Anti-phosphate coalition calls for discussion

Local officials, scientists and environmental groups gathered Tuesday morning in the downtown Spokane Public Library to push for a community discussion about banning phosphates in dishwasher detergents and fertilizers to protect the Spokane River.

With a commanding view of the river as a backdrop, representatives from Spokane County, the Washington State Department of Ecology, the Lands Council environmental group, and the cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley explained that a ban is a key step toward improving river water quality.

Reducing the amount of phosphorous that reaches the river will help prevent algae blooms and boost levels of oxygen in the water, which is essential to aquatic life.

Such a broad-based phosphate ban would be a national first.

“For our citizens, a healthy economy and a healthy river go hand-in-hand,” said Spokane Valley Mayor Diana Wilhite.

The Spokane River and Lake Spokane, also known as Long Lake, have been polluted by excess phosphorous for some time.

“That’s something we all own and have to roll up our sleeves to fix,” said Spokane County Commissioner Todd Mielke.

Local leaders appear to be pursuing a course in which each municipality must enact its own ban. The only other options available are to persuade state legislators to enact a statewide ban or to proceed through the Spokane Regional Health District.

After almost a year of joint meetings, the phosphate ban is the first tangible action that wastewater dischargers, the Department of Ecology and environmental groups have agreed must be pursued to clean up the Spokane River.

In the coming week, a group of dischargers and the Sierra Club each will present Spokane River clean-up plans to the state, which will review them in December. Dischargers and the Sierra Club agree that banning phosphates in detergents and fertilizers is just one part of a bigger solution to meet state clean water requirements.

Phosphorous comes from many sources, including human waste from sewers and septic tanks, storm water runoff, agricultural runoff and industrial processes.

One Spokane River industrial discharger, Inland Empire Paper, is a subsidiary of Cowles Publishing Co., which owns The Spokesman-Review.

The Department of Ecology has prevented Spokane County and Spokane Valley from building a wastewater treatment plant until a satisfactory cleanup plan is developed.

That already has had some policy implications and could hinder future development, said Spokane Valley City Councilman Dick Denenny.

“We were hit squarely in the face by what will happen if we don’t have capacity at the treatment plant,” said Denenny of a decision to slow down septic tank removal in the Valley.

Several municipalities that discharge treated sewage into the river have not taken a position on the ban. Liberty Lake Mayor Steve Peterson was scheduled to speak at Tuesday’s press conference but was a no-show. Kootenai County, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene officials were also invited to the event but did not attend.