These comments were considered in reassessing the project and determining EPA's final decision. Many comments indicate concern with the secondary impacts of installing a sewerage system which is designed to handle a Year population of ,, as determined by the projections of the Puget Sound Governmental Conference.
In general, these concerns relate to the validity of the population projections; the adequacy of local land use plans to protect the environment, including protection from urban sprawl; and EPA's conformance with regulations and guidelines established to protect the environ- ment. These issues are answered directly in the comment section. The alternative selected by EPA is the inch interceptor.
This alternative was chosen because it is designed to handle the expected population growth in the area, is the most cost-effective, and will cause no significant adverse primary impacts. The draft EIS and the comment process did not identify a more cost-effective or environmentally-acceptable alternative. To some, such a decision may seem inconsistent with some as- pects of environmental protection, particularly with regard to the potential for and impacts from urban sprawl.
EPA does, in fact, find itself in a dilemma concerning sewers and growth. It states:. In protecting the environment, EPA does not have a mandate to stop growth and alter land use patterns. This is a fundamental responsibility of local government. Local and regional officials agree that growth will occur in the Green River valley with or without this interceptor. It is also true that EPA has mandates to prevent adverse impacts on such areas as wetlands and flood plains.
EPA cannot, however, protect these by a broad-brush approach of stopping or controlling growth or land use. When these areas are directly infringed upon in terms of impending primary impacts, EPA can then exercise its legislative mandate to avert environmental damage from projects in which EPA is participating. In the meantime, EPA will help assure environmental protection to the fullest extent possible at this time by imposing on the inch interceptor the following grant conditions: 1. The grantee shall revise the alignment of the interceptor so as to completely avoid passage through any portion of the acre wooded swamp Type VII wetland located im- mediately south of th Street.
