Western WA Requires Low-Impact Development Techniques

In a landmark ruling, a state appeals board ordered use of low-impact building techniques to reduce stormwater runoff, which is considered the biggest pollution threat to the health of Puget Sound. The quasi-judicial Pollution Control Hearings Board handed down the ruling, which will be implemented by the state Ecology Department.

In established cities such as Seattle, the impact is likely to be felt mostly in redevelopment projects. In the fast-growing countryside, it's likely to mean larger-scale LID projects that might, for instance, eliminate curbs and gutters and create street-side green spaces instead. The ruling affects only the largest local governments in Western Washington: Seattle, Tacoma, and King, Snohomish, Pierce and Clark counties. Another case pending before the board could extend the logic to numerous smaller local governments.

Source: Seattlepi.com, August 9, 2008