News Release

Mount Rainier National Park seeks public input on proposed Paradise wastewater collection system and treatment plant rehabilitation project

Date: April 16, 2025
Contact: Mount Rainier Press Information Line, 360-569-6510

ASHFORD, Wash.  — The National Park Service (NPS) is starting a 30-day civic engagement period to share information and gather public input on a proposed project to rehabilitate a wastewater collection system and treatment plant located in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park.

The NPS will host a virtual public meeting Wednesday, April 30, 2025, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. PDT to share information and answer questions about the project. Visit the project website  for more information about the planning process, project purpose and need, and potential impacts to park resources, as well as a link to join the meeting. After the meeting, the NPS will post the meeting recording to the website.

The high number of visitors to the Paradise area has put significant stress on Paradise’s outdated wastewater collection system and treatment plant, which were originally constructed in the 1960s. The improvement and modernization of the system and plant will enhance the visitor experience in Paradise by improving resource protection, operational efficiency, staff safety, and visitor services to accommodate sustainable levels of current and future visitor use.

Public input will be accepted through the project website, https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ ParadiseWWTP2025. The NPS will use the information obtained during this early planning civic engagement period to refine the scope of the project, develop a reasonable range of alternatives, and ensure that planners have the necessary information to move forward in the planning process.

There will be additional opportunities to provide input on the proposed project in the Paradise area, one of the most popular and busiest places in Mount Rainier National Park. After park staff have developed a range of alternatives and can analyze potential impacts, the NPS will begin the second phase of planning, with the intent of publishing a draft Environmental Assessment for public comment in the fall of 2025.

For more information on Mount Rainier National Park, please visit the park’s website. 

www.nps.gov 

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