Days after the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors sent a letter to the Department of Environmental Quality to denounce the city’s modified community water supply plan, former county supervisor David Slutzky published a similar sentiment.
In an opinion piece in today’s Daily Progress, Slutzky—former director of the Environmental Protective Agency’s Urban Initiative—said the city’s modified water supply plan will not provide sufficient water to sustain the community during drought conditions, nor will it offer enough downstream flow to protect endangered mussels such as the James River spiny. Threats to the mussel would violate the Endangered Species Act, said Slutzky, and make any such plan a no-go.
"What I find most frustrating about the current dialogue between the City Council and the Board of Supervisors is that given the facts, we know that the alternative will never happen," wrote Slutzky.
In a December 8 letter to DEQ officials, county supervisor Ann Mallek wrote that county officials appreciate the DEQ’s involvement in the debate over the community water supply plan, but do not wish to participate in a joint meeting with DEQ and city officials. A joint meeting would suggest "there is room for compromise of the approved and permitted water supply plan," said Mallek. "There is none."
"We support no compromise of the approved and permitted water supply plan in the belief that to do so, would compromise the County’s future," wrote Mallek, who added that an earthen dam should be constructed to its full 42′ height. "This we cannot do."
While any opportunity to peer into the future of the water supply debate is a welcome one, the agenda for this week’s Albemarle County Service Authority meeting stays relatively mum regarding updates on the Ragged Mountain earthen dam design and ongoing water supply talks.
