SPOC Files Suit in PSC
September 29, 2007
In the past, SPOC has taken the stand that it would not oppose the transfer of the Snowshoe sewage treatment plant to the control of the Pocahontas Public Service District (PSD). We have been champions from the beginning of an alternate plan to the proposed $20 million (and counting) regional plant – namely the Eight Rivers Safe Development membrane technology approach. This would entail a feasibility study to see if this alternative would work on the existing Snowshoe plant. Any future development in the valley could have cluster systems for the homes which would be paid for by developers, not the current Snowshoe homeowners, as the regional plant would require. We believe the Eight Rivers plan will be environmentally safe, will enable Snowshoe to be a truly “green” resort, will cost significantly less than the regional plant, and will not entail using eminent domain. (See memos below detailing the history of this planned transfer.)
Our past stand has assumed that the Pocahontas County commissioners would be open to the Eight Rivers plan. Unfortunately, two commissioners (Griffith and Carpenter) have repeatedly opposed anything but a regional plant despite hearing from many well informed people that the regional plant on Sharp Farm would be an environmental disaster. The PSD, driven by developer Scott Millican, will not even listen to any alternative proposal.
Therefore, because the commissioners and the PSD have indicated they will not seriously consider anything but a regional plant, SPOC is seeking to delay the transfer until a study of alternatives can be done. SPOC’s attorney filed a petition to that end with the state PSC on Friday, September 28, 2007. Although Snowshoe president/GM Bill Rock has stated that he is against using eminent domain for a plant and is open to considering all alternatives, we believe the PSD will continue to ignore him and any other groups that may seek to intervene.
We urge you to read information on this site below this posting and to contact those people on the state level who might influence the decision to continue with the transfer. Detailed explanations of the Eight Rivers plan and why it is preferable to a regional plant are cited.
The petition will be posted shortly on the West Virginia Public Service Commission website – www.psc.state.wv.us.