From: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany
Sent: Thu May 19 12:45:56 2016
To: 'Susan Hansen'
Cc: DECONCINI Nina; HAMMOND Joni
Subject: RE: Letter to Molalla mayor and council members
Importance: Normal
Dear Susan,
In the letter to the city about the bypass DEQ just sent, we acknowledged that there are two views of the bypass event: the immediate facts of the storm event in December and the history of the past 5 years or so with the city and DEQ. Your point relates to the recent history and DEQ acknowledges this in the letter-
DEQ cannot conclusively say that past action would have prevented the December 2015 bypass, but it
is reasonable to state that, in general, past inaction did not help the city maintain its infrastructure
and maximize lagoon holding capacity. (page 2, second paragraph, last sentence)(emphasis added)
In the past few years, the city had to update Biosolids and Recycled Water plans as well as plan and undertake repair of infiltration and inflow in the collection system. This work continues and DEQ expects that the city will continue towards a state of more efficient management of the collection system and lagoon storage capacity.
Tiffany Yelton Bram
WQ Source Control Manager
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
700 NE Multnomah St., Suite #600
Portland OR 97232
Desk 503 229 5219
Mobile 503 975 0046
From: Susan Hansen [mailto:foxglovefarm@inbox.com]
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 10:24 AM
To: DECONCINI Nina; HAMMOND Joni; YELTON-BRAM Tiffany
Subject: FW: Letter to Molalla mayor and council members
Dear Nina, Tiffany and Joni,
While BCR and I are happy to see the violation letters with the suggestion that Molalla enter into a MAO, I have expressed two concerns to Nina and Tiffany.
First, the violation letter listed past violations but failed to list the Feb. 2016 violations. Tiffany said she would amend the letter to reflect those violations and that she will forward a copy of the amended violation letter. Thanks in advance for that!
Second, to claim that the overflow event of Dec 2015 could not be reasonably have been predicted was, I believe, not true. Tiffany attended a meeting in Molalla on Feb. 20, 2013 (see attached flyer) regarding Molalla's biosolids problem. At that meeting in early 2013, then Public Works Director Howett noted in public in front of Tiffany and city officials that Molalla had a dire problem with biosolids choking the lagoons. Mr. Howett stated that because of money problems Molalla could only consider sites close to the city for biosolids removal and that if such removal didn't happen he predicted that the lagoons would overflow - just as happened in Dec. 2016. So again, I believe it was not true for DEQ to state that this could not have been forseen or prevented. I hope in the future DEQ is more honest in its evaluation. At this stage of the problems we see, I don't believe it is helpful to solving the problems to make what seems to me a false excuse for that event. If adequate biosolids had been removed in a timely manner over the last several years there would have been capacity in the lagoons to hold at least some of what became days of polluted overflow into Bear Creek.
I hope in the future DEQ is more careful when it evaluates the circumstances and reasons for events like the Dec. 2015 polluted water discharge into Bear Creek.
I support your work to bring Molalla into full compliance but that can only happen with honest appraisal of circumstances.
Sincerely,
Susan Hansen
Bear Creek Recovery
-----Original Message-----
From: deconcini.nina@deq.state.or.us
Sent: Mon, 16 May 2016 15:53:42 +0000
To: meador.minnette@deq.state.or.us
Subject: Letter to Molalla mayor and council members
Mimi,
Here is Susan Hansen’s email address for the letter she and I just discussed. Could you please forward it to her electronically?
Thanks!
Nina
Nina DeConcini
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
NW Region Division Administrator
700 NE Multnomah Street, Suite 600
Portland, OR 97232
Office: 503.229.6271
Mobile: 503.804.0840
Fax: 503.229.6924