Pasco hears final push to adopt Franklin County solid waste plan after state review

Wendy Mifflin, a project manager with Herrera Environmental Consultants, summarized the updated Franklin County Solid Waste Management Plan for the Pasco City Council workshop.

"My name is Wendy Mifflin, and I'm a solid waste project manager with Herrera Environmental Consultants," Mifflin said, explaining the plan reflects several years of work by the Solid Waste Advisory Committee and a required regulatory review. She told the council the plan underwent SEPA and comment letters from the Washington State Department of Ecology, Department of Agriculture and the Utilities and Transportation Commission; responses to those agency comments are included in the plan's Appendix H.

Deputy Director Raymond said the city and county executed an interlocal agreement to develop the plan jointly and that the adoption sequence is for each participating jurisdiction to pass a resolution of adoption before final Ecology approval. Shirley Jones of Franklin County, who praised the consultant team, told the council the SWAC reviewed every chapter and worked through two rounds of Ecology comments.

Council members asked clarifying questions about implementation steps and timing; staff indicated the next step is for the city to consider a resolution of adoption, after which the county will act and the Department of Ecology will complete its final review. No public speakers signed up for comment on this item at the workshop.

The council did not take formal action at the workshop; staff said they will return the item for formal adoption consistent with the statutory process and the interlocal agreement.