Aquifer protection input sought

COEUR d'ALENE - Opinions, ideas and arguments regarding aquifer protection and maintenance are encouraged at a public hearing on June 10.

Kootenai County Aquifer Protection District's Policy and Budget Committee is seeking public input that night on its 2016 fiscal year budget proposal.

The hearing is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. at the Kootenai County administration building.

"The aquifer is a vital resource that each one of us benefits from every day," said Policy and Budget Committee vice chair Leslie Duncan. "This hearing is part of our ongoing efforts to communicate with the public about the importance of maintaining our aquifer while avoiding expensive cleanup costs."

The district funds programs related to aquifer protection.

Last year, for example, the district introduced a marketing program reminding citizens not to dump hazardous materials down stormwater drains or into grassy swales or drywells.

The committee also annually recommends funding for the aquifer well-sampling program, educational forums and publication of an "aquifer atlas."

The budget is anticipated to be $400,000 to $500,000, with roughly three-quarters of that money going to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and Panhandle Health District for aquifer protection work. The money also pays for public education in schools and at businesses.

Citizens can learn more about what the DEQ and the health district are doing with the money, and what educational materials schools are receiving.

The county - through the Aquifer Protection District - is authorized to charge as much as $12 annually per dwelling unit over the aquifer. The current charge is $7 annually, but that amount could change.

BNSF Railway pays $100,000 into the budget because of its operation of the refueling depot on the Rathdrum Prairie.

The county is on track to approve the final budget in August. For more info about the June 10 hearing: (208) 446-1602.