Howard Hanson Dam fixes get the OK, but funding still need for long-term repairs
Corps assures Sen. Murray that Hanson Dam study will hit critical June deadline
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Energy and Water Committee, pressed top officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make repairs at Howard Hanson Dam.Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp assured Sen. Murray that the Corps is doing everything possible to meet the critical June deadline for completion of the dam study. Unless the study is completed on time, the project will not be eligible for construction funding for the 2012 fiscal year.
Lt. Gen. Van Antwerp told Murray that the study would be ready.
Army Corps leader says Hanson Dam study will hit June deadline for funding
The commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) Thursday in Washington D.C., that design alternatives for a permanent fix to a leaky right abutment next to the Howard Hanson Dam would be ready by June.
Army Corps plans to extend grout curtain at Hanson Dam until permanent fix found
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers revealed plans Thursday to extend a grout curtain as a temporary fix for the next several years as engineers design and construct a permanent fix to stop a leak through a damaged abutment next to the Howard Hanson Dam.
County calls on Congress to act on funding for Hanson Dam repairs
“The threat of flooding in the valley has created enormous uncertainty and fear for residents, stalled economic development efforts, and cost the County millions of dollars for emergency management preparations,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson, prime sponsor of the motion. “Securing full federal funding for both the interim and permanent fix must be a top priority for leaders at all levels of government.”
The Howard Hanson Dam has provided flood protection for businesses and residents in the Green River Valley since 1961. The Green River Valley watershed, home to nearly 350,000 residents also is the second largest warehouse and product distribution center on the West Coast, representing $37.36 billion in gross business income, 4,500 businesses and over 100,000 jobs. FEMA recently estimated the potential losses from a single flooding in the region could exceed $3.7 billion dollars.
Auburn to end moratorium on development in flood plain
A reluctant Auburn City Council on Nov. 17, 2008 slapped a six-month moratorium on all construction in flood plains within the city’s boundaries, as identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s 100-year floodplain.
State, county work to prevent Green River flood pollution from Kent auto-wrecking yard
With the former site of Japanese Auto Wrecking at South 262nd Street just 50 yards from the river, the agencies are spending roughly $83,000 to prevent the spread of pollutants from heavily contaminated materials to surrounding properties that include agricultural lands, according to a Jan. 13 King County Department of Natural Resources media release.
The money funded installation of a barrier of “super sacks,” provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, between the wrecking yard and adjacent agricultural lands, along with a pollutant absorbing “boom” adjacent the barrier. Construction of the barrier was completed in November.
State legislators Keiser, Orwall, vow to lead flood insurance fight
The threat of flooding may have dropped throughout the Green River Valley, but the risk, though diminished, still remains and South Sound legislators are leading a charge to create a "Joint Underwriting Association" to guarantee local businesses can get insurance.
Red Cross kitchen can feed thousands if Green River floods this winter
The American Red Cross can feed thousands of residents this winter if Green River flooding causes large evacuations in Kent, Auburn, Renton or Tukwila.
Flood-induced sewage geysers - fact or fiction?
As if the tough economy weren’t enough to worry about, the threat of flooding in the Green River Valley has residents and business owners on high alert. We’ve got our sandbags, we’ve signed up for CodeRED, and we’ve bought flood insurance. But none of these measures protects us from sewage backups.
