March 8, 2023
Stay Informed, Stay Engaged in the Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station (NERTS) Project
The Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station Project team is sending occasional newsletters to keep you informed and engaged in the project, including alerting you to ways you can help shape project decisions. Some information will also be related to the many recycling and environmental services we currently offer to the people we serve in King County. Please visit www.kingcounty.gov/northeast to learn more about the project.
To request this newsletter in alternate formats, please contact the Solid Waste Division Customer Service Desk at 206-477-4466 or TTY 711.
King County Solid Waste Division will remove the Houghton Park and Ride property from consideration as a potential site alternative for analysis in an environmental review under SEPA
After receiving new information about planned development on a portion of the Houghton Park and Ride property, King County will remove the site as a candidate for further analysis in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station Project that’s scheduled for publication in fall 2023.
The current property owner, WSDOT, has plans for infrastructure improvements that will require about 25% of the north portion of the park and ride. Though WSDOT plans to surplus the rest of the parcel, the remaining available area will be too small to adequately accommodate a transfer station with the levels of service needed for this growing part of the service area.
After screening over 70,000 parcels and conducting an 18-month siting process, the Solid Waste Division will now focus on evaluating the two remaining site alternatives, a 12.9-acre site in the 15000 block of Woodinville-Redmond Rd. NE in Woodinville and the current Houghton Transfer Station Property in Kirkland, as well as a no-action alternative in the EIS.
Because of this change to the alternatives to be studied, King County will be re-issuing the scoping notice and will hold an additional 21-day comment period. The dates of that comment period (likely starting by the end of March) will be announced once the required legal notifications have been made.
The draft EIS is scheduled for publication in fall 2023, and will include opportunities for the public to review and comment on the analysis of the site alternatives.
The Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station is scheduled to begin operating in 2029 to replace the aging Houghton Transfer Station in Kirkland, which has been in continuous operation since the mid-1960s and can no longer keep up with service demand and population growth. Wherever it is ultimately sited, the new station will be built to the latest environmental design standards and designed to fit into the surrounding community.
For questions, please visit the project website or email the project team at northeast@kingcounty.gov.
Relevant Links
About the King County Solid Waste Division
The Solid Waste Division is guided by its vision to achieve Zero Waste of Resources by 2030, and to enhance the environment through collaboration and innovation. The division operates eight transfer stations, two rural drop boxes, and the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill – the only operational landfill in the county. Our stakeholders include residents and business owners in unincorporated King County and 37 cities throughout the county. Our mission is to deliver value our customers and stakeholders, and to continuously improve waste prevention, resource recovery, and waste disposal.
For more information about the Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station Project, visit www.kingcounty.gov/northeast or call King County’s Solid Waste Division at 206-477-4466 or 711 TTY.
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