New River Intake Plant Public Meeting

Boone Town Council, Ashe County Commissioners Joint Hosts

The Ashe County Commissioners and the Boone Town Council will host a joint meeting on Tuesday June 23, 2009, 6-9 pm at Westwood Elementary School, 4083 US Highway 221 South, West Jefferson to discuss the Town of Boone's proposed water intake plant in the Brownwood area near Todd. The meeting will be an open forum Town Hall style format, with the public invited to ask questions and make comments. This is the first time the Town of Boone and the Ashe County Commissioners have publicly jointly addressed the issue. All are invited.

Boone is proposing to construct a water intake plant on the New River near Todd to support their growing population and water needs that would drain up to 4+ million gallons of a water a day, replacing it with their treated waste water. The proposed plant has raised questions concerning the environmental, cultural, historic, recreational and economic impact of the project on the New River and surrounding areas, including all points downstream through VA and WW. Hundreds of Ashe County residents and others have signed petitions opposing the proposed plant, and Todd residents have formed the New River Stewardship Committee (http://newriverstewards.blogspot.com/) in response. The open forum meeting will be an opportunity for residents and concerned citizens to ask questions and address issues.

Concerns have been raised regarding water flow and quality, including the presence of waste pharmaceuticals which would be left untreated in the waste water returned to the New River. The river is the jewel of Ashe County, a prime source of tourism and economic value for the area. It is an American Heritage River, one of fourteen rivers originally so dedicated by President Clinton in 1997. Millions of years old, it was part of the prehistoric Teays river system, the largest in the ancient continent of North America. In addition, questions regarding the review process up to this point have been raised, including a lack of transparency and representation for Ashe County's interests. The public meeting will be a unique opportunity for the public to ask questions and express concerns to the Ashe County Commissioners and the Boone Town Council. All interested in the New River are encouraged to attend the Tuesday June 23, 2009, 6-9 pm meeting at Westwood Elementary School in West Jefferson.

For more information: http://www.townofboone.net, http://newriverstewards.blogspot.com, Ashe County Commissioners, Chair, Judith Poe (336 846 5501), Greg Young, Boone Town Manager (828 268 6200).
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