Hearing set on tougher septic
system rules
Proposed rules require more frequent
inspections, disclosures when properties sold
Clark County commissioners will hold a public hearing Tues., Sept. 4, 10 a.m., on proposed changes to regulations that would give county health officials broad authority to regulate residential septic systems.
The hearing was scheduled after County public health officials, acting in large part to meet state-mandates contained in Chapter 246-272A of the Washington Administrative Code, asked commissioners to sign off on tougher rules governing such systems.
State Department of Health (DOH) wastewater management program manager Dave Lenning said new state rules crafted by DOH in July 2005 updated rules written in 1995. The state agency developed the new rules on behalf of the state Board of Health, he added.
Lenning said several issues triggered an overhaul of on-site septic system rules, including revisions to a federal Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual issued in 2002 by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, pollution found in Puget Sound that contaminated shell fish populations, and wastewater nitrates discovered in Hood Canal that had adverse impacts on wildlife. He said experiences with septic systems in Spokane County, a County that relies on one shallow aquifer, also encouraged new state standards.
Public health officials say proposed changes will help protect public health by minimizing the potential for public exposure to sewage from on-site sewage systems. They point out that adverse effects from failed on-site systems can cause discharges of sewage into groundwater.
Proposed rules set forth design requirements for new systems, and qualifications for installers, pumpers and other septic system service providers. Proposed rules would require Public Health officials to perform random quality assurance audits on 10 percent of work done by septic system professionals starting in 2008.
The rule changes would also require the Clark County health officer to develop a written plan for management activities and program funding for the oversight of on-site septic systems (OSS). Related tasks would develop and maintain an inventory of all known systems in the county and methods to find failing and/or unknown systems.
The plan would require Public Health officials to educate owners of on-site septic systems on their responsibilities to properly maintain and provide for inspections of their systems. Resident owners of gravity systems that work without the aid of pumps would be required to inspect such systems once every three years. Resident owners of alternative systems with pumps, including pumps that lift effluent to distributions boxes, would be required to contract with operations and maintenance specialists for annual inspections.
New rules would require that operations and maintenance contractors be certified and bonded and meet Public Health performance standards.
A system owner who passes a Clark County Public Health test would be allowed to perform every other maintenance and operation inspection, provided that he/she agrees to have a Public Health staff member complete a field audit of the first inspection. Thus, owners of gravity-only systems could perform inspections on their systems every six years, and owners of alternative systems with pumps could inspect their own systems every two years.
Performance requirements would include electronic submissions of pumping logs to Public Health within 15 days of work.
The revised code would require the owner of a failing septic system to connect with a public sewer system if the public system is within 300 feet of the served residence. The connection would not be required if the cost to connect to a sewer line exceeds twice the cost of a conforming replacement on-site septic system.
Rules would require abandonment of an on-site septic system that cannot be brought to current standards.
Sewage technologies permitted under the new regulations would include public domain (conventional and non-proprietary) technologies, such as sand filters, gravel or generic gravel substitutes, gravity and pressure distribution methods and materials. Proprietary technologies permitted would include aerobic treatment systems and packed bed filters. Proprietary distribution products permitted would include subsurface drip-line products or gravel-less distribution products. Such technologies and materials would be those approved by Department of Health officials.
Proposed new rules intended to avoid conflicts of interest require designers who specify system components by a certain manufacturer make reasonable allowances for an installer to use equivalent items or systems from other manufacturers. Revisions would also allow any individual who passes certification requirements as an O&M Specialist to perform that role regardless of other licenses or certifications they might hold.
Licensed and certified OSS professionals would be required to notify Public Health officials for posting on the Department website, a description of any dual relationships, such as installers owning inspection companies and designers carrying proprietary products.
Rules would require system owners to obtain a permit from Clark County Public Health prior to modifying an existing system, except when making minor repairs, such as to a pump or other equipment.
Proposed provisions require system owners to report failures to Public Health officials within 24 hours, take steps to avoid groundwater contamination, and make necessary repairs within one year.
New rules would require that a current (within one year) Report of System Status is on file with Public Health when a property served by an OSS is offered for sale. At the time of property transfer, the seller would be required to provide a buyer with a copy of the current Operation and Maintenance Report, available maintenance records, and a record drawing of the system (if not already on file), in addition to a completed seller disclosure statement for residential real property transfers.
The revisions would require owners of alternative systems, non-conforming systems, systems without reserve areas, or systems designed or installed by a resident homeowner, to place appropriate disclosure notices on titles of properties containing such systems. The County auditor currently charges $40 for the first page of such title notices, and $1 for subsequent pages.
The hearing will be held in the Commissioners Hearing room, on the sixth floor of the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin Ave., Vancouver. More information may be obtained by contacting Randy Phillips, Clark County Public Health, 397-8428, ext. 8412. A copy of the proposed code revision is available at http://www.co.clark.wa.us/health/environmental/septic/index.html.

Burke, Blum to face off for Woodland mayor
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
John J. Burke and Chuck Blum, both veterans of Woodland City Council, will face each other in the race for mayor in the November general election.
The unofficial tally showed that Burke garnered 288 votes (34.7 percent), while Blum received 298 votes (35.9 percent).
Incumbent Mayor Doug Monge ran a distant third, earning 215 Cowlitz County votes or about 25.9 percent of the total votes cast.
Newcomer Walt Hummel received 29 votes.
About 831 votes were cast in the election.
Monge, who said he campaigned door-to-door, said he was surprised by the outcome of the election.
“Everybody I talked to was shocked,” he said.
The low turnout also contributed to his numbers, he said, adding that for the first time, an election was held entirely by mail.
“This was the first time we’ve had a mail election,” he said. “We should have seen more votes.”
The fate of the Woodland Fire Department became a big concern with voters, Monge said.
“Some people created a political issue out of something that is not a political issue,” he said. “We’re getting a report on the fire department Monday night (Aug. 27), after the election.”
Burke said two issues propelled him to the top.
“My availability to the people and my previous work on the council was one thing,” Burke said. “Number 2 is the pool situation. This is the third election I’ve stressed my opposition to building a pool in the park (Horseshoe Lake Park). I don’t think the people want a pool in the park. People want a pool, but can we afford a pool and do we need a pool in the park?”
Monge has been on the opposite side of the pool issue, and he said that people he talked with supported the idea of building a pool in Horseshoe Lake Park.
Burke has two years remaining on the city council. Should he be elected mayor in November, the council would appoint a new council member to serve until the next election.
Blum, who served 10 years on the city council, said that people indicated that they are tired of hearing arguments about a proposed swimming pool, but he said the two sides are polarized.
“I have an alternative plan that I’m not at liberty to discuss right now,” he said. “People are tired of hearing about the pool, but unless there is a good alternative solution, you’ll make half the community angry.”
Blum said that during his door-to-door campaign, he heard that people are concerned about open government.
“People like to hear, ‘Let’s open up communications,’” he said. “The information in City Hall should not be a cast-in-stone secret. The citizens need to be involved on a grass-roots basis.”
Residents also want more city parks, he said, especially on the east end of the community.
Both Blum and Burke stressed their availability and presence at City Hall, but Monge said he thinks availability is not an issue.
“If they’re spending 40 hours a week at City Hall, that’s only 10 hours more than I’m spending there now,” he said.
According to the Cowlitz County Elections, about 30.3 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the primary. The county reported 35,296 registered voters and 10,701 casting ballots.

Ridgefield woman heralds new traffic signal
Bill Myers
staff reporter
Ridgefield resident Gail Popple couldn’t suppress her tears Aug. 21 after she threw a switch to power signals that will control traffic at SR-502 (NE 10th Ave.) and NE 199th St. in Ridgefield.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) officials asked Popple, for years an outspoken advocate for a signal at the intersection, to turn the lights on.
Popple and her husband, Robin, suffered serious injuries at the intersection about seven years ago when their car was struck by an auto that made a left turn in front of them. As more accidents and injuries occurred at and near the intersection, Popple campaigned to win public and state Department of Transportation support for a signal at the intersection. A fatal crash at the intersection a few years ago made her more determined than ever.
Popple said she gathered support from the principal of South Ridge Elementary School, area fire chiefs, Clark County Sheriff’s deputies, school bus company officials and members of the Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association. She said WSDOT regional manager Don Wagner was a big help.
WSDOT officials say community input along with collision data identified the portion of SR-502 near NE 199th St. as a “High Accident Corridor,” and convinced them a signal was necessary. According to WSDOT collision data, the intersection experienced 12 collisions from 2002-05 that resulted in 20 injuries and one fatality.
The new signal has turn pockets and arrows controlling left turns by north and southbound traffic onto NE 199th St. Illumination and pedestrian crosswalks were installed at the intersection. State highway engineer Bart Gernhart said the signal and intersection upgrades cost about $400,000, less than most intersection signal systems because curbing and street-widening were not necessary.
Gernhart said the state route will revert back to County control in a couple of years as soon as the I-5/SR-502 interchange is completed. He said traffic on NE 10th Ave. between NE 179th St. and Duluth will be reduced by about half. Gernhart said the signal will still be necessary at the intersection to control left turns and encourage slower speeds in an area that is certain to experience continuing population growth.
Shorty Fournier, the founder of Shorty’s Nursery at the southwest corner of the intersection, said he is delighted that a signal is finally at the intersection. He said he tried 40 years ago to get one installed, and praised the determined, unwavering efforts of Popple to make it happen.
Popple, wearing orange WSDOT highway worker gear, threw a switch that could prevent countless injuries or deaths. Surrounded by WDOT officials and workers, she and her daughter, Sarah Jane, hugged each other. Then the tears came.
Later, Popple said she was thrilled to know that one voice can help make something really important happen.

Commissioners to hear Wal-Mart appeal
The Clark County commissioners will consider another appeal of the approval of a Wal-Mart store in the Salmon Creek area on Wed., Oct. 3, 1:30 p.m.
The appeal is brought by the Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association, represented by Vancouver attorney John Karpinski.
Karpinski said the project was approved in 2006 by county staff. He appealed that approval to a county Hearings Examiner. The Hearing Examiner affirmed the staff approval which Karpinski appealed to the county commissioners.
The county commissioners returned the matter to the Hearings Examiner with items to be reconsidered, including the handling of stormwater and traffic. The Hearings Examiner again approved the project, and Karpinski has again appealed the matter to the county commissioners.
One of the issues involves the handling of stormwater. Wal-Mart proposes to retain stormwater underground on its site, then release it through a piping system at the neighboring Waters Edge Condo project. Karpinski contests whether Wal-Mart has the legal right to use the Waters Edge system, along with the downstream impacts of sending stormwater in that direction.
Other issues involve traffic, including truck traffic.
“In the decision, the Examiner clearly found the stormwater system didn’t work, but approved it anyway,” said Karpinski. “Despite this, the Examiner approved the project because he felt the stormwater problems could be fixed later despite county code and county commissioner direction to the contrary.”
Karpinski said the proposed Wal-Mart store would be located near NE 134th St. at the southbound on-ramp to I-205.
The commissioners will consider the matter Wed., Oct. 3, 1:30 p.m., at the Public Services Center, 1300 Franklin St., Vancouver, sixth floor.