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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2013)
WWW . THESKANNER . COM A UGUST 7, 2013 S EATTLE , W ASHINGTON V OLUME XXXV, N O . 44 25 CENTS For The Skanner news alerts Text "NEWS" to 503-715-0890 or scan this QR code C HALLENGING P EOPLE TO S HAPE A B ETTER F UTURE N OW Port of Tacoma Pollution UMOJA FEST $3 million EPA settlement follows wetlands damage Of The Skanner News PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED The Austin Foundation (white shirt) squared off against the NW Blazers (dark shirts) in the Heal the Hood Basketball Tournament Saturday, Aug. 3, as part of the annual Umojafest held at Judkins Park. The event, which ran from Friday Aug. 2 through Sunday Aug. 4, included a parade, skateboard competition, lots of activities for children and a variety of music and dance performances. More photos on page 7. Report: Teen Suicides on the Rise Eleven deaths in 2011 prompt countywide effort to stop the tide A committee of experts convened to review child deaths in King County is calling for action to prevent suicides among teenagers, after a high number of youth suicides in 2012. Last year, eleven children died by suicide, according to the King County Medical Examin- er’s office. That compares to four suicides in an average year among children younger than 18 years of age. Of those eleven suicides, five were by firearm, five by hanging, and one by jumping. In recent years, the highest number of youth suicides in any one year had been seven, based on a review of data from 1999 to the present. While the numbers do not represent a statistical trend, the suicides are worri- some. “As a community, it’s our duty to protect children from all forms of violence, including violence that is self-inflicted,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Suicide is a tragic and pre- INDEX News .....................2,3,8 Opinion .......................4 A&E .............................5 Auto ............................6 Bids/Classifieds............7 ventable public health prob- lem,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “It calls for a compre- hensive approach, so that we make sure all young people get the treatment they need, and we limit access to dangers such as guns and drugs.” The King County Child Death Review Committee, comprised of 37 people representing numerous agencies and commu- nities, recently reviewed in- depth the circumstances of six suicide deaths from 2012, as well as data from prior years, to make recommendations for action and future prevention. Recommendations from the CDR Committee include: Increasing public awareness about the warning signs of sui- cide and risk factors for suicidal behavior and available crisis response resources. Educating families and com- munities about the importance and methods for safe firearm storage. See SUICIDE on page 3 The Port of Tacoma and two contractors have agreed to pay a $500,000 penalty and restore wetland habitat at an estimated cost of over $3 million to compensate for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act that dam- aged valuable Puget Sound wetlands, according to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Justice. The proposed settlement has been filed with the court and the public will have 30 days to provide comments, which the court will consider before the settlement is approved In 2008, EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discovered that the Port of Taco- ma hired a contractor to raze vegetation and destroyed more than four acres of wetlands in Hylebos Marsh, an area that provided important wildlife habitat and enhanced Puget Sound water quality. The contractor performed the work at the direction of the Port of Tacoma, which had been working to eradicate vineyard snails from Hylebos Marsh with guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. An order from USDA stated that plowing and grading to deal with the invasive snail species was acceptable in non-wetland areas only. At the time EPA and the Army Corps dis- covered the destroyed wetlands at Hylebos Marsh, the Port also disclosed that in 2006 it directed a contractor to dump over 4,000 cubic yards of urban fill materials—includ- ing soil, concrete and asphalt pieces—into nearly two acres of wetlands in an area called EB-1B, located east of Hylebos Marsh. The Clean Water Act prohibits discharge of pollutants to the waters of the United States, including certain wetlands, except as authorized by a permit. The Port of Tacoma did not have required Clean Water Act per- mits to conduct work in the wetlands. See WETLANDS on page 3 Civil Rights Commission Seeks Members Volunteers needed for three-year terms to advise on social justice K ing County residents interested in public service and raising communi- ty awareness and involvement in civil rights issues are invited to apply for one of three positions on the King County Civil Rights Commission. If selected and confirmed by the King County Council, commissioners serve three-year terms. The Civil Rights Commission advises the County Executive and County Council on matters related to the county’s civil rights programs and on human and civil rights issues, including reviews and reports on the effectiveness and progress of the county’s affirmative action, non-discrimination enforcement, and minority/women business utilization programs, as well as educating the community about preventing and elimi- nating discrimination. In addition, the commission works to edu- cate the community about the county’s Equity and Social Justice Ordinance. The Civil Rights Commission is soliciting applications from individuals in County Council District 1, represented by Coun- cilmember Rod Dembowski, which covers northeast Seattle, Bothell, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, and parts of Kirk- See CIVIL RIGHTS on page 3
