PUBLIC COMMENT DRAFT FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
The Nisqually Tribe has proposed a new wastewater treatment facility. There was an environmental assessment for the proposed project. This project was "OPEN TO PUBLIC COMMENTS" and Copies of this Environmental Assessment were attempted to be reviewed or obtained at the USDA Rural Development Office and Nisqually Indian Tribe.
The public comment period was supposed to be a 30 day period. One neighbor received information regarding the comment period July 19, 2011 with only 2 weeks to respond. This neighbor informed our group and we actively attempted to obtain the documents to review to effetely make comments. Several of us went to the USDA office and were told that the document was not there. One citizen was told by their staff to be "compassionate to tribal issues" and still was denied the proper document. Citizens went to the Nisqually Tribal office to obtain the document and no one was available to provide the documents or it was not available. After all of these inquiries for the document - only a handful of residents were able to comment on the wastewater treatment facility. This was by no means an "open public comment period" and basically fulfilled the letter of the law, not the spirit of the law.
When an appeal was made on the public comment period the USDA office stated:
“You can feel free to provide any additional comments you have and we will review them."
