Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 22, 2009
4. Water Quality –
Group to run TV ads in campaign against
Marin Independent Journal
Court OKs dumping gold mine waste in lake
Mercury News
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Group to run TV ads in campaign against
Marin Independent Journal-6/21/09
By Brent Ainsworth
A
Through donations, the Alliance of Concerned Citizens of Novato has put together ads that started running on CNN, Headline News, Fox News and MSNBC networks Sunday morning. They will run through Thursday.
"We're just trying to get the word out why we are opposed to privatization," said Dennis Welsh, a former Novato Sanitary District employee and a member of the ACCN.
The alliance's mission is to convince the district's board of directors that the new plant, slated to be fully operational within a year, can be run by existing employees after training by technical experts. It contends that there is no need to outsource the plant management to another firm.#
http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_12661384?IADID=Search-www.marinij.com-www.marinij.com
Court OKs dumping gold mine waste in lake
Mercury News-6/22/09
The Supreme Court has upheld a federal government permit to dump waste from an Alaskan gold mine into a nearby lake, even though all its fish would be killed.
By a 6-3 vote Monday, the justices say a federal appeals court wrongly blocked the permit on environmental grounds.
Environmentalists fear that the ruling could set a precedent for how mining waste is disposed in American lakes, streams and rivers.
The Army Corps of Engineers in 2005 issued a permit for waste disposal at the proposed Kensington mine north of
Environmentalists sued to halt the practice, saying dumping the mine tailings in the lake would kill fish. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12663549?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
The state is recommending that customers of a North Pole utility boil their water before drinking it or cooking with it.
Affected are about 60 homes with service from the Valley Water Co., which also has proposed a controversial plan prohibiting daytime lawn watering and other outdoor water activities. The boil water notice does not apply to others among the utility's 300 customers, but the water curtailment plan does.
State regulators also are scrutinizing the utility's books.
Regulators want to know why Valley Water is paying more than $10,000 a month to First National Bank of
The problems come four months after Valley Water nearly had its power shut off until a group of customers paid the utility's $11,000 overdue bill.
The boil water notice was issued Thursday because of low water pressure. The utility is not meeting the minimum standard of 20 pounds per square inch, said to Mike Jaynes of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
"If they can't make that pressure, there's a potential for a back flow," he said. "That could cause potential contamination."
To that regard, Mark Still, whose parents own the Valley Water, is installing a new water pump.
The water restriction plan was noted in the May water bill. Under the plan, outdoor water use would be limited to 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Lawn watering would be limited to three or four days a weekly, depending on whether addresses end in an even number or an odd number.
Customers are upset, particularly those who helped bail out the utility in February.
"This is a slap in the face," said Brooke Cacy, who led the effort.
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska called for the water restriction plan following complaints from customers about water pressure.
Still said the utility doesn't like the plan any more than its customers.
The regulatory commission also wants to know why the company is saddled with so much debt.
The loan payments are for money used to enhance the water system, according to Still.
"It wasn't like it was a personal loan that we took out so we could go to
State regulators have asked Valley Water's bank to produce loan documentation.
Earlier this year, the commission authorized the utility to raise rates by 23 percent.#
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