The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

 

In the Brightwater Draft Supplement Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) (which became the Final SEIS)King County states that:

 

“The Brightwater facility structures are categorized Seismic Design Category E and F, Depending on Seismic Use Group.”

 

 The IBC 2003 codes for Seismic Design Category E and F facilities are as follows:

• “Seismic Design Category E or F shall not be sited over an identified active fault.”
• “Seismic Design category D, E or F…sic…the potential for liquefaction and soil strength loss shall be evaluated for site peak ground acceleration magnitudes and source characteristics consistent with the design earthquake ground motions. Peak ground acceleration shall be determined from a site specific study…” 

Yeats declaration states:

“King County is failing to ensure that the Brightwater Project will meet the IBC 2003 1616.3.1 requirement that no structure will be sited over an identified active fault – because the County has not trenched lineaments X and GA which are geologic candidates for being active faults.”

 

“These conclusions ignored all the recent USGS work and were unreasonable in light of the developing information related to the lineaments on the Route 9 site and along the conveyance.”

 

Yeats concludes his declaration with an ominous observation;

“I have witnessed the devastation from earthquakes across the globe, most recently in Pakistan, and can say that if Brightwater is placed on top of an active fault zone there is a risk for catastrophic failure of the treatment plant in the future which could result in a major financial and human cost.”