Spokane Opposes Depot But Resolution Excludes Examiner’S Findings
FOR THE RECORD: February 16, 2000: Facility size wrong: An article Tuesday about the proposed Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway refueling depot gave the incorrect size of the facility. Under the proposal, it could contain up to 500,000 gallons.
The Spokane City Council voted Monday night to oppose a railroad refueling depot over the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, but it took two votes and left the resolution’s original sponsor dismayed.
The initial resolution, upholding a strongly worded decision by the Kootenai County hearing examiner to recommend against the depot, failed in a 3-4 vote. A replacement, which removed the hearing examiner wording from the resolution, was approved 6-1.
Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers, who sponsored the original resolution, said she was extremely disappointed by the council.
“You either take a position or you don’t,” she said following the council meeting. “You don’t water it down. You either support public health or you don’t.”
The final resolution is nonbinding and simply allowed the city of Spokane to express its opinion before the Kootenai County commissioners begin hearings on the controversial refueling depot Wednesday.
At issue is whether the 50,000-gallon diesel facility proposed for Hauser, Idaho, by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway poses a threat to the aquifer. The aquifer is the sole source of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people in the region.
The Kootenai County hearing examiner ruled Jan. 3 that the depot could endanger the water supply and recommended against granting the railroad a conditional-use permit.
The Spokane City Council heard The Spokane City Council heard testimony on the subject last week before Monday’s vote.
The council split on Rodgers’ initial resolution, with Mayor John Talbott and council members Rob Higgins, Roberta Greene and Steve Eugster opposing the measure.
Higgins and Talbott said they favored a resolution similar to the one passed by the Spokane Regional Health District, which deferred the decision to the Kootenai County commissioners, but requested certain protections if the facility is built.
Greene sponsored the resolution that ultimately passed, which voiced the city’s opposition to the depot without mentioning the Kootenai County hearing examiner.
Councilwoman Phyllis Holmes said the vote sent the right message.
“I’m pleased we found a position that six of us would support,” she said.
The one dissenting vote was cast by Steve Eugster, who argued that the council needed to designate a representative to speak at the Kootenai County hearings, so the city had legal standing in the matter.
“There’s no guts in this,” Eugster said. “I believe the city of Spokane and its people have to be participants in this process.”
With legal standing, he said, the city could take part in an appeal if the Kootenai County commissioners’ decision wasn’t in the city’s best interest.