By Rob Ollikainen Peninsula Daily News
Posted 7/2/2012
PORT ANGELES — Clallam County lawmakers today will finalize a response to the state Department of Ecology’s proposed water management rule for the Dungeness Valley. The county has raised some of the same criticisms that citizens aired in a well-attended public hearing Thursday night in Sequim, including an in-house economic study of the state-initiated rule. Commissioners will discuss the draft comment letter in a continued work session at 9:30 a.m. today before taking a vote in the 10 a.m. business meeting.
Dozens of citizens railed against the state-initiated rule that would set minimum in-stream flows, create a water exchange and require the owner of a new well to “mitigate” water use by buying credits. The rule affects the eastern half of Water Resource inventory Area 18 from Bagley Creek to Sequim Bay. Several speakers last week cited internal emails from Ecology economist Tryg Hoff, who said that the cost of implementing the rule would outweigh the benefits. Hoff asked to be removed from the assignment before the analysis was developed, Ecology spokeswoman Linda Kent said in a Monday email. Read More>>>http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120703/news/307039990/clallam-county-commissioners-draft-response-to-dungeness-water-rule