By Karen Robes Meeks
The South Park and Georgetown community and the Port of Seattle will team up for a $175,000 EPA Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building technical assistance grant.
“The Port of Seattle is committed to our involvement in supporting near-port communities that have taken the brunt of environmental impacts from many sources for decades,” said Commission President Courtney Gregoire. “We understand that for our region to be vibrant and prosperous, we have to consider historic inequities that continue to bar some communities from sharing our economic opportunities. This project has been a great opportunity for us to think differently and take action to be part of the solution.”
The project seeks to improve environmental and community relations with the port, with an eye towards a long-term Community Benefits Agreement and Good Neighbor Strategic Plan.
“We look forward to work with the port to address important, mutually beneficial needs, such as better community engagement strategies and improved environmental health,” said Andrew Schiffer, a Georgetown representative on the project. “By the end of this project, the community hopes to have a Community Benefits Agreement established, a pact between the Port and Duwamish Valley residents to reduce inequities and ensure we receive our share in the benefits the Port provides for our county as a whole.”
