1.4.2012 The Oregonian; Opinion. An opportunity to buy time: City need not waste $137 million on new reservoirs
8.27.2011 KGW TV; Laural Porter. Debate: Capping Portland's Reservoirs
8.26.2011 OPB - Think Out Loud. Interview with Senator Merkley (advance audio to 18:35-21:00)
8.25.2011 Request from Portland Businesses, Conservationists and Neighborhoods to Senator Merkley: Join Senator Schumer to Reform LT2 Rule
8.25.2011 Oregon Public Broadcasting; Rob Manning. Reservoir Debate Rolls On (audio available at site)
8.23.2011 KATU. City May Get Out of Paying for Reservoir Covers
8.23.2011 5:41 pm The Oregonian Editorial Board. Thank you, New York City
8.23.2011 4:56 pm The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. Portland asks for 'indefinite suspension' on water-regulations timeline
8.23.2011 Portland Water Bureau's David Shaff letter to OHA Drinking Water Program's David Leland
8.23.2011 Portland Business Journal. Portland Seeks Reservoir Cover Exemption
8.23.2011 Commissioner Amanda Fritz Statement: Portland should seek relief on EPA Drinking Water mandates
8.22.2011 Letter from Commissioner Leonard to Senator Merkley
8.22.2011 750 KXL Radio. Feds May Relax Open Reservoir Rules
8.22.2011 Oregon Public Broadcasting; Rob Manning. Portland Watches With Interest As NY Reservoir Reviewed
8.22.2011 The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. Oregon Leaders Question If Feds Will Back Off Requirement for $145 Million Reservoir Upgrades
8.22.2011 The Mercury; Sarah Mirk. New York Might Have Just Saved Portland $500 Million
8.21.2011 Jack Bog's Blog; Jack Bogdanski. EPA caves: New York City may not have to cover reservoirs
8.21.2011 The Oregonian; Steve Duin. Did Chuck Schumer Just save the City of Portland $400 Million?
8.21.2011 NY Daily News; Jonathan Lemire. Federal government may scrap much-derided $1.6 billion reservoir cap
8.19.2011 Letter from EPA's Lisa Jackson to Senator Schumer
8.18.2011 Request from Portland Businesses, Conservationists and Neighborhoods to Senator Wyden: Join Senator Schumer to Reform LT2 Rule
7.20.2011 Letter from Senator Schumer to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson
7.20.2011 The Oregonian; Beth Slovic. How Independent Would Independent Utility Commission Be?
7.14.2011 PM The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. Portland Mayor Quickly Rejects Request to Oust Randy Leonard from Overseeing Water Bureau
7.14.2011 KOIN News Leonard Will Keep Portland Water Bureau
7.14.2011 KGW News. Group Wants Leonard Removed as Water Commissioner
7.14.2011 KATU Group Wants Water Bureau Leader's Head: Mayor Responds
7.14.2011 Portland Tribune; Jim Redden Coalition demands: Take water bureau away from Leonard
7.14.2011 AM The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. Despite Request to Change Water Bureau leadership,
7.14.2011 Advocates Press Release: New Revelations of Out-of-Control Spending Lead to Request that Mayor Adams Remove Water Bureau from Commissioner Randy Leonard
7.13.2011 The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt.Water Bureau employee also built Dev. Services database..
7.12.2011 The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. The Bureau that Runneth Over
6.8.2011 The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. Rep. Ben Cannon Asks State to Remedy Conflict in Rules for Covered Reservoirs
6.7.2011 Jack's Blog; Jack Bogdanski. Portland Already Buying Equipment for "New Treatment Plant"
6.6.2011 Jack's Blog; Jack Bogdanski. Do The Right Thing, Salem
6.7.2011 AP. Portland Seeking Variance form Water Regulations, Says It Doesn't Need Treatment Plant
6.6.2011 KOIN TV; Toshio Suzuki. Saltzman Proposes Citizen Watchdog Group for Water, Sewer Rates
6.6.2011 The Oregonian; Beth Slovic. Pitch for Independent Portland Utility Commission Takes Shape
6.6.2011 Portland Business Journal; Andy Giegerich. Portland Seeks Water Treatment Exemption
6.6.2011 The Columbian; Portland Seeking Variance from Water Regulations
6.6.2011 KATU TV; Joe English. Portland Applies to State for Variance for Bull Run Treatment
6.6.2011 The Oregonian; Beth Slovic. Portland Officials Ask State and Federal Authorities for Reprieve on Water Rule
6.6.2011 PR Portland Water Bureau. Portland Submits Bull Run Treatment Variance Request
5.25.2011 OPB City's Budget Debate Flooded with Water Woes.
5.25.2011 The Oregonian Editorial Board. Fight for Lower Water Bills
5.24.2011 KBOO News; Joe Meyer interviews Shaff, Water Users attorneys and Floy Jones in anticipation of May 25 Portland City Council hearing and votes.
