Phillips: Judge’s rejection of gravel mine permit is victory for Puget Sound, endangered species

August 14, 2009

Summary

Ruling marks change in tide for permitting projects impacting health of Puget Sound

Story

King County Councilmember Larry Phillips today called the federal court ruling overturning permits for construction of a dock for gravel mine operations in sensitive nearshore habitat on Maury Island a vindication of the long battle to protect Puget Sound and sets a stricter precedent for future construction projects impacting the sound.

“Puget Sound is dying a death by a thousand cuts with projects that degrade aquatic habitat piece by piece,” said Phillips. “I having been working to protect nearshore habitat on Maury Island for sixteen years, so I am very pleased a federal judge finally stood up and said ‘enough.’ We have to do better for Puget Sound, and we have to do better for our Chinook salmon and orca populations which are dying off as we speak.”

U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez ordered a longer, more stringent review of how noise and shading from construction of a dock in an aquatic reserve on Maury Island will harm endangered Chinook salmon and orcas. In his August 13 ruling, Martinez wrote about the need to evaluate a project’s incremental impact on endangered species. Martinez’s ruling delays construction on the project for at least a year, giving policy makers more time to work with stakeholders to protect the Maury Island aquatic reserve.

Phillips has a long history working to protect Puget Sound nearshore habitat. He authored legislation in 1993 to purchase 1.3 miles of shoreline on Maury Island for conservation which then became the Maury Island Marine Park in 1995. He supported a successfully adopted amendment to prohibit the export of gravel from Maury Island Marine Park.

As Budget Chair in 2002, Phillips budgeted county funding for nearshore conservation that included money to purchase the Maury Island property that is the center of the gravel mine controversy. Phillips funded additional nearshore protection in 2003 and lobbied Congress for federal matching funds.

Recently, Phillips has called for identifying the habitat areas most critical to Puget Sound’s health and targeting those areas for protection.