December 12, 2005

Aquifer Protection on Public Meeting Agenda

Legislation would Provide Funds for Resource Protection

COEUR d'ALENE - The Aquifer Protection District Steering Committee will hold a public meeting Thursday to present information on proposed legislation that would provide funding for aquifer protection in Kootenai County.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Post Falls City Hall and will be simultaneously broadcast on cable channel 13. The steering committee's presentation will be followed by time for questions or comments from audience members.

The steering committee was created this year to develop a long-term funding source for the protection of the Rathdrum Prairie aquifer. The committee is proposing legislation that would enable Idaho counties to create aquifer protection districts.

"We've seen a great deal of support and desire from the community for protection of the aquifer and this legislation would provide the funds to successfully do that," said Dick Martindale, Environmental Health section manager at Panhandle Health District. "Up to this point, we've seen funding sources diminishing, while the potential for contamination is increasing with development over the aquifer."

Federal funding for aquifer protection ended in the early 1990s, and funding from the Idaho Legislature is not expected to continue. PHD recently raised fees to cover some elements of its aquifer protection program, but that funding allows only basic activities.

The proposed legislation would enact a user fee for property owners within the aquifer recharge areas or over the aquifer in Kootenai County. The fee would not exceed $24 per residential property owner or $48 per commercial property owner and would be collected in a manner similar to Kootenai County's current solid waste fee. The fee would be applicable for all existing property owners and would be used exclusively to achieve the goal of protecting aquifer water quality.

The steering committee has given a number of presentations to community groups and elected officials over the last several months. Legislation enabling the aquifer protection fee is expected to be introduced during the upcoming legislative session.

Steering committee members are: state Reps. Bob Nonini and Frank Henderson; state Sen. Dick Compton; Kootenai County Commissioner Gus Johnson; Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin; Post Falls city administrator Jim Hammond; Barry Rosenberg, Kootenai Environmental Alliance; Terry Werner, Post Falls wastewater treatment plant; attorney Jerry Mason; Geoff Harvey, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality; Bob Haynes, Idaho Department of Water Resources; and Dick Martindale, Panhandle Health District.