Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Water Quality topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners to stand by prior challenge to Lake Kukanusa selenium triennial review
Summary
Lincoln County commissioners agreed to draft and circulate a letter saying the county stands by its earlier court-based challenge to the Lake Kukanusa triennial review on selenium levels, noting the county has no new science to refute the review and will monitor future changes.
Lincoln County commissioners discussed the Lake Kukanusa triennial review at their June meeting and agreed to circulate a letter stating the county stands by its previous court arguments regarding selenium standards.
Mr. Durham said the county has reviewed the triennial material and ‘‘we don't have any new science that changes their minds’’ and that the county has ‘‘nothing to refute their claims and evidence at this point.’’ He said the plan is to accept the review's findings for now and participate in any future changes.
Commissioners noted the core dispute concerns selenium standards across the lake and differences in acceptable thresholds on the Canadian side. Commissioners asked staff to draft a letter reiterating the county’s prior positions and to circulate it for review; if no opposition is raised they instructed staff to send it when appropriate. The board recessed to allow a triennial hearing to proceed and to finalize the draft.
The discussion produced no formal motion to change policy; rather, the board authorized drafting and circulating the proposed letter and signaled continued monitoring of science and any enforcement mechanisms that may follow.
Next steps: staff will draft the letter, circulate it to commissioners for comment and, barring objections, transmit the letter following the triennial hearing.
