City ready to provide water for TVRR plant
Saturday, March 17, 2007 11:46 PM PDT
Larry Meyer Argus Observer
ONTARIO
One of the issues spinning around the proposal by Treasure Valley Renewable Resources to build a bio-refinery is the use of water at the plant — specifically how much will be used and where it will come from.
As it turns out, a lot of the water for the proposed facility will come from Ontario.
According to information provided by TVRR, its proposed plant will require approximately 500 gallons per minute, with the largest portion of water projected to be used in the wheat and barley portion of the plant and the cooling tower. The cooling tower, according to information from TVRR, will require nearly 200 gallons of water per minute.
In the exceptions statement issued for the zoning hearings, TVRR asserted domestic water is available and will be extended from Ontario to the site.
According to the statement, “A water main will be in the form a 6-inch main to provide adequate amount of water for its facility and its employees.”
In a letter to John Hamilton, TVRR manager, Ontario City Manager Scott Trainor stated, The City of Ontario’s water treatment plant has the immediate ability to provide 500 gpm of water flow to the company’s proposed bio-refinery from September through June. During the 10 month period, the water flow to the plant would not be affected by the water supply to the city.
Because of the capacity issues and summer water use, providing water during July and August would be more difficult, Trainor said. However, he noted the city is planning an upgrade to its water treatment facility, which would increase the facility’s capacity significantly. The upgrade will allow the city to provide the 500 gpm year round by the first part of 2005, Trainor said.
“The city currently has more than adequate water rights to handle your facility’s needs,” Trainor stated in the letter.
In its proposal, TVRR said a well may be required for backup and augmentation. During the zoning hearings, Hamilton said the company would be responsible for the extension of the water line as other developers are.
Trainor confirmed Tuesday the city could supply water for the proposed plant but also said it will be up to TVRR to find a way to link up with Ontario’s existing water system.
“The pipes are not in the ground out there. They (TVRR) are going to have to provide the pipes and the connection. We’re here to provide water, they’re there to provide the straw to get it to them,” Trainor said.
Trainor said the water treatment facility upgrade had nothing to do with TVRR’s current venture. The water facility upgrade plan had been in the works for sometime, he said.
“The water master plan was adopted in 2002. There was quite a process before that. The water plan does not address TVRR at all. It was done regardless of TVRR. TVRR just happens to be the latest industrial venture,” Trainor said.
Also, a TVRR consultant, Merrick and Company, said the bio-refinery will have an estimated 153 gpm of water from recycled sources, including the ethanol plant evaporator, cooling tower and boiler.
Addressing land use, Jon Jinings, regional representative of the Department of Land Conservation and Development, said that while the statewide planning goal 11 (public facilities and services) prohibits the extension of a sewer system outside an urban growth boundary, the same prohibition does not extend to water systems.
The second two hearings on the proposed zoning changes for the site of the proposed bio-refinery will be conducted by the Malheur County Court tonight at 7 p.m. at the Four Rivers Cultural Center.
