11/28/2023 For Immediate Release Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310 Fort Collins, CO: Yesterday, Save The Poudre was informed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has "invited" the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) to apply for a massive loan of U.S. taxpayer money to try and bail out the $2.25 billion NISP boondoggle (see page 4 on the EPA's website here). NISP -- the massive proposed Poudre River dam project which has limped along for 20 years in permitting and in court -- was originally proposed to cost $140 million in 2004, and now is proposed to cost $2.25 billion (see our previous press release here about the cost of NISP). Two years ago, NISP sent a "letter of interest" to the EPA, asking for a $484 million loan from the U.S. taxpayer through the EPA's "Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act" (WIFIA) program to bailout the project. After NISP sent its letter of interest, Save The Poudre sent lengthy comments to the EPA about how the project should not receive a taxpayer loan (our comment letter to EPA is posted here). The EPA completely ignored Save The Poudre's comments and has now invited NISP to apply for a loan. "As our comments made clear, the EPA should be investigating NISP for the criminal violation of lying in its letter of interest, not asking NISP to apply for a loan," said Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre. "NISP purposely used 'falsification and misrepresentation' in its letter about the environmental impacts of NISP which is a criminal violation." In addition to ignoring Save The Poudre's comments, the EPA has also ignored the City of Fort Collins. As our 12/4/2021 press release points out, the City of Fort Collins has grave concerns about the impact of NISP on the Poudre River's water quality and the City's Natural Areas. To this day, the Fort Collins City Council has voted to be 100% opposed to NISP. "If the Biden Administration moves this loan forward, they will have effectively turned the EPA into the 'Environmental Destruction Agency,'" said Wockner. "NISP is lying to the federal government to try and get taxpayer money to bailout a massive river-destruction scheme which violates every ethical standard of the WIFIA program and what the EPA should be doing." This press release is posed here. ***end***
PRESS RELEASE: Citizen Groups Say Commissioners Donnelly and Johnson Must Recuse From NISP Vote
August 14, 2020
For Immediate Release
Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310
Citizen Groups Say Larimer County Commissioners Donnelly and Johnson Must Recuse From NISP Vote
Fort Collins, CO: Today, citizens groups including Save The Poudre, No Pipe Dream, and Save Rural NoCo informed the Larimer County Commissioners that Commissioners Donnelly and Johnson must recuse themselves from the hearings for the 1041 permit for the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP). The hearings are set to commence on August 17th.
The 1041 permit process is “quasi-judicial” and as such both the Larimer County land use code and the Colorado constitution prohibit sitting commissioners from taking a position on NISP prior to the hearings because they have to “judge” the permit application from an unbiased viewpoint. Both Donnelly and Johnson have supported NISP in public statements, attended NISP rallies, and endorsed the project for at least a decade.
The citizens groups filed a “petition” with the commissioners that included a letter, a formal listing of the legal background including a lawsuit filed in Larimer County district court, and 26 exhibits where Commissioners Donnelly and Johnson made statements supporting NISP. One exhibit includes a post from Commissioner Donnelly’s facebook page where he’s speaking at a NISP rally and commenting in support of NISP (left).
“Both the Larimer County land use code and the Colorado constitution require that county commissioners not have taken a position prior to a hearing and quasi-judicial 1041 permit,” said Gary Wockner, director of Save The Poudre. “Both Commissioners Donnelly and Johnson have public supported, and been listed as endorsers for, NISP for at least a decade, and therefore are biased. As such, they must recuse themselves from the hearings.”
The citizen groups argue that when the hearings commence on August 17th at 6:30pm, the first order of business will be to address the petition that requires the recusal of both Donnelly and Johnson. The groups also argue that the County should delay the hearing process until after the 2020 election when two new commissioners on the 3-member board are seated replacing both Donnelly and Johnson who are term-limited.
This press release is posted here.
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