DOE: Changes proposed for stormwater, wastewater permit fees(corrected headline)

Public invited to review and comment through April 11
OLYMPIA – To help recoup the costs to implement the state’s water quality permitting program that protects lakes, rivers and marine waters from pollution, the Department of Ecology is proposing an increase in annual fees that industries, local governments and others pay to be covered by stormwater and wastewater discharge permits.
Permits protect clean water by setting limits on how much pollution may be discharged into the environment. Permit holders also receive technical assistance from the state when pollution problems occur.
The fee changes being considered would cover the state’s increasing costs over the next two years due to inflation.
Fees, required by state law, can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars, depending on the type of activity the permit covers.
Nearly 6,000 local governments and businesses have water quality permits that allow them to discharge limited amounts of pollution. Ecology is accepting public comments on the proposal through April 11.
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2017/023.htmlhttp://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2017/023.html

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News Notebook
From the minutes of the last PA City Council meeting:
Manager McKeen spoke about the citizen petition to revert to Second Class City status, noting that he plans to engage a subject matter expert to provide a formal legal opinion on the petition. Manager McKeen said that Council will receive a report at its March 21 meeting.
Related news Story:

 PORT O CALL: LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Eloise Kailin M.D., Chair Our Water Our Choice PAC
A petition to City of Port Angeles for Change of Government , signed by over a thousand registered voters, and certified by County Auditor has been waiting since last May for the City Attorney to issue its ballot title.
http://portocallpublishing.com/2017/02/letter-to-the-editor-from-dr-eloise-kailin/


Editorial Comment: It amazes me how some are still clinging on a ballot measure coming next fall which by all accounts a moot point. Point one, if you recall the city council agreed to put the issue on continuing fluoridation on next November ballot, and the mayor made sure the council would accept the outcome of that vote. Which by the way should have happened from the start. Point two: A new council will be elected into office next November, perhaps replacing at least three council members who chose to ignore the will of the people in that Citizen Advisory poll which was mailed to the utility customers.
Point three; Kailin, is assuming that all of those signers of that petition to change the city form of government will actually vote for it. Can anyone really believe that all those signers will vote for it, giving points one, and two? I think not.