Climate Change? Done!
"Bigger, more frequent forest fires, shrinking snowpacks and changing ocean chemistry herald greater risks in the Northwest because of climate change," a report says (May 7, 2014, Seattle Times). Adding, "From changes in stream flows, to acidifying oceans and widespread forest die-offs, the Pacific Northwest is already experiencing signs of a changing climate."
The Third National Climate Assessment warns that the effects of climate change will become increasingly disruptive in coming decades. "Climate change, once considered an issue for the distant future, has moved firmly into the present," the report says (Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
Amy Snover, Director, Climate Impacts Group, University of Washington, says, "… the major changes that will have the most widespread consequences for people, the economy, the environment and our infrastructure are shifting precipitation, effects on forests and coastal impacts ..."
Effects on the forests? So, if we deposit deep layers of toxic sewage sludge in these forests, including in wetlands, and if such continuing sludge deposits continue to generate Methane for more than a year after disposal, how is it then that disposing of sewage sludge in these forests is alleged to have a positive effect on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and thus, on Climate Change? Does this practice, "Improve Wildlife Habitat"? There is a serious disconnect in the thinking here.
We in the Pacific Northwest, as holds true for many parts of the Nation, are experiencing a serious deficiency in precipitation.
On Saturday, I gazed up at Three Fingers peaks in the Cascades, west of Darrington, WA, a spot where two decades ago I roped across the face of a glacier; it is now a bare rock face, walkable in light hiking shoes. The changes are noticeable, up close or from afar.
On Sunday, I mountain-biked into four sites in the Snoqualmie Forest of the Cascade lowlands to review sites slated for sludge dumping during this Summer season. There is little or no snow up above, reflecting the fact that there was not a ski season this year, a new record of sorts.
In order to get to the planned sewage sludge disposal sites you have to bike via old logging roads along Griffin Creek, a sensitive and protected Salmon stream, and an interesting adventure of its own. The logging roads remain under shallow water, even in this drought, and with no relieving snowpack above.
This is hydrology 101. The surface and groundwaters always flow here, even in a drought; even in a year without snow; even when impaired with sewage sludge leachates.
I reached the tree farms slated for sludging, and although they appear to be ordinary tree farm plantings, the cattails and other vegetation species protruding above the Douglas Fir seedlings reveal the area to be a typical forested wetlands.
The point is, this forest is a forested wetlands, slated for deep sludging, all of which will drain, leach and flow to the adjacent wetlands and Griffin Creek, both right now and even more so as soon as the temperate rains of the region commence in late Summer and early Fall. The water soluble toxins and the water insoluble toxins adhered to organic particles will be on the move to our great waters of Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean. What are they thinking? Who are they?
Climate Change or not, any and all sludges deposited here will flow west to the wetlands, streams, rivers and Puget Sound, adding to the adverse effects, and to the continuing consequences thereof.
"Well where do you think we should put it?," asked the agency official, which answer was avoided.
Even in a drought this logging road is flowing with ground water, headed for Griffin Creek.
The tree farm forest looks dry, but the lands beneath are saturated and flowing, including in this year of no snowpack.
The new tree farm of about five-years growth ends at an older tree "buffer' in the background, intended to protect the adjacent wetlands and streams from flowing sewage sludge leachate, yet never monitored, with Tiger Mountain in the far background to the South.
Embedded in the tree farm are the signs of a wetlands, as evidenced by cattails and other typical wetlands species. The leachates and runoff from any and all sewage sludge disposed here will flow west to the wetlands, streams and rivers, and on to Puget Sound.
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