5.18.2011 City of Portland Video of May 18 Public Hearing. Water Bureau starts at 104:00 Move arrow to 151:30 for public testimony. Avoid 178-197:20 (Council Recess)
5.18.2011 KATU News TV story on May 18 Portland City Council Hearing (our clarification: 45 signed up for testimony, over 100 supporters in room)
5.18.2011 KBOO; Joe Meyer on May 18 Water Rate Increase Hearing
5.18.2011 The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. Portland Utility Rates Set to Rise, Along with Frustration
5.3.2011 Press Release "Mayor's Budget Increases Water Rates 84.7% over Five Years"
4.28.2011 Willamette Week; James Pitkin. "Randy Leonard: I'll Announce Election Plans after Labor Day"
4.28.2011 State of the Planet Blog from Columbia University's Earth Institute. "Portland Opposes Rule"
4.27.2011 Willamette Week; Beth Slovic. "Water Bureau to Accept Responsibility for New Fountain"
4.26.2011 The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. "Water Rates Protest Corresponds with 85 Twitter Posts from Water Bureau"
4.25. 2011 The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt Utility Review Board to meet with Mayor Sam Adams
4.25.2011 The Oregonian; Opinion "Defying Federal Law is not an option for Portland Water Bureau"
4.22.2011 KATU TV coverage of Rally; "Protesters Converge on City Hall"
4.22.2011 KOIN TV; "Water Rates could increase by 85% in Portland"
4.20.2011 The Oregonian; Opinion "Portland Water Bureau needs to push the pause button"
4.13.2011 Portland Business Journal "Portlanders favor a new water district."
4.13.2011 The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. "Poll asks about public utility district for Portland water ratepayers"
4.07.2011 KGW News. "Utility rate-setting in Portland may become independent"
4.07.2011 The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. "Portland Mayor Sam Adams Drops Plan to Use Water and Sewer Money for College Scholarships"
4.06.2011 The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. "Sam Adams Change of Heart, Water Bureau Spending"
4.05.2011 The Oregonian; Anna Griffin. "Portland Water Bureau's expanded mission under Randy Leonard isn't his fault alone"
4.05.2011 The Oregonian Editorial Board. "Raiding Portland's water and sewer funds: Pull plug on scholarships"
4.01.2011 - The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt."Portland City Hall Roundup: Commissioner Saltzman Floats Independent Rate Commission for Water & Sewer Rate."
4.01.2011 - The SE Examiner; Floy Jones. "Keeping Current on the Mt. Tabor Open Reservoir Issue."
3.31.2011 - Portland Tribune; Jennifer Anderson. "Audit hits City uses of utility fees for projects"
3.30.2011 - Willamette Week; Beth Slovic. "The Hose Festival: The City Auditor says spending on unrelated programs may be soaking water and sewer ratepayers."
3.29.2011 - Jack's Blog "Cha-ching! City of Portland borrows $112.8 million in last 2 weeks
3.20.2011 - The Oregonian; Brad Schmidt. "Water users paying for more than just water."
3.17.2011 - Portland Tribune: Jennifer Anderson. "Poll says Portlanders think water rates are too high"
3.12.2011 - The Oregonian Editorial Board Sunday Editorial. "Mounting Water Bills Point Toward Financial Peril."
3.07.2011 - Jack's Blog "Fate of Portland's Water to be Decided in Salem"
3.07.2011 - The Oregonian; Scott Learn. "Concerns rise on Portland's costly replacement of in-town drinking water reservoirs."
3.05.2011 - The Oregonian; Scott Learn. "Portland water ratepayers to pay up to $500 million to prevent a rare drinking water threat."
3.01.2011 - Jack's Blog "Disconnecting the Mount Tabor Reservoirs"
Reports:
3.20.2011 - Auditor's report critical of PWB spending. Decision processes are inconsistent, and spending is found to not always be linked to services.
3.16.2011 - PURB chair Janis Adler issues a statement along with her vote against PWB's request for a rate hike. Excerpted from the meeting minutes.
3.2011 - PURB Water Subcommittee statement regarding PWB budget requests for FY'12; calls for greater transparency and accountability.
3-8-2011 - Dr. Thomas Ward, an infectious disease specialist at OHSU, wrote a highly educational letter to Council. This letter helped swing the opinion of the Oregonian's Editorial Board, and it was referenced in their editorial dated March 12, 2011.
Reference Materials:
Legal opinion that a "variance" is available for open reservoirs. NYC prepared.
EPA administrator Lisa Jackson assures Senator Merkley that EPA will not interfere with Oregon's State Drinking Water Program if it issues Portland a variance from LT2. Watch the video
Comments to OHA on Notice of Intent to Grant Variance for Bull Run source water treatment. January 3, 2011
