Portland is off the hook on treating Bull Run water
So says the Oregon health department. Apparently the City of Portland will be excused from having to build a $100 million ultraviolet treatment plant to kill microbes that never show up at the Bull Run reservoir to begin with. This is great news for Portland water customers, and the City Hall bureaucrats will no doubt put on smiles. But they've secretly loved every minute of planning the ultraviolet deal in smoke-filled rooms -- the system has already been picked out -- and no doubt some of them are trying to figure out how to build the thing anyway.
Kudos to the consumer groups who held the city's feet to the fire on this issue. Now if they could only stop the even spendier and equally unnecessary disconnecting of the city's uncovered reservoirs here in town.
| Posted at 3:09 PM | Permalink |
|
Comments (14)
Careful, or you'll just encourage those bureaucrats to send more hipsters out to pee in the uncovered reservoirs. Or worse.
Posted by Texas Triffid Ranch | November 29, 2011 3:13 PM
Alright, "cost savings"! What should Sam spend it on?
Posted by Snards | November 29, 2011 3:21 PM
Why do I think Randy and Sam will still try to build the thing "for the future." If they don't end up building it you can bet they will just shift the "cost savings" (as Snards puts it perfectly!) to some other dumb project instead of lowering water rates.
Posted by NoPoGuy | November 29, 2011 3:31 PM
But a treatment plant could be the linchpin for future development.
Posted by Isaac Laquedem | November 29, 2011 4:02 PM
lowering water rates?
You've got to be kidding. They'll see this as just another pot of gold they can squander on dreams of being famous.
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | November 29, 2011 4:13 PM
Whatever happened to "there's nothing we can do, it's the EPA's requirement..."?
Can we have our sweetheart water giveaways back? Is it appropriate to return honoraria to the failed vendors? Is Powell Butte really necessary?
Posted by Mister Tee | November 29, 2011 4:16 PM
This may very well be a plan to placate the public for awhile on this issue.
Posted by clinamen | November 29, 2011 5:24 PM
Right clinamen, and then "they" will resurrect the project again.
My first thought when I heard the news on the car radio today was, "how will the proponents keep this alive to make sure they get their graft?"
Posted by Portland Native | November 29, 2011 5:52 PM
Portland Native,
I am afraid the "resurrection" could be much larger than any of us thought possible. The PWB is in debt and all that spending could very well lead to privatization and loss of our water rights.
Our elected officials have not been proactive such as NY Senator Chuck Schumer with his request to EPA to not cover their reservoir. EPA head Lisa Jackson wrote Schumer to inform him that the agency would reevaluate the plan and may scrap the cap.
I have little faith in our elected officials until they do the ask for the Waiver for the entire affair, for the treatment and so that we can keep our open reservoirs.
I use the word Waiver, because the word variance is temporary and in my view lets them continue on with plans.
Posted by clinamen | November 29, 2011 7:17 PM
clinamen, you are so right.
This is another reason for me to stay out Portland until I get hauled into a nursing home.
Posted by Portland Native | November 29, 2011 8:33 PM
Good job every one for shining a light on this issue. It has been a tough one to get the public outraged about because it was like a python slowing strangling you in the night.
Now let's not lose focus and save our reservoirs - one more time.
Hey Dan Saltzman, how about taking a stand and doing something right?
Posted by Ralph Woods | November 30, 2011 9:00 AM
The financial aspect of this matter is one thing. Businesses won't come in with high water rates, we will not be able to afford this corporate system "some" will still want. Have heard some citizens say all their discretionary funds will be needed to pay for the water, and that can't be good for the local business economy either.
The community has had conversations about finances, how about what can happen to the health of our drinking water?
The health aspect of this needs to come to people's attention as well.
In my view, this is BIG.
We are being led down a merry path to where?
Toxic chemicals added to our drinking water?
Radon coming into our living and working spaces?
Corporations coming in here and eventually blending polluted river water with our good bull run water and we have no say?
Our elected officials simply do not talk about the health aspects of this or even seem to care. Has it come down to that they are only concerned about their political career?
I have no respect for those wanting to shove this discussion under the rug and the people end up drinking seriously degraded water!
Toxicity in the political system is bad enough, we shouldn't have to swallow it too!
We should all be outraged about this.
Posted by clinamen | November 30, 2011 11:25 AM
One has to wonder if the politicians that have been driving this to financial ruin and into the hands of private ownership don't have something "worked out" off the radar in another one of those "public-private partnerships".
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | November 30, 2011 12:09 PM
They may be "working something out", but so should we.
Do not give up, give in or bail out. Join with the groups like:
http://citizensforportlandswater.org/
and show solidarity in continuing efforts until we actually do win.
Kudos to all that have worked so diligently.
Posted by Starbuck | November 30, 2011 8:26 PM