Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Kittitas County Exempt Well Petition

The Department of Ecology has a webpage concerning the pending petition to place a moratorium on exempt water wells in Kittitas County. Included are links to the Petition itself and a letter supporting the Petition from the Center for Environmental Law and Policy.

Of particular note are the following observations from the Department itself:

"Even before receiving the petition, Ecology has cautioned county officials about the large number of wells being drilled and the rate at which new subdivisions are being approved in Kittitas County that rely on the exempt well provision. 'I am concerned that the current pattern of subdivision approvals and drilling exempt wells is not sustainable,' said Ecology director Jay Manning. 'However, I have made no decision on how to proceed and very much want to hear from Kittitas County residents before any decision is made.'"