By Pepper Fisher
CLALLAM COUNTY – The beleaguered recent history of the Midway Metals scrapyard on the highway between Sequim and Port Angeles appears to be entering another chapter with the announcement that county Board of Commissioners will hold executive and public sessions on the matter on Monday.
Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor David Alvarez says they’ll be discussing possible litigation against Midway Metals owner Katrina Haymaker.
“Basically summing up all her actions that are unlawful. And then at that point, that would be the first step that would lead to possible litigation against her. I’m not saying there is going to be litigation, I’m just saying that we want to put it on the record as to what she’s done unlawfully before we take any other litigation steps.”
Alvarez says Haymaker has been issued a total of $7,000 in fines, none of which has been paid. County officials say the massive piles of junk continue to grow even though the site is closed.
In 2008, the state Dept. of Ecology designated Midway Metals a Priority 1 contamination site, describing the business as an unlicensed metal scrapping facility with no stormwater permit or runoff management plan, despite having ditches that flow directly into McDonald’s Creek.
Soil tests have found high levels of contaminants including mercury, lead and cadmium.
Commissioners requested Ecology’s help last year in getting Haymaker to clean up the illegal site, but Commissioner Mark Ozias says he was told by Ecology that the pandemic has hampered that agency’s ability to give it much attention.
The closed executive session will be followed by an open session where they will announce what action, if any, will be taken.
The session begins at 3:30 Monday.