IT'S YOUR MONEY BUT YOU HAVE NO VOICE

It’s your money $$$ - but “they” do not want “us” – that’s you and me - to have a VOICE, what is it they fear . . . ?

I write this from the perspective of an attendee of the recently concluded Arizona Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (AzOWRA) seminar in Flagstaff. I offer my sincere thanks to the association for their efforts.

I write principally to address the current site conditions, I personally observed, at the taxpayer funded wastewater demonstration site located on the campus of NAU. Many reading this will not have any background enabling them to comprehend the rationale for my questions and observation.

This site came into being solely as a result of an EPA grant (US federal taxpayer funds) administered though their agent Arizona Dept of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) which choose based on parameters never publically disclosed to locate this facility on the NAU (again another taxpayer funded institution). NAU administration chose as their administrator - Paul Trotta, PE, Ph.D., tenured professor in the College of Engineering. ADEQ/NAU with the generosity of many vendors of wastewater products and without any form of public oversight utilized the EPA/ADEQ grant of almost one million dollar ($1,000,000.00) with virtual impunity. Sadly, all query that I and to the best of my knowledge anyone made to either ADEQ or NAU for a certified accounting of where and how your taxpayer funds were spent have been stonewalled and met with silent. It may very well be there is absolutely no impropriety or errors of omission or commission in the use of these taxpayer funds, though it seems quite reasonable all parties spending taxpayer grant funds should want to leave no stone unturned and to leave a clear money trail easily followed.

As I recall considerable discussion surrounded how this wastewater site located on NAU property was to structured, i.e., whether it was to be solely a demonstration site or an actual facility receiving “live” sewage onto the site to be used for educational as well as testing purposes. At some point a decision was made to structure the facility with the ability at some point to utilize “live” sewage as a connection was provided to a portion of housing for married students. It is currently reported by NAU spokespersons that no live sewage has ever been utilized at this facility.

I can not report under what conditions the wastewater product vendors chose to provide their product to NAU for installation on their site as I was not a party to any of those discussions. I can only report a number of vendors whose products at the time were used quite extensively in Arizona chose to provide products for installation at this facility.

Following what was deemed completion by someone in authority, though to date no one wants to step forward and publically declare who is accountable or responsible the facility was opened to use. The care, custody, control of this taxpayer funded facility at NAU on what euphemistically was coined … Trotta Park … fell whether justified or not squarely at Dr. Trotta’s feet. Access to use this taxpayer funded facility has over the years been limited to those persons and venues meeting an unpublished set of criteria and parameters.

OBSERVATION … it should be noted during the early stages of the operation of the NAU site appreciable angst existed (and remains today) respecting the EDUCATION piece associated with the implementation of initial ADEQ – Unified Permit Rules – promulgated and implement in Jan 2001. During this same time period educators with the University of Arizona (UA) began developing an educational curriculum, which has evolved into what is today the only ADEQ sanctioned educational program. Early on this resulted in an academia “turf” battle and unfortunately for NAU they did not emerge in the lead position. Why such an evolution occurred can only be answered by those associated with either ADEQ and/or NAU. The reality is the NAU site has for an appreciable number of years sat dormant and unused.

Fast forward to Saturday – 7 June 08 – The AzOWRA seminar provided an opportunity to again set foot upon this NAU wastewater demonstration site to observe for myself the actual physical condition of the appurtenances and apparatus located on this site. For any number of reasons well known to all those associated and working in the wastewater industry devices such as those installed on this site left unattended and unused over any appreciable amount of time will deteriorate and be rendered “junk.” Understandably the “lay” person, lacking hands-on wastewater experience should not be expected to be able to achieve such a conclusion.

I find it honestly unconscionable that while under the sole care, custody and control of the College of Engineering at NAU this taxpayer funded facility was allowed to deteriorate to its current “trashed” condition.

As but one of the taxpayer’s whose funds were used to purchase and develop this site, I believe I have the right to ask NAU how this current condition was allowed to happen…? Moreover, I believe I have the right to ask NAU and ADEQ as well as our Legislators to ask why and how this condition occurred and who is accountable and responsible…?

Currently behind closed door discussions are occurring between AzOWRA, NAU and ADEQ about the future of this NAU facility. Why is John Q. Public, whose money financed this facility not occupying the seat at the head of the table leading these discussions…?

OBSERVATION … it strikes me that inasmuch as the funds to develop this facility came from the taxpayers of not only Arizona but initially one might conclude from all taxpayers in the United States and to some degree the ongoing support for this facility has been coming from the taxpayers of Arizona, should they NOT have a most prominent seat at the table on any discussion about the future of this facility…?

I offer for your consideration and comment the following. I invite us to consider the future oversight of this NAU facility to be administered by a 9 person board consisting of the following category of individuals.

One individual chosen by NAU (presumably representing academia)
One individual chosen by ADEQ (presumably representing regulators)
One individual chosen by the Arizona County Environmental Health Directors Association (presumably representing regulators)
One individual chosen by AzOWRA or AWPCA (presumably representing industry, vendors, suppliers
One individual chosen by the Realtors (presumably representing real estate interests)
Four at large citizens of Arizona (presumably representing the interests of the citizens of Arizona)

Administration of this site would follow the directives received from this board reference above.

Moreover before these selections are made, I believe it is ADEQ’s responsibility to conduct Q&A state-wide to appraise all interested parties in our State of the actions taking place at this taxpayer funded facility and be prepared to provide answers on the spot to the questions citizens raise. None of … “we’ll get back to you with an answer”… because history shows that just ain’t going to happen….!

I offer as a suggestion only, the following as one option for choosing the four at large Arizona citizens to serve on this board. Moreover I suggest service on this board be without any form of monetary remuneration. Can’t afford it, sorry, then pass it up. Put all the names of all 15 counties in a hat and pick out four. Then the Board of Supervisors of those four selected counties will choose that individual to serve on the governing board of this NAU facility. Seems reasonable to me, what are your thoughts…? There are indeed a host of other ancillary components to be considered at the appropriate time.

It is easy to conclude the process I offer can be portrayed as “messy” as is demands full open disclosure with input from 9 individuals arriving at a decision deemed appropriate by the majority. This is not the perfect solution, though I offer it is far better than the current facility administration at the sole discretion of one.

I offer this observation for your consideration. It is my evaluation we in Arizona have a multitude of issues, problems, conflicts surrounding residential onsite wastewater treatment and effluent disposal largely because we choose not to educate everyone to speak and moreover understand the same language. This taxpayer funded facility at NAU is a perfect setting for providing basic understanding to realtors, academia, contractors, engineers, designers, installers, Operation and Maintenance providers, septic pumpers, vendors, suppliers and especially JOHN Q. PUBLIC of what the components of various types of residential wastewater systems consist of, what they look like, methods of disposal for residential sewage effluent. This can become an important education component as we seek to add real value to any rationally implemented residential septic inspection and certification program as mandated by state statue.

Education only works when “we” – that’s you and me – are willing to check our respective ego and seek long term sustainable solution to the multitude of vexing water issues confronting us today and those which most assuredly will face us tomorrow.

Respectfully submitted,