Protecting our Aquifers and Natural Environment

Since the go ahead on construction of the MEGA Warehouse in South Tacoma, so much concern over the City’s lack of concern over our natural resources and especially our aquifers has been called into question.

I was at a local meeting where concerned citizens came to voice their opinions.  Needless to say, it was a packed house.  There were local officials and Council Members in attendance along with City Planners.  Essentially, upon airing their concerns, people were told, “Let it go, it’s too late”.  “Get over it and move on”.  I am not paraphrasing when I say this, either.  It was shameful, to say the least.

The problem is, the area in question was zoned for commercial construction, but it also happened to be atop one of Tacoma’s main aquifers, feeding the region’s water supply.  It never should have been zoned for construction in the first place, as that is supposed to be protected land.

I do feel that there is a way to rectify the situation, but that is beside the point.  Our city officials need to respect the natural environment the way that we, the citizens of Tacoma, do… and protect our natural resources whenever possible.

There are plenty of options when it comes to protecting our environment for future generations.

I believe that we need to employ green roof systems on commercial rooftops, whenever possible.  Using specialized soils and plants, all rooftop rainwater, which collects toxins from the air, once landing on the roofs, the water gets filtered through the plants and soil, cleansing the water before it hits our storm system.  I also believe that our storm water system should be filtered before it hits Puget Sound.  There are so many millions of tons of toxins that flow into our waterways year round.  For decades, scientists have warned us that Puget Sound is dying and that we need to take better care of our environment in order for a healthier future.  With our ever growing population and with the massive amount of construction slated to hit Pierce County and Tacoma, we are long past due in our efforts to tackle environmental changes that will affect future generations of Tacoma residents.

As Mayor, I will see to it that our city officials do everything in their power to correct the poor decisions made in the past, never again telling Tacoma residents to “get over it and move on”.  That is an unacceptable answer to anyone who cares about Tacoma, the way that we all should, as citizens.