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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels October 27, 2004 Mt. A ski area sewage permit under review By Emily Morris Tidings Correspondent A public information meeting at 7 tonight in city council chambers will focus on a permit renewal for the Mt. Ashland Ski Area sewage treatment plant. Members of the Rogue Group Sierra Club will raise concerns because the new permit does not include minimum nitrate level requirements. The ski area uses a sequencing batch reactor for wastewater treatment that produces a much cleaner effluent than a common septic tank. In December of 2002, the Mt. Ashland Ski Area was issued a notice of noncompliance for exceeding the permit standard for total nitrogen output. Under the permit, the maximum level of nitrate was 10 mg/l. The ski area has continuously exceeded that requirement, but the level has been significantly reduced. According to data provided by the Sierra Club, the ski area's effluent nitrogen concentration was as high as 158 mg/l in 2000, but in April of last year was recorded at 21 mg/1. "The DEQ set a standard," said Tom Dimitre, Rogue Group Sierra Club Chairman. "If it wasn't important it wouldn't have been required." The water data was supposed to have been collected from six groundwater monitoring wells; the wells are useless because they were dug too shallow, said DEQ hydrogeologist Bill Mason. A deeper well, located downhill of the drain fields, is used for gathering data. The ski area will continue to monitor from that well, but there will be no nitrate limit. High levels of nitrate in drinking water can be hazardous to the health. The wastewater facility is within the municipal watershed, seven miles from Ashland. The Sierra Club wants the wells to be dug to standard depths and monitored for five years before the nitrate limit is lifted, Dimitre said. Ideally there would be more than the one monitoring well, but it is effective for monitoring the effluent, Mason said. "I advocate using the money to focus on the best treatments possible, rather than digging deeper wells," Mason said. "The system is treating far better than most. There is no current threat to the environment." "Obviously our intent is to comply" said Jeff Hanson, ski area general manager. "The short period of time we run the plant makes it a little difficult and it takes time to reduce the levels, but we are close to drinking water standard." Residents with questions are invited to attend the public information meeting. Those who wish to comment on the proposal will be allowed to do so at a Nov. 3 public hearing at 7 p.m. in council chambers. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams