Water Quality Program draft loan offer to the City of Lynden for updated infrastructure at the municipality’s wastewater treatment plant.
Agency
Ecology, Department of
Title of action
Water Quality Program draft loan offer to the City of Lynden for updated infrastructure at the municipality’s wastewater treatment plant.
Date significant agency action was initiated
Friday, February 2, 2024
Category
Capital project, grant, or loan award of at least $12 million
Brief description of significant agency actions for which the agency is initiating an environmental justice assessment.
The proposed action is to provide the City of Lynden with $18,394,140 of loan funding to improve the municipal wastewater treatment plant, including upgrading the oxidation ditches to a Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) biological treatment system, constructing a new blower building, and modifying a suite of other systems within the plant.
These retrofits will improve nutrient removal to meet new water quality permit requirements and increase treatment capacity to accommodate anticipated economic growth in the area.
The project location is the Lynden Wastewater Treatment Plant at 800 South 6th Street, Lynden, Washington.
Anticipated benefits from this loan offer include:
• Improved water quality in the Nooksack River and continued benefits to communities that use the Nooksack River, a tributary of Bellingham Bay, part of the Puget Sound.
• Reduced nutrient pollution discharging from wastewater into the Nooksack River.
• Increased treatment capacity for anticipated population growth over the next 20 years.
• Greater energy efficiency in the wastewater systems.
Methods for providing public comment for agency consideration as part of the environmental justice assessment.
Ecology plans to conduct engagement, focused on connecting with overburdened communities and vulnerable populations, beginning in April 2024 to assess the environmental justice of this loan offer.
Ecology conducted public engagement in February and March of 2024, with an online webinar and public comment period. We will respond to comments regarding overburdened communities or populations with vulnerabilities and will seek further involvement as needed to address concerns. Ecology will identify additional opportunities to engage overburdened communities in Whatcom County and provide opportunities for their meaningful involvement in this funding decision.
Ecology will invite Tribal consultation with impacted tribes, including but not limited to Nooksack, Lummi, Swinomish, Upper Skagit, and Tulalip Tribes. Ecology will engage in consultation in formats that are requested by the tribes and which create opportunities for their meaningful involvement in this funding decision.
Please contact Faith Wimberley at faith.wimberley@ecy.wa.gov with any comments or questions.
Link to agency webpage where the action is posted.
