Oso slide review begins, but key questions won't be asked

EVERETT, Wash. — Five months after the Oso landslide killed 43 people, a review panel began looking into the disaster and the response Friday.

But the commission could leave key questions unasked.

Governor Jay Inslee and Snohomish County Executive John Lovick established the group for an independent review.

It will issue general policy recommendations but will not assign blame.

KIRO 7 asked commission director Kathy Lombardo if the panel will look at the decisions that led to development so near a known slide area, or the impact of logging on the slide.

"That's not our charter," she answered. "Our scope of work is not to look back.”

Blame could be sorted out by the courts, as landslide victims sue the county and the state.

The panel's report is due in December.

According to a news release, here is the list of members:

Prof. David Montgomery, Geomorphology Director at the University of Washington  Wendy Gerstel, Licensed Hydrogeologist and Principal at QWG Applied Geology  Bill Trimm, FAICP, former Community Development Director at the City of Mill Creek  Diane Sugimura, Director, Department of Planning and Development at the City of Seattle  Chief Greg Garcia, former Fire Chief at the City of Pasco  Chief Steve Strachan, City of Bremerton Police Chief and former King County Sheriff  Lee Shipman, Emergency Management Director at Shoalwater Bay Tribe  Hon. Jill Boudreau, City of Mount Vernon Mayor  Renee Radcliff Sinclair, former State Representative and former Snohomish County Planning Commissioner  Paul Chiles, Real Estate Counselor and former Chair, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle  JoAnn Boggs, President, Washington State Emergency Management Association  John Erickson, former Director of Emergency Preparedness, Department of Health.

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