Klamath Basin Water power plant risk to water air 120506

Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
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http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2006/12/04/viewpoints/letters/letters.txt
Power plant risk to water, air
Herald and News letter to the editor 12/4/06, by Nancy Roeder

I'm writing my opinion concerning Cob generating plant that Peoples Energy from Chicago wanted to build.

The company bought farmland near Bonanza with the 1,500-foot Babson well. Additional wells will be necessary for the project.

This pumping could damage the aquifer, or even the groundwater, when a very dry year occurs.

Farmers need every drop of water in a dry year when their water could be shut off.

Emissions coming from the proposed smoke stack will create a health hazard for the very young (school children) and the very old.

The smoke stack may be two miles from Bonanza Schools.

The Japanese should mitigate to build a new school seven miles in a different area.

Why sell the plant's permit to Japan (J. American Company) to pave the way to build this project?

This project will allow power to be shipped to California on Bonneville Power Administration transmission lines to create 10 new jobs. There's an electrical power glut at present.

Why did the Oregon Legislature pass the enterprise zone for plant, which includes a 20-year tax break so the plant's owners don't pay their fair share of taxes? How do you like that, taxpayers?

It is a secret how much the Japanese will pay for the permit, Adam Bless of the Department of Energy told me over the phone Nov. 29.

It is my opinion, this is a travesty and the people promoting this project will have it on their bureaucratic or political records.

Nancy Slusher Roeder

Klamath Falls