From: Susan Hansen
Sent: Mon Mar 12 17:02:23 2018
To: Susan Hansen; YELTON-BRAM Tiffany
Cc: rdavis@oregonian.com; DECONCINI Nina; MINER Jason * GOV; raihana.ansary@oregon.gov
Subject: RE: FW: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Importance: Normal
Tiffany,
In your email regarding Molalla's leaking lagoons, you imply the lagoons are in some way lined. Please explain how they are lined since Richwine notes this:
"6.2.5 Facultative Lagoons
The facultative lagoons are an excellent asset for wastewater storage and treatment.
However, it is likely the lagoons may need to be lined which is a significant expense."
If they are lined, why is Richwine noting a "significant expense" for lining? What is the current state of the supposed "lining" of the Molalla lagoons and if they are lined, why are they leaking 170,000+ gallons a day? What kind of lining is supposedly in place in those giant leaking lagoons?
Susan Hansen
Bear Creek Recovery
> -----Original Message-----
> From: foxglovefarm@inbox.com
> Sent: Mon, 12 Mar 2018 15:48:09 -0800
> To: tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us
> Subject: RE: FW: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>
> Tiffany,
>
> Please note that you have an outstanding Bear Creek Recovery PRR waiting
> to be filled that includes the recent meeting regarding the long awaited
> MAO. We are very interested in the progress or lack there of on an MAO.
>
> Before the funding questions, we are not clear about the lagoon issues.
> DEQ wrote not one but TWO letters indicating the lagoons were leaking
> enough to warrant test wells. Now you have backed off and made the excuse
> that it is not quite bad enough, even though the DEQ analysis of last
> summer's lagoon leak test was said to be flawed but good enough to come
> up with the very high leakage rate. It's pretty clear to those watching
> this that DEQ has caved - why not require a CONCLUSIVE lagoon leak test,
> then we would know exactly how much the lagoons are leaking?
>
> You had Raihana Ansary listed as a person who was supposed to attend that
> past meeting with Director Whitman and Molalla -she was clearly listed on
> that agenda as addressing funding issues and ended up not attending. It
> was the meeting where Rep. Lewis attended and claimed to be able to help
> find money at EPA. Ms. Ansary has NOT been responsive, nor has anyone in
> her agency.
>
> What is the current progress, if any, toward finding the tens of millions
> of dollars needed to fix Molalla's waste water problems? What
> agencies/funding sources are being contacted and considered to date? If
> public money at low rates is not available, what kind of private
> bonds/loans could Molalla get? What funding sources might be subject to
> rejection by local Molalla voters - they are currently going to vote on
> the $11/month road fee the City Council and manager tried to impose
> without a vote? In other words, what kind of loans/bonds could be
> successfully rejected by voters if they did not like the rates they would
> face?
>
> What kind of "credit worthyness" does a city have to show to be loaned
> money from the revolving or other public fund? What kind of utility rates
> must be in place first - do they have to show rates high enough to pay
> back a loan BEFORE the loan can be granted? What kind of debt currently
> carried can be folded into new loans or bonds or would a city have to
> continue to pay past loans (including the current outstanding revolving
> fund I believe Molalla is paying back) along with any new loan?
>
> If a city is in a lawsuit regarding being in contempt of court how would
> that affect any potential loans? Would it affect state revolving funds
> being loaned? What about a court order - how would that affect the
> ability to get a loan of any type, public or private money? In other
> words, how does being entangled in any legal actions connected to
> wastewater enforcement of failure to comply with legal agreements
> regarding wastewater affect the ability to get a loan?
>
> Has Rep. Rick Lewis come up with any potential money sources for Molalla
> from EPA or other sources? What kind of EPA money is available? The EPA
> site I explored appeared to be very competitive regarding EPA money, esp.
> giving favor to plans with the highest cost to benefit ratio.
>
> I note that this year 2018 does NOT show Molalla is on the distressed
> city list. And it is rapidly approaching 10,000 residents. What loan
> category would the revolving funds or EPA put Molalla in, since I see
> there are lower rates for distressed cities and lower rates for cities
> under 10,000? By the time Molalla applies it will most likely be over
> 10,000 people - who decides and how is it decided what the actual
> population is?
>
> As to Lee Ann, she was asked general questions - it is pretty clear if
> anything is going to improve here, a lot of money will be needed in the
> near future. I understand in the past Molalla had to go for higher
> interest private loan or loans. How long given the current state of the
> "plans" and the supposed MAO will it be till Molalla could actually apply
> for loans/bonds and then how long would it take to actually have
> decisions and money ready to go?
>
> Again, given the "regional solutions" staff it is pretty sad that Ms.
> Ansary failed to pick up on my ask to have a conversation. Why do we need
> "regional solutions" if DEQ is going to be the loan agency? Why was she
> invited to that meeting with Whitman if DEQ will be the source of funds?
>
> I am quite certain any answers will lead to more questions.
>
> Susan Hansen
> Bear Creek Recovery
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us
>> Sent: Mon, 12 Mar 2018 22:29:03 +0000
>> To: foxglovefarm@inbox.com
>> Subject: FW: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>
>> Hello Susan
>> Sounds like you did have a conversation with Lee Ann Lawrence late last
>> year. Please let me know what outstanding questions about the Clean
>> Water State Revolving Fund you have and we will get them answered.
