Pueblo Democrat wants new study of SDS
A state lawmaker is asking three federal agencies to re-evaluate the proposed Southern Delivery System after last year's decision by Colorado Springs to end the stormwater enterprise.
State Rep. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, has asked the Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency to develop supplemental environmental studies to determine the impact of SDS without the assumption that stormwater flows would be restricted to current conditions.
''This had to happen before the process is closed," Pace said, when asked about the timing of the letter.
In the letter, Pace uses a quote from Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera, which appeared in The Pueblo Chieftain in 2005 when the stormwater enterprise was created and again late last year after the stormwater enterprise was ended following interpretation of a ballot question in November:
''We're looking at a population of 900,000 in 35 years," Rivera said. "If we're not willing to address stormwater today, I don't think it's fair to ask others in the region to endorse the Southern Delivery System."
Neither does Pace.
''If the stormwater enterprise was deemed so important in these environmental studies by Reclamation and Colorado Springs officials when promoting SDS, then there must be serious consequences upon its demise," Pace wrote in the letter. "These consequences need to be addressed now by your federal agencies rather than wait until it is too late and expensive to remedy the problem."
Pace said the lack of a stormwater enterprise means the backlog of $300 million in stormwater projects won't get fixed.
The highest priority projects total $83 million, and were less than one-third completed when Colorado Springs ended the enterprise. The updating of drainage basin studies has been slowed as well.
''History proves that without available stormwater funding, Colorado Springs, on its own, will not tax itself or fund stormwater projects to protect downstream landowners and communities on Fountain Creek," Pace wrote. "Instead, Colorado Springs will effectively levy a tax on downstream residents in Pueblo County without their vote, and it will rely upon federal subsidies to undo the damage."
Pace wants stronger requirements to show how stormwater will be controlled and stronger enforcement mechanisms for stormwater in the federal regulation.
Deliveries of water through SDS should be restricted until Colorado Springs completes basin studies and restores funding for stormwater projects to the $17 million per year collected under the now-defunct enterprise.
Colorado Springs officials did not receive a copy of the letter until late Friday, so could not immediately comment.
SDS is a $1.4 billion project that would benefit Colorado Springs, Security, Fountain and Pueblo West. The first phase is expected to be completed in 2016.
