20210616Comments(11).pdf

From:PUC Consumer Comments
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Wednesday, June 16, 2021 8:00:03 AM
The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Amy Collinge
Submission Time: Jun 16 2021 7:54AMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: N. Shadowridge Ave
Eagle, ID 83616
Name of Utility Company: Eagle Water Company
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "Please do not allow Suez to buy Eagle Water Company. Now, more than ever, as Suez is merging with an even larger multinational corporation, it is essential that we keep our
local public utitilies locally owned and operated. This sale is not in the public interest. I am concerned about preserving water quality, affordable water rates, and the future of this
precious resource. Please reject this proposal for sale. Respectfully, Amy Collinge"
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From:PUC Consumer Comments
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Wednesday, June 16, 2021 7:00:19 AM
The following comments were submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Matthew Meyer
Submission Time: Jun 15 2021 8:22PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 323 N Yellow Pine Pl
Eagle, ID 83616
Name of Utility Company: Eagle Water
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "Please do not allow the sale to Suez to proceed. Eagle Water has some of thecleanest water