>> Tiffany
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: LAWRENCE Lee Ann
>> Sent: Monday, March 12, 2018 9:22 AM
>> To: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany <YELTON-Bram.Tiffany@deq.state.or.us>
>> Cc: YAP Anita <YAP.Anita@deq.state.or.us>
>> Subject: RE: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>
>> Hi Tiffany,
>>
>> Susan or someone from Bear Creek Recovery called me about four months
>> ago
>> on November 16, 2017. I spoke with her on the phone for about 10
>> minutes.
>> She asked about the Intended Use Plan and what "we were doing about
>> Molalla." She expressed concern about how their city council is handling
>> their water quality issues. She also wanted to know if Molalla was
>> considered a distressed community and would be eligible for principal
>> forgiveness.
>>
>> I explained how the loan program worked, who can apply and how. I also
>> explained that we are not an enforcement program. I also emailed her a
>> link to the distressed community index.
>>
>> She asked if Molalla had ever had a loan with us and I confirmed that
>> they had one loan with us in the past. She wanted more details and I
>> told
>> her she could fill out a public records request.
>>
>> She seemed content with our conversation when I got off the phone with
>> her. I haven't heard anything else from her.
>>
>> Lee Ann Lawrence
>> Program Coordinator
>> Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>> Water Quality Operations Division
>> Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
>> 700 NE Multnomah Street, Suite #600
>> Portland, OR 97232
>> (503) 229-5622
>> Lawrence.LeeAnn@deq.state.or.us
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany
>> Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2018 4:39 PM
>> To: YAP Anita <YAP.Anita@deq.state.or.us>; LAWRENCE Lee Ann
>> <LAWRENCE.LeeAnn@deq.state.or.us>
>> Subject: FW: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>
>> Hi Anita and Lee Ann
>> Have either of you received a call or email from Susan Hansen? She is a
>> resident of the area near Molalla and represents a group called Bear
>> Creek Recovery. Please call me to follow up.
>> Thanks
>> Tiffany
>> X5219
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany
>> Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2018 4:37 PM
>> To: 'Susan Hansen' <foxglovefarm@inbox.com>; YELTON-BRAM Tiffany
>> <tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us>
>> Cc: rdavis@oregonian.com; AUNAN Lauri * GOV <Lauri.AUNAN@state.or.us>;
>> DECONCINI Nina <nina.deconcini@state.or.us>; Richard Whitman
>> <richard.whitman@state.or.us>; jason.miner@oregon.gov;
>> grandinetti.robert@epa.gov; 'lauri.aunan@oregon.gov'
>> <lauri.aunan@oregon.gov>
>> Subject: RE: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>
>> Susan,
>> I manage Evan Haas, the Project Officer for the Clean Water State
>> Revolving Fund for the NW region of DEQ (Clackamas, Multnomah,
>> Washington, Columbia, Clatsop and Tillamook counties). If a public
>> entity in the the NW region of our state is interested in a CWSRF loan,
>> they work with Evan.
>>
>> I tried to track down who your communication about CWSRF landed with--I
>> know it was not Evan. But if you have question about CWSRF, we can help
>> with those. I am sorry if you left messages from someone else in the
>> program and did not hear back. Please let us know what your questions
>> are and we will follow up.
>>
>> Tiffany Yelton Bram
>> WQ Source Control Manager
>> Northwest Regional Office
>> Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
>> 700 NE Multnomah St., Suite #600
>> Portland OR 97232
>>
>> Desk 503 229 5219
>> Mobile 503 975 0046
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Susan Hansen <foxglovefarm@inbox.com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2018 9:21 PM
>> To: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany <tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us>
>> Cc: rdavis@oregonian.com; AUNAN Lauri * GOV <Lauri.AUNAN@state.or.us>;
>> DECONCINI Nina <nina.deconcini@state.or.us>; Richard Whitman
>> <richard.whitman@state.or.us>; jason.miner@oregon.gov;
>> grandinetti.robert@epa.gov
>> Subject: RE: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>
>> Hi Tiffany,
>>
>> I have asked repeatedly - most recently to Ms. Aunan - that a
>> representative from the State Revolving Fund contact me directly. I do
>> not imagine you run that program so I wish to have any person who is
>> working on or has been asked to work on Molalla's funding issues at the
>> State Revolving Fund to contact me directly. I am shocked at how long
>> this request has been ignored.
>>
>> We are still waiting for you to answer the DEQ related questions about
>> the Molalla MAO and 170,000+ a day leaking lagoons as well as the most
>> recent 3/2/2018 BCR public info request.
>>
>> Susan Hansen
>> Bear Creek Recovery
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: tiffany.yelton-bram@state.or.us
>>> Sent: Thu, 8 Mar 2018 03:47:46 +0000
>>> To: foxglovefarm@inbox.com
>>> Subject: Questions about the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
>>>
>>> Hello Susan
>>> I heard indirectly that you contacted DEQ about the Clean Water State
>>> Revolving Fund, did not get a response and then contacted the
>>> Governor's Office. Can I be of help in answering your questions?
>>> Tiffany
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
>>
>>