

Jefferson County PUD leaders were heartened Wednesday by one high-ranking Department of Ecology official who voiced support for the PUD's effort to extend service to water-needy Marrowstone Island.

In correspondence Wednesday with PUD Commissioner King, Joe Stohr, special assistant to state Department of Ecology Director Jay Manning, reiterated the DOE's support of the project to install about 5 miles of pipeline.

"We have been on the public record before in terms of getting water out to Marrowstone." said Stohr.

About 100 wells of the estimated 500 in existence on Marrowstone Island are either dry or contaminated by saltwater intrusion.

As proposed, PUD's Marrowstone water line would branch out from a Flagler Road backbone. The lines will be extended to the county roads, which are easily reached from Flagler Road — Griffith Point Road, for example.

The project would be complete after lines are installed on all county roads not already constructed and on private roads that involve easements.

PUD also built a water reservoir to provide water to the Fort Flagler State park during fires and as a backup to Marrowstone residents in case of a water shortage.

The water project would bring water to about 300 homes on the island.

PUD officials reapplied for county and state permits after prevailing over a lawsuit filed by a group of residents opposing the project.

Port Townsend/Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.