Work on a nearly $3 million Jefferson County Public Utility District community septic system at Beckett Point, which stalled in late May after prehistoric Native American remains and artifacts were uncovered, has been cleared to resume after Sept. 3, state officials said on Wednesday.
"We're letting them go forward," said Allyson Brooks, state historic preservation officer. "We just have to amend the permit."
Work on the $2.8 million project will resume after Labor Day, said Jim Parker, PUD manager.
Shell middens are the remains of ancient beach campfires. Ergh.
But here is part of what they found: "The potentially intact shell midden deposits are yet to be investigated in detail, but the currently available information suggests that they represent relatively recent late prehistoric Native American use of this area. Both occupation areas and a cemetery appear to be represented."
That seems rather intensive use to be able to work around. But they don't describe the subsurface testing, which one would assume is a series of boreholes, so perhaps they did adequately sample the entire area.