The Washington Department of Ecology is seeking comments on how to clean up the toxic Rayonier Mill site. Your comments are essential to enure this site is cleaned up to the highest standard, and ensure that the shores and waters around Port Angeles are safe for future generations. Comments are due August 12th!
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Subject: Please Choose Alternative SL5 for a Permanent Cleanup of the Rayonier Mill Site
Marian Abbett, Site Manager Washington Department of Ecology PO Box 47775 Olympia, WA 98504-7775
I am writing as a concerned citizen and a member of the Port Angeles community to express my strong support for Alternative SL5 for the cleanup of the former Rayonier mill site. This is a critical issue for the long-term health of our community and the unique marine habitat of our waterfront.
The Port Angeles waterfront is a vital resource and a home to critical species, including our endangered Southern Resident killer whales, salmon, and migratory birds. The contamination at the mill site, including PCBs, dioxin, and heavy metals, poses a significant and ongoing threat to this sensitive ecosystem.
Alternative SL3, which involves simply capping the site, is not a permanent solution. This temporary fix ignores the very real risks of sea-level rise, coastal erosion, earthquakes, and floods that could breach the cap and re-release pollutants into our waters.
A complete and permanent cleanup is long overdue. I urge you to select Alternative SL5, which involves the full removal of all contaminated soil. This is the only lasting solution that will truly protect our community and our environment for generations to come.
I believe the benefits of SL5 are vastly understated, and the costs of SL3 are not accurately estimated. The long-term health of our community is a benefit that cannot be measured in simple terms.
[Add a few sentences here about why the Port Angeles waterfront is important to you personally, or why you care about this issue.]
Please, for the sake of our community and our environment, choose Alternative SL5.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]