County planners, utility officials and authors of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the San Juan Island Solid Waste Transfer Station replacement project will be available Thursday, 4:30-6:30 p.m., at the fire station at 1011 Mullis St. to answer questions and help citizens formulate their input on the document.

The public can submit written comments on the draft impact statement at anytime until 4:30 p.m. Sept. 12. Oral comments will be accepted at a hearing now scheduled for Sept. 11, 4:30-6:30 p.m., at Mullis Community Senior Center, 589 Nash St., Friday Harbor. (That hearing had originally been scheduled for an earlier date at the fire station, but was postponed to insure that public notice requirements were met).

State law requires that all formally submitted comments must be considered and addressed before the final environmental impact study can be issued.

An associated document, the “Supplemental Alternatives Analysis” statement which analyzes potential differences between the cost of building a solid waste transfer and recycling facility on each of the five sites being studied, will be released on Sept. 12. The Solid Waste Advisory Committee has scheduled additional meetings in September and October to consider which site to recommend to the County Council. The committee is expected to forward its recommendation to the council in time for a final site selection to be made in January 2009.