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6.25.04 Turn on the tap It's full speed ahead for the Metropolitan Utilities District's Platte West water treatment plant, vital to the future of the Omaha area. The board of the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District threw a monkey wrench into the works in May by, according to its own attorney and others, illegally withholding the permits required by M.U.D. to sink the Saunders County wells that will wet the Omaha area's fast-growing thirst. At its recent meeting, however, the board changed course and gave M.U.D. the go-ahead. The Platte West site straddles the Platte River in both Douglas and Saunders Counties; most of the wells are in the latter. The controversy was a continuation of the obstructionism, not backed by good science, that has plagued the project nearly since its beginning. At least one citizens group formed just to fight the project, and Saunders County officials, among others, have raised objection after objection. One squawk was heard most: The Mead, NE Superfund site seemed tailor-made for protesters. Hydrological studies have shown that the dangerous pollution contained on the Mead site does not, in any realistic way, threaten the wellfield being tapped by M.U.D. But claiming that is scary and emotional ammunition for the scientifically ignorant or those who simply refuse to believe in science. Protesters stampeded elected NRD members into not only taking up the wellfield permits -- something only rarely done before -- but putting the project on indefinite hold. Utility officials, angered by the irrational last-minute hit, threatened personal lawsuits against members who cost ratepayers money by refusing to follow the law. NRD board members did wrest some face-saving "concessions," of sorts, from M.U.D., which has voluntarily agreed to comply. The utility will give the NRD information already being collected and sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and will abide by state and federal rules it already is bound by. Perhaps more significantly, M.U.D. willingly agreed to join a consortium of other public officials that will answer the public's questions about Platte West, its progress and potential problems. Information usually vanquishes unfounded fear, something that is much needed in this situation. This broad-based group will include members representing Ashland, NE., the Papio-Missouri River NRD, property owners and others. Now that this dust devil has subsided, M.U.D. business and residential ratepayers can anticipate that metropolitan-area growth will be supported by an ample, stable supply of water. Let's get on with it. |
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