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Ashland spraying plan debated Water display receives mixed reviews By WENDY SIPOREN ASHLAND -- A press conference designed to sway public opinion on the safety of the city's plans for sewage treatment had a less than calming effect on two City Council members with reservations about the plan. Mayor Cathy Shaw and Councilman David Fine orchestrated Thursday's event to present the facts behind their support for the city's plan to spray treated effluent on a hillside across Interstate 5 from the sewage treatment plant. Shaw said the special event was needed to present in-depth information on the complicated subject that couldn't be done at a normal council meeting. Jars of water comparing the clarity of Ashland tap water and treated effluent to several Ashland-area creeks and Emigrant Lake were lined up in front of color charts showing fecal coliform levels and the popularity of projects in California and 38 other states. "We've already spent $13 million ... but I would throw it out if (the plan) were bad for health," Fine said. "The fact is that this water is cleaner than the (Talent Irrigation District) water used by neighbors to irrigate their land." Fine then drove home his point about the cost-effectiveness of this plan by emptying a briefcase packed with 5,000 $1 bills onto a table. If the city chose to abandon the spray plan and pipe the effluent to Medford, it could cost each Ashland household $5,000 more over the lifetime of the system, he said. But council members Don Laws and Susan Reid -- who only learned about the official city event Wednesday afternoon from a reporter -- were not persuaded. "I really think that trying to sway public opinion with theatrical tricks ... to treat our citizens and other council members in that way is really disrespectful," said Reid. Laws, who attended the event as an audience member, had similar concerns. "I don't like how it's one-sided," he said. "There are still members of the council that have reservations ... it's presented like it's the official city position. "I certainly can't do anything as dramatic," he said. "Obviously the city doesn't want to do anything that undermines someone's health just to save money." Laws is reserving support for the plan until the Oregon Health Division can agree on a way to assure the safety of persons downwind from the site. "I am quite satisfied that the water is safe within the irrigation area," he said. "People have a choice about drinking water from Bear Creek or TID, but they do not have a choice about breathing the aerosolized water from the city's spray irrigation." The city is attempting to comply with Department of Environmental Quality standards which bar it from releasing its treated effluent into Bear Creek from May 1 to Nov. 1 because the water exceeds phosphorus limits. The 1995 decision to use the effluent on crops began to draw criticism from neighbors last year because of their fear of airborne pathogens. Public Works Director Paula Brown said the city doesn't plan on spraying the effluent on windy days and suggested it could be done at night when there may be less wind. She also said the city could set up sites to see whether the effluent is becoming airborne. The city is waiting for final approval from the DEQ before proceeding, which Brown expects to come in February or March. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA