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A UGUST 7, 2013
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V OLUME XXXV, N O . 44
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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-
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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