State hits 520 bridge contractor with notice of violation
KENMORE, Wash. -- The state Department of Ecology issued a notice of violation Wednesday against the 520 bridge contractor Kiewit/General/Manson with a $10,000 potential fine.
The announcement comes in the wake of a Problem Solvers investigation into Kiewit's tugboats, which have been stirring up potentially toxic sediment at the bottom of Lake Washington.
A number of area residents have seen the loosened sediments mucking up the water in the shallow Kenmore Canal. Two such residents described the water's hue as "a cafe latte color" and "a milkshake brown."
One citizens' group in Kenmore has been complaining for months to no avail until Wednesday when the state issued the notice.
Pieces of the 520 bridge get put into the water at the Kenmore site. But under the law, construction crews must not stir up too much mud.
Citizens are irked the state didn't test for toxins before allowing the project to begin.
The state has not tested the Kenmore site; however, it has conducted tests just 50 yards away. There, the state found high levels of PCB and dioxin.
Citizen activist Pat O'Brien says the notice of violation had to be initiated by citizens.
"Well, I think it's a beginning," he said. "You're always happy with any beginning that starts to correct a problem."
The canal is as little as 12 feet, and much smaller outside the channel where tugs often go. Seaplane pilots sometimes see sandbars here.
The contractor told KOMO News its crews have switched to shallow draft tugs. But some wonder whether that's enough.
"I think anybody that lives or uses Lake Washington should be very concerned about this," O'Brien said. "I don't care if you're in Renton or you're Bill Gates, or University of Washington; this lake connects to all those places. And all citizens should be worried about this resource we have."
The contractor told KOMO News late Thursday it is dedicated to high standards and is reviewing their options with regard to this violation notice.
In a Thursday statement, Kiewit said it is dedicated to maintaining the highest environmental compliance standards.
"In Kenmore, to minimize the disturbance of sediment, we operate in designated areas and use the shallowest-draft tug available that can safely maneuver the barge/vessel being towed/pushed. We are carefully reviewing the recent notification from the Department of Ecology and examining our operations in Kenmore," the statement reads.
The state says it sees the $10,000 fine as a last resort. The Department of Ecology plans to work with Kiewit to fix the problem.
But the question remains unanswered for neighbors: Is the mud stirred up and distributed by Kiewit's tugs contaminated with dioxin and other toxins?
No one is testing the water column to find out.
The announcement comes in the wake of a Problem Solvers investigation into Kiewit's tugboats, which have been stirring up potentially toxic sediment at the bottom of Lake Washington.
A number of area residents have seen the loosened sediments mucking up the water in the shallow Kenmore Canal. Two such residents described the water's hue as "a cafe latte color" and "a milkshake brown."
One citizens' group in Kenmore has been complaining for months to no avail until Wednesday when the state issued the notice.
Pieces of the 520 bridge get put into the water at the Kenmore site. But under the law, construction crews must not stir up too much mud.
Citizens are irked the state didn't test for toxins before allowing the project to begin.
The state has not tested the Kenmore site; however, it has conducted tests just 50 yards away. There, the state found high levels of PCB and dioxin.
Citizen activist Pat O'Brien says the notice of violation had to be initiated by citizens.
"Well, I think it's a beginning," he said. "You're always happy with any beginning that starts to correct a problem."
The canal is as little as 12 feet, and much smaller outside the channel where tugs often go. Seaplane pilots sometimes see sandbars here.
The contractor told KOMO News its crews have switched to shallow draft tugs. But some wonder whether that's enough.
"I think anybody that lives or uses Lake Washington should be very concerned about this," O'Brien said. "I don't care if you're in Renton or you're Bill Gates, or University of Washington; this lake connects to all those places. And all citizens should be worried about this resource we have."
The contractor told KOMO News late Thursday it is dedicated to high standards and is reviewing their options with regard to this violation notice.
In a Thursday statement, Kiewit said it is dedicated to maintaining the highest environmental compliance standards.
"In Kenmore, to minimize the disturbance of sediment, we operate in designated areas and use the shallowest-draft tug available that can safely maneuver the barge/vessel being towed/pushed. We are carefully reviewing the recent notification from the Department of Ecology and examining our operations in Kenmore," the statement reads.
