News, Resort’s Snow Won’t Be Pure This Year; It’ll Be Sewage. (Phoenix: ski resort)

[JD59]

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Klee Benally, a member of the Navajo tribe, has gone to the mountains just north of here to pray, and he has gone to get arrested. He has chained himself to excavators; he has faced down bulldozers. For 10 years, the soft-spoken activist has fought a ski resort’s expansion plans in the San Francisco Peaks that include clear-cutting 74 acres of forest and piping treated sewage effluent onto a mountain to make snow.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/us...r.html?_r=1&hp

[rational1]

As noted in the article, this has been an ongoing story and has had a recent court ruling.

While I am aware that of the religious/ cultural issue, the claim that treated water is dangerous may be considerably overblown. Sewage effluent is released into rivers all over the country and I believe is used to water golf courses and other grass-covered areas in Phoenix.

When I was recently up the trail to Mt. Humphries I saw some of the timber cutting. I do regard this as regrettable.

[CodyW]

Yes. This is a long debated topic, and I do think it is sad that things have had to come to this for Snowbowl to succeed.

After writing several research papers on the subject while at NAU, I believe there has been enough research behind the process that it shouldn't be detrimental to the region. However, it saddens me that the interest of tourism and business has been placed before the values and opinions of residents and tribe members.

That said, I hope this does the trick and allows Snowbowl to do well. It's a large draw for the region. Would be a shame for all this struggle and effort to go to waste and have Snowbowl fail.

[azdr0710]

where is the clear-cutting going on exactly/from-to?....did it mostly start only this year?....thanks

[GSXRScott]

Originally Posted by rational1

I saw some of the timber cutting. I do regard this as regrettable.

I agree but:

I would imagine they're going to cut along the path of the new pipeline unless they decided to truck the water up there. Plans should be on display at the City of Flagstaff building. There's tons of erosion control, stormwater and revegetation requirements that the winning contractor will have to abide by so hopefully the environmental impact of the line will be kept to a minimum.

People should keep in mind that this is not an oil pipeline. It will convey treated effluent water that, like rational1 said, is used on golf courses, injection wells, concrete mixing, dust control, the list goes on and on. Even if the pipe breaks or leaks, which will happen eventually, it will be leaking treated non-potable water not crude oil or radioactive waste.

Is his beef with the new line more spiritual? A full blow environmental impact statement that includes an archeological survey will also need to be done before the City approves the plans.

Plus, if the line runs through tribal lands then the tribe will have to grant an easement to the owner of the pipe, i.e. snowbowl. No way snowbowl can get around that one.

Does anyone know if the line is going to be trenched or above ground?