Published March 14, 2004

By Don Stanton

Bonanza

The Peoples Energy of Chicago tells us this huge plant - 25 acres of roof area and 40-plus acres of polluted wastewater ponds, 33,000 gallons of ammonia, tanks full of diesel fuel, other oils and chemicals, is safe. It also tells us that in 1999, Hawthorne unit No. 5 in Kansas City, Mo., blew up.

"A serious explosion in February, 1999 destroyed the power plant boiler and much of the peripheral infrastructure."

I think that should be all any of us should need to know to tell these folks what they can do with this pipe dream.

I think there should be a law that holds them to everything they have ever written or said. Let's start with a large fine for every lie it has ever told. Four hundred cars a day on West Langell Valley Road? Maybe 400 a month. The largest gas power plant won't affect Bonanza, two miles away? Five hundred construction workers, away from home and family, will act like angels, return to Klamath Falls every night to raise hell and not camp on the banks of the Lost River? The noise from four fans cooling the largest gas-fired power plant won't exceed 30 decibels. I'll bet you won't be able to hear yourself think.

"There will be no potential for a measurable impact on the Lost River."

Company officials blame every result of tests that they don't like, on a "leaking well packer." My advice would be to "fix your leaking well packer, don't bend your results to fit your desires."

They say they pumped 6,800 gallons per minute out of the Babson well for 30 days with no effect on the ground water or the river. What did they do with all of this water? Did they truck it out of the Valley? No? What do you mean, they dumped it on the ground and let it run into the river. Who ran this test? The Mad Hatter? Some one needs to tell these folks this is not Wonderland - wake up, you are in Bonanza.

They are asking to be allowed to close West Langell Valley Road anytime they see fit for as long as they want.

They say, "the Siting Council should approve all temporary construction phase activities without an additional local review or consideration." "Klamath County shall issue the temporary use permits and site plan approvals without additional public process or public notification."

Why do we need to pay politicians to write our laws when Peoples Energy of Chicago will do it free? Oh yeah, the company also wants annual water level measurements rather than monthly, "to avoid confusion."

Peoples Energy is also telling the siting council to replace, "a site certificate amendment would be required, with notification to, and review by, council."

Believe it or not this next quote is a quote. "It is possible to increase the site boundary and size of the transmission line easement without requiring a site certificate amendment, an amendment is not necessarily required for all changes".

Lastly, why can't we write a law that says you can't do anything you want? Oh, that's right, we already have the laws. We just need to get rid of the politicians who are working for Peoples Energy and get some who will enforce the existing laws for us.