The state says it sees the $10,000 fine as a last resort. The Department of Ecology plans to work with Kiewit to fix the problem.
But the question remains unanswered for neighbors: Is the mud stirred up and distributed by Kiewit's tugs contaminated with dioxin and other toxins?
No one is testing the water column to find out.
The waterway is known as the Sammamish Slough, not the Kenmore Canal, or the Kenmore
River. Many of us remember the "Slough Races" from Lake Sammamish to Lake Washington.
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The races were ran until spectators were seriously injured as one of the boats climbed the bank
and crashed into a crowd of spectators. Later the US Corps of Engineers changed the Slough
and the end result was that normal vessels could no longer travel from lake to lake.
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Better to drive over the sewage than thru it I guess. What's the penalty for the junk pontoons?
Kenmore is the septic tank for all that is upstream, to Sammamish. The planes that take off there always leave a fuel smell in their wake.
Is it possible to build a bridge with no pollution? I doubt it. The people here needed an axe to grind. They want to lay 100 years of pollution on this contractor. Good luck with that.
To see the Kenmore Navigation Channel on a Google Map, plug in N 47 45 22.01 W 122 15 27.71. In 2005 this channel tested 13.2 Dioxins pptr.; in 2010, slightly west, the area tested 90 Dioxins pptr. Contractor KGM sought out a polluted site and a channel that needed dredging to maximize profits at the expense of Lake and water dependent life. Until the channel is dredged, trucking is the most responsible transport. 90 pptr. is comparable to international law mandatory clean-up if toxin is undisturbed. Muddy wakes of barges appear in channel and where tugs leave channel on windless, sunny days.
I guess folks won't be happy until they are towing in bridge parts with canoes.
The above photo of the sediment plume is the way that end of the lake gets any time there is a South wind strong enough to create white caps. The waves stir up the delta deposits from the Sammamish river. Some times the plume extends over a mile south of Kenmore.
This is not news it happened long before Kiewit showed up.
The tugs didn't make the water toxic. Get a clue. The north end of the lake is a murky mess.
Unbelievable...Kemore has toxins in the water? Let's all jump into the way-back machine Mr. Peabody and start the 70's all over again. Aslo what about the 520 pontoons?
Lol, now problem makers are trying to blame the contractor for toxins in the mud?
OMG, I can hardly stop laughing. Stirring up âpotentially toxic sediment at the bottom of Lake Washingtonâ. You stupid, moronic, POS they are building garbage pontoons which will be fish habitat in only a few years. You let them continue, you are dumping taxpayers money on them, this piece of crap bridge will only last a few years, if that long, and the best you can do is âpotentially toxic sedimentâ? Remember to clean your ears when you pull your head out.Â
The real frightning fact is people actually fish, swim and jet ski in that lake..
 @Windowseat It's surprisingly not reflected in the price of real estate.
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I'm not a Seattle area resident so can someone enlighten me where the Kenmore Canal is. On Google maps Kenmore looks like it is way North of where the bridge is going and the bridge pontoons have to come through the ship canal into Lake Washington so in my ignorance what in blazes are they doing way up North?
 @jcman Plug in coordinates to a Google Map: N 47 45 22.01 W 122 15 27.71 which will put you in the middle of the Kenmore Navigation Channel next to Harbor Air which at that exact spot tested 13.2 pptr. for Dioxins in 2005, now slightly to the West, tests in 2011 show 90 pptr Dioxins. Contractor found a polluted site at North Lake Washington to build anchors for the 520 Bridge that would maximize the profit at the cost of Lake health.,
 @Ann Hurst  @jcman Thanks. It makes me wonder how they got a permit to do the work there or did they skip putting this part of the project in the environmental impact statement. Lots of questions the reporters haven't, and should, investigate so the public can know who did what and who is responsible.
There is a construction area up there for some components of the bridge project (I think its the large cable anchors they drop into the lake).  I think they are using the site of the sand/gravel company that was there.
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Due to the prevailing winds from the SW, all the crap that floats in the lake ends up in this area, if it didn't get washed up at Juanita Beach Park.
It is important to remember the basic premis of all liberals---A very short memory!
