U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said she will not stop fighting to ensure that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gets the money and resources it needs to repair the damaged Howard Hanson Dam, keeping the people who live and work in the Green River Valley down stream safe.
At a press conference last Friday on the sun-splashed banks of the Green River near Kent’s Russell Road Park, Murray called the $44 million she helped secure last week for repairs to the dam’s right abutment, “a huge step forward” for families, businesses and the local economy.
“We all fought so hard for these resources because we all know what’s at stake,” Murray said. “We know too well what will happen to local families and businesses if we fail to act.”
Among the dignitaries present were U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis, Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke, Renton Mayor Denis Law and Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton.
The corps will use the money to extend by 650 feet the seepage barrier, or grout curtain, completed last November on the abutment, creating a temporary fix that should hold up for several years. The actual work could take as long as six months. When finished, the extended grout curtain will give engineers time to design and workers to effect a permanent solution in the form of a barrier wall to stop a leak through the abutment, made of 20,000-year-old landslide materials.
The Corps expects to have the design for a permanent fix by the end of June so it can submit its funding request to Congress in 2012. The project itself could cost as much as $500 million. It will take several years to complete.
The extended grout curtain will allow the corps to store more water in the reservoir behind the dam, and the dam at full capacity could lower the odds of flooding in the Green River Valley to 1 in 140.
Corps Commander Anthony Wright estimated the odds of flooding last winter at 1 in 33.
As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Murray included the $44 million in the supplemental appropriations bill. And while Murray praised King County and local leaders who helped fight for the funds, they applauded her.
“I’m here to tell you what she won’t say is that she worked a miracle,” said McDermott. “This is a time in our history when there isn’t a lot of money lying around Washington DC, and for somebody to come back with $44 million to fix a problem back home is a minor miracle.
“The Corps with their fix last year, plus God, gave us a reprieve of one year. It will be our fault if we don’t get this done now. We’ve put the money there, the Corps is going to do it, and we have taken our steps to make all this happen,” McDermott added.
The full Senate and House still have to approve the emergency funds, and President Obama has to sign the bill. The corps can start the repairs once the President signs the bill into law. Murray and McDermott said the support will be there, in part because the bill provides emergency funding for the current fiscal year, including military paychecks.
“Patty told me that this bill has to pass by June 1 or the paychecks stop for the military,” McDermott said.
Jonathan Spaulding, general manager of the Kent facility for Kvichak Marine Industries builds boats for the U.S. Coast Guard. He thanked Murray and other politicians for helping to save jobs by protecting the Green River Valley from flooding.
“The $44 million is a big deal and obviously the best news for the people in the valley in a long, long time,” Spaulding said. “Although I hesitate to speak for all of the businesses here, I know there are thousands of employees and many, many families that rely on you (Murray) directly and would like to extend their heartfelt thanks.”
