Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Ada County faces possible lawsuit over water discharge

Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An environmental group has sent Ada County a notice of its intentions to file a lawsuit over what it says are violations of the federal Clean Water Act involving an event center and horse racing track. Idaho Rivers United on Wednesday sent the 60-day notice contending county officials failed to obtain a Clean Water Act permit to discharge stormwater into the Boise River at Expo Idaho, site of the Western Idaho Fair. The group in a statement also says the county is violating the law because it doesn't have a permit to discharge water from Les Bois Park, where horses are housed during the racing season. A county spokeswoman declined to comment.

UPDATE: Larry Maneely, chief of staff for the Ada County Commission, issued this statement:

Ada County and Ada County Development Services have been working with the EPA, and will continue to work with the EPA, regarding County property at Expo Idaho. With respect to a notice that Idaho Rivers United has told the media it sent to Ada County, Ada County has not been provided a copy of any such notice. We would therefore refrain from commenting until we have had an opportunity to review it.

You can read IRU's full news release here, which includes a link to the 60-day notice. IRU says it sent the notice to the county yesterday by certified mail. 



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

Follow Betsy online: