Dear Editor,
I understand that the rationale for moving the terminal to Cascade Point is to save money on fuel and crew wages.
According to the DOT website: The Cascade Point Ferry Terminal is currently estimated at $36 million. The unmanned day-use terminal and parking area. The terminal building would include a generator shed, pit-style restrooms, including ancillary infrastructure such as a 10,000-gallon sewage holding tank, 5,000-gallon fuel storage tank.
What exactly is the 5,000-gallon fuel storage tank for? According to DOT the M/V Tazlina tanks hold 49,900 US gallons of diesel fuel. What about this 10,000-gallon sewage holding tank? It’s certainly not for the pit toilets. No, it would be for the ferry. This makes no sense to me. Empty the sewage from the ferry to a holding tank, then what?
Let’s be realistic. Without adequate services the ferry would unload cars and passengers and then the ferry would continue to Auke Bay (with crew who are paid) to fuel, get water, deal with garbage and empty sewage, crew change, etc.
From Cascade Point, we will watch the ferry continue, empty, and go to Auke Bay. Burning fuel along with 53 vehicles also burning fuel all to get to the same place. Moving the terminal to Cascade Point serves no purpose.
Leigh Horner