To refresh the liberals out there, This is not the first job Kiewit, has done in the Seattle area. Anyone remember the "KING DOME". Between the idiots running Seattle at the time and Kiewit,, there was a massive cost over run on that project.
In fact when the King Dome was demolished there were many millions of dollars still owing on the repairs on that
project.
So now the state, at the direction of Seattle, has hired them again. Gee, do you really expect a different out come!
The soon to be  submerged Alaska Way tunnel will be another cost over run at the direction of the Seattle idiots.
 @smith401 You forgot the mention the leaks and falling ceiling in the Kingdome, too.
Well, technically, that was due to pressure washing the "coating of the month" from the roof since (who knew?) concrete is permeable.
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Water got to the glue that held on the tiles, and broke the bond. Before (and even after) that, there was a series of attempts to seal/insulate/paint the roof with some new material that was supposed to fix it once and for all. Pressure washing the last attempt off was, I think, a new concept prior to the tile thing.
Don't worry, the government knows best. That's why we handed control of our healthcare to them, remember?
Wow! Â Ten thousand dollar fine for multiple Billion dollar contract! Â What's that, two minutes of doing business for them? Â That'll teach em!
This is why we pay 10 time more than we should.
Ooooooo -Â a NOTICE! THAT'LL have 'em quaking in their boots! At least until the state drops all claims for penalties, as the DOT always seems to do (IIRC, as with ferry construction overruns etc.),
I am not trying to defend Kiewit, But fact is, as Farmer001 said, The work has to be done. No one else is going to get the pontoons in without doing the same thing. This is in my opinion not a matter of quality control. I would question the early planning with the state of how this situation would be addressed. If I lived around there I would be asking why is there all this toxic waste down there without my knowledge until someone stirs it up.
I think this is the state trying to get someone to own the toxic bottom. I also agree with Farmer001. These are the things that drive the cost of construction up. Especially now that dealing with this change of how they figured on doing this will probably cost more and will likely fall in the category of "change order".
d  @Mark64 The Army corps of engineers should have tested the site like they do everywhere else.  If there are contaminants then they need to be removed just like anywhere else. Â
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And it would not matter if it was Keiwit or some other company. Â Keiwit didn't put the toxins there.
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Komo is really got a H**d on for them don't they?
First off Kiewit does not own tugboats .Second tugboats will stir up mud this is a bridge project. Come on people this is what happens at a construction site.  This is why things cost so much in this state let them get the job done Â
 @farmer001 this build is turning into a portlandia episode
What is it going to take for the State to fire Kiewit for their incompetence and hire a contractor that will get the job done right?
 @Tattooed_Angel They will NEVER fire Kiewet. This State is run by a bunch of pansies.
Another $6 or 7 billion dollars probably.
ooh $10,000, that'll show 'em.
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Kiewit sounds like such a garbage company as more little tid bits come out about the work they do.
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great hire, WSDOT!
@SwampThing interesting that it is Ecology that had the guts to do just this small thing rather than WSDOT
Does anyone realize how polluted Bothell is? In a very small area, the city is digging up 35,000 TONs of scary contaminants and..oopse... somehow forgot to tell the people around town about the magnitude of the size of these toxins. The recent Bothell-Reporter article yesterday sums it up...the contaminated soil (containing, to name just a few.. huge amounts of petroleum, diesel fuel, gas, arsenic, lead, mercury, and many others that can harm humans, in a size, equal to 2,700 school buses. I actually live next door to the main construction site, where the City is planning on building a 60 Million water front, after booting 20-30 long time successful small businesses, not due to the contaminants in the soil, but to replace these small businesses, with high rise buildings, for those with more money to enjoy the better qualities of life. I actually moved from my home after many scary health symptoms I experienced and my pets, when their digging began. I even tested my tap water and it came back positive and when I reported this to the City of Bothell, the State DOH and the EPA, they refused and disputed to further test my tap water, even with the Lab stating it was in the heavy range and what was found, "Should NOT be there". The gov is now stating that this is NOT their problem due to the tap water being on private land. But, somehow, My tap water came back heavy with something that should not be there, and just so happens, the city is digging up 35,000 TONS of scary toxins and I shouldnt be concerned??? I am so angry!