From: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany

Sent: Mon Jul 13 16:35:17 2015

To: 'Susan Hansen'

Cc: DECONCINI Nina; HAMMOND Joni

Subject: RE: Molalla and discharges into Bear Creek/ water in Bear Creek at old outfall site

Importance: Normal

Hello Susan

There are two actions DEQ is currently taking related to your request below. First, we are doing periodic unannounced inspections of the plant and the recycled water application and as part of that work, we photo document Bear Creek at the entrance to the city’s Wastewater treatment plant. Two such inspections have been conducted so far. Second, we will be reviewing the results of the lagoon leak testing that the city is required to do this summer as a permit requirement. The results of these two actions need to be assessed to determine what further action we would take.

At the next unannounced inspection, I will take the 2007 letter from the then plant operator to Lyle Christensen with me. I want to be able to connect the description in that letter to the physical structures at the plant.

What DEQ can control is the discharge of wastewater to Bear Creek. The actions described above are aimed at identifying and preventing discharge of wastewater.

You are always welcome to do a public records request for the inspection reports and lagoon testing results, once we receive those.

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, July 13, 2015 11:10 AM

To: YELTON-BRAM Tiffany

Cc: DECONCINI Nina; HAMMOND Joni

Subject: Molalla and discharges into Bear Creek/ water in Bear Creek at old outfall site

Dear Tiffany,

In summer/fall 2013 and 2014, Bear Creek Recovery and I have questioned why there is standing water in the outfall side of Bear Creek at the Molalla sewer plant in high summer/fall when Bear Creek is totally dry for miles upstream, including the upstream side of the bridge. We have sent numerous photos from the past two summers of flowing water in that outfall area when upstream Bear Creek is totally dry for miles. Not only is this 2007 report an example that Molalla clearly has ongoing alarm/pump/sewage spill problems, it clearly admits that there is a path for sewage from the plant to get into Bear Creek via the so called storm water pipe.

Given all the sewer plant problems, it is difficult to trust that this "storm water" pipe is only used for storm water - it certainly managed to convey sewage into Bear Creek in this 2007 spill.

My complaint is for DEQ to investigate/test that water that is in Bear Creek all summer in the dry season at the old outfall and conclusively learn why and how that water exists in the dry summer months when no storm water would be feeding Bear Creek.

Again, we had been told that there was no way sewage related water could get to the creek at that outfall, yet this report clearly admits there is a way sewage can get into the creek at the old outfall. I attached a couple of photos (you have many from both 2013 and 2014 from us) to show the conditions at the Bear Creek outfall and upstream.

Thanks for your work to protect our water resources.

Sincerely,

Susan Hansen

Bear Creek Recovery