channels environmental challenges

[RecycleMichael]

Now that I have been released by my confidentiality agreement, I wanted to discuss some of the things I have learned about our river and the Channels project.

I sit on one of the work groups that are reviewing the channels project, asking questions of the consultants and then reviewing their answers to our concerns. The Environmental work group met for two days, threw out a lot of potential obstacles, prioritized them, then presented them to the consultants. The consultants then explained back in writing their understanding of the issues and solutions or explanations.

On Monday, we met as a team and voted on their answers, whether or not additional evaluation was needed, should it be addressed before the election, was budget identified and finally, if not resolved, was it a deal breaker or not to us.

The work group will present it's thoughts sometime next week or so to the full committee, which I assume will be a public meeting.

Our list was 23 items which were lumped into these main categories by the consultants...

Air and odor, groundwater, riparian issues (trees and plants), stormwater/water quality, regulatory, habitat loss, fish and wildlife, debris in the channel and sediment.

The process and the education on everything from ambient wind to zebra mussels has been interesting.

I have to go to a meeting, but will try to write more later today.