July 12th I read an article in the Dispatch announcing the Health Department's latest bow to LRI. This time it started with the discovery of a flood under cell 1 of the landfill in the Leak Detection Collection System (LDCS). LRI designed this system, a gravel bed and a pump, to capture the water that seeps up from our aquifer, mixed with any landfill pollutants that leak down through the liner from the garbage. The theory is that this water and leachate is then pumped out from under the dump before it reaches our drinking water. This is apparently a plan with a few holes in it (just like a plastic landfill liner).

It was discovered in a routine inspection by the Health Department about the first of the year 2000, that this LDCS was not functioning as designed. To be blunt, it was being inundated with water—a flood of sorts. The inspection report, which was filed with no action until discovered by CROWD in a routine search of the Health Department Files, said that about 5,000 gallons of water per day was being pumped from the LDCS. Two days after being confronted with this report and asked what was going to be done, the Health Department wrote a letter to LRI asking them to submit a report on the problem by mid April.

LRI's report, which included the daily pumping record for the LDCS under cell 1, revealed that 5,000 gallons per day was a very low figure. In fact LRI was pumping an average of nearly 10,000 per day from the LDCS under cell 1 of the dump. On one day they pumped out a record 14,000 gallons! To put all this water in prospective, LRI's predicted pumping from ALL EIGHT CELLS, was under 4,000 gallons per day. This is no small discrepancy. This is a FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM!

And, while we are looking at all this water, here is an important question – Where is it coming from??? If this water is coming up from the aquifer via the upward gradient that LRI is so proud of, than LRI is in violation of state water rights laws. All our water companies, other businesses, and even you are required to get a water rights permit if you draw more than 5,000 gallons per day from the aquifer. Much to the dismay of many of our small water companies who are trying to meet the demands of increased population growth, the state has not been issuing water rights permits for some time now.

But, if you believe LRI, they say we are not to worry. This is just a little "lateral inflow" and they will "fix it". What a relief to the Health Department. LRI has a "solution" to the problem. They are going to dig cell 2 deeper! Humm…Doesn't water flow down hill? Well then, that should do it. Maybe no one will check to see how much LRI pumps out from under cell 2.

And while we looking at the Health Department's relationship with LRI, what is this business about our Health Department entering into a Joint Defense Agreement with LRI against the citizens' lawsuit? Who is this Health Department working for? But this joint defense agreement is a long story and we will have to save it for another day. I will just leave you to ponder the Health Department's mission statement: "To safeguard and enhance the health of the communities of Pierce County."