HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-0602 ADJOURNEDMINUTES OF THE ADJOURNED MEETING
ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL
JUNE 2, 1993
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting commenced at 8:20 A.M. on the above date in the Council
Chambers. Laws, Reid, Hauck, Acklin, Winthrop, Arnold, and Golden were present.
INTRODUCTIONS: Public Works Dir. Hall introduced AI Cook, Oregon Department of Water
Resources, Dick Nichols and Nell Mullane from the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality,
and Stephanie Burchfield from Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife.
DISCUSSION: Nichols said they recognize that the effluent limitations are stringent, that
Ashland's effluent adds a substantial amount of flow in Bear Creek, and their goal is to come
up with ideas on maintaining creek flows. Cook said they recognize that Bear Creek is over
appropriated and complex to manage, facilitating water exchanges will include dealing with
complex water rights issues, and using uncontracted municipal and industrial water is a more
favorable alternative. There are 2200 acres of M & I set aside at Howard Prairie. Burchfield,
said the state agencies are working together to deal with water quality and quantity but have
not come up with a solution. Acklin said coordination between the agencies was requested 3
years ago, mixed messages are being received, and Ashland needs direction from the State.
Reid said this issue affects the whole valley and it would be foolish to make a decision on an
artificial deadline. Golden said other areas probably create a greater problem cumulatively
than Ashland. Nichols said non-point sources are more difficult to regulate than point
sources. Public Works Dir. Hall said phosphorous is a major part of the problem in meeting
TMDL levels, and questioned the possibility of a lab experiment which would include leaving
the water in the stream and meeting all but the phosphorous standards. He asked if the
concern is the overall health of the environment or meeting numbers. Laws said the DEQ
has been sued by environmental groups and told by the courts that the streams have to be
cleaned up, and sometimes decisions have to be made on the best information available at
the time. Mullane said changing standards is not easy, new ones have to be approved by
the EPA. Arnold said Ashland has to begin with a process geared to solving the standards
problem. Acklin asked if a petition could be filed with the judge to get relief from the strict
deadline Ashland is under. John Holroyd, Brown & Caldwell, said over one third of the cost
of all improvements will be in meeting the phosphorous levels, phosphorous is not
commensurate with passive systems, and he does not believe the level of 0.08 is real or
attainable. Nichols said it is not Ashland's obligation to find water, and it will be difficult to
approve a facility plan which does not meet the standards. Winthrop said maybe the flow
should be dealt with first and the standards recalculated. Acklin said one alternative is to ask
for relief from the court and consider ideas not fully explored yet. Nichols said the NEDC
would characterize this as footdragging. The State representatives were thanked for coming
to Ashland to discuss this.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 10:15 A.M..r,
Catherine Golden, Mayor Donna O'Connor, Exec. Secretary