Admin

On Wednesday, October 10, 2012, representatives from the City of Roseville presented their proposed Liquid Management System to residents of the WestPark – Fiddyment Farm Neighborhood Association (WFFNA). Presenting from Roseville Electric was Power Plant Manager Matt Garner and Geologist Saeed Ilani of Ilani Engineering. Also present were Sonny Person, Asst. Electric Utility Director; Derrick Whitehead, Environmental Utilities Director; and Vonette McCauley, Public Relations Manager. The presentation, also available online by the City of Roseville, explained the proposed project to dispose waste water (containing minerals from the cooling process) from the Power Plant by injecting it below ground. The amount of waste water is 13,500 gallons per hour at 12 hour peaks; the plant runs 40% of time at capacity. The project would replace the current expensive disposal process with the much cheaper injection process, saving as much as $1.8 million annually. The presenters showed slides demonstrating how two injection wells, to be located next to the Power Plant in the West Roseville Specific Plan area, would force the waste water three layers below ground. They stated the process was safe and would not cause any contamination to the Aquifer system which is our back-up drinking water supply. They also stressed the safeguards required by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the California Energy Commission for operation and maintenance of the system. After the slide presentation, residents asked questions which expressed some of the same concerns previously submitted by WFFNA President Sue Hallahan-Cook at the City Council presentation July 18, 2012. Questions asked included the following: Long range effects: Loren Cook expressed his concern over the long range dumping—how millions of gallons of contaminated water and minerals could just endlessly be dumped below the surface, comparing it to a balloon filling—sometime it would reach a maximum capacity. Mr. Ilani indicated that the salt water area three levels below ground is so vast that it would absorb everything with no problem. Fracking: Sue Hallahan-Cook expressed concerns over the injection process known as “fracking” and numerous claims of related earthquakes experienced even after the reported process had been stopped and referred to websites encouraging to ban ‘fracking’ in California. Mr. Ilani responded that while the common use of hydraulic fracturing used mainly for the release and extraction of oil and gas is dangerous, this system would supposedly be at a lower pressure which should not harm the local area. He also responded that the closest fault line is 14 miles away and should not be a problem. Safety Measures: Other concerns were asked about the safety of the injection wells themselves and what safety measures would detect leaks into the Aquifer. Mr. Garner explained that there would be a 24/7 monitoring system on the wells themselves, and continued testing at the injection site to assure proper working of the system. He also explained there would be full inspections and testing of the system integrity every 5 years. Alternatives: In response to a question about other alternatives that were considered, Mr. Garner said about 12 other water disposal plans had been explored and determined not as good as the injection disposal plan. At the conclusion of the presentation, While the presentation was very well done, some residents present still expressed concerns over the project and felt the City might be selecting the cheapest option available, but not necessarily the most environmentally safer option. Some of these concerns were previously expressed by Sue Cook at the City Council presentation on July 18, 2012. The City of Roseville has promised extensive public outreach as the project goes forward. The WFFNA Board encourages you to follow the proposed project, especially since this is right where you live. We have provided a few websites for your review here, but please let us know of any others which help express your thoughts or concerns with your responses to us. Roseville City Agenda of July 18, 2012, Resolution 9.1 Roseville Energy Park Liquid Management system City of Roseville, Liquid Management System Project Information –Q&As Press Tribune: Roseville electric pursues new option for addressing wastewater Aug. 10, 2012 Hydraulic fracturing – Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia....ulic_fracturing Yahoo! News – Unusual Dallas Earthquakes linked to fracking, expert says 2012 Food&waterwatch – Ban Fracking in California June 2012 www.foodandwaterwatch.org/factsheet/ban-fracking-in-california We would like to know if you have any concerns over this project and whether you would like the Board to continue to follow this topic on your behalf and notify you of future meetings. After researching further, please send your thoughts and/or any concerns to Admin@WFFNA.org.