when will we ever learn

Thursday, February 21, 2008 … Mohave County Supervisors strike down code affecting wells and septic systems … Thursday, February 21, 2008 …The idea of a new county well code dried up during Tuesday's Board of Supervisor's meeting. The Board denied the request from the County Public Health Department for the new code. The code would have prevented a property owner from drilling a well closer than 50 feet to a property line and charged a $30 fee to review well plans. Environmental Health Director Rachel Patterson told the Board the idea behind the well code was to give all property owners an equal chance of developing their property. The state requires all wells to be drilled at least 100 feet away from any septic systems. Occasionally, a property owner will drill a well close to their property line and inadvertently make it impossible for their neighbor to install a septic system on his property, Patterson told the Board last month. At least two well drilling companies have protested the new code, Brown Drilling of Kingman and Valley Well Drilling in Topock. Earlier this month, Mike Exsted of Valley Well Drilling protested that it was unclear if the code applied to both new and existing wells. At that time, Patterson said the code would only apply to existing wells if the well was modified or expanded. During Tuesday's meeting, Amanda Kaufman of Brown Drilling protested that the proposed code shouldn't apply to new wells that are drilled if the new well was being drilled because something went wrong with an older well. She also asked, if the code was approved, that the Board give drillers and property owners enough time to become aware of the change in law before it went into effect. She suggested waiting a year before putting the new code into effect instead of the normal 30 days. Kaufman also suggested clarifying some of the language in the code. Supervisor Buster Johnson said he felt the new code was more of an infringement on a property owner's rights than a health issue. Johnson moved to deny the request for the new code and the Board unanimously voted to deny the request.


Thursday, February 21, 2008 … Supervisors strike down code affecting wells and septic systems … Thursday, February 21, 2008 …The idea of a new county well code dried up during Tuesday's Board of Supervisor's meeting. The Board denied the request from the County Public Health Department for the new code. The code would have prevented a property owner from drilling a well closer than 50 feet to a property line and charged a $30 fee to review well plans. Environmental Health Director Rachel Patterson told the Board the idea behind the well code was to give all property owners an equal chance of developing their property. The state requires all wells to be drilled at least 100 feet away from any septic systems. Occasionally, a property owner will drill a well close to their property line and inadvertently make it impossible for their neighbor to install a septic system on his property, Patterson told the Board last month. At least two well drilling companies have protested the new code, Brown Drilling of Kingman and Valley Well Drilling in Topock. Earlier this month, Mike Exsted of Valley Well Drilling protested that it was unclear if the code applied to both new and existing wells. At that time, Patterson said the code would only apply to existing wells if the well was modified or expanded. During Tuesday's meeting, Amanda Kaufman of Brown Drilling protested that the proposed code shouldn't apply to new wells that are drilled if the new well was being drilled because something went wrong with an older well. She also asked, if the code was approved, that the Board give drillers and property owners enough time to become aware of the change in law before it went into effect. She suggested waiting a year before putting the new code into effect instead of the normal 30 days. Kaufman also suggested clarifying some of the language in the code. Supervisor Buster Johnson said he felt the new code was more of an infringement on a property owner's rights than a health issue. Johnson moved to deny the request for the new code and the Board unanimously voted to deny the request.A case where the will of the few was allowed to outweigh the health of the many…

The Supervisors in Mohave County rather than yield to “common sense” chose instead to yield to the demands of TWO private well drillers. These County Supervisors you elected “to serve & to protect” you are serving and protecting TWO private well drillers.

I only hope Supervisor Buster Johnson does not own property requiring a septic system only to be denied as a result of his own stupidity. It’s not only a private property issue, Sir, it’s about our individual accountability and responsibility to protect public health and welfare.

The notion to grant a “grace-period” before the proposed change in the county ordinance took effect is a reasonable approach to consider. But, no, Supervisor Johnson sees is solely as an infringement upon an owner’s property rights…?

Water is or should be owned by the “commons” – that’s you and me – and “we” should enact laws which demand “we” take those acts which protect all forms of water to the extent possible.

Water is FINITE and extinguishable and every day by actions such as that taken by Mohave County Supervisors we degrade, pollute and contaminate it.

You would think at some point we’d actually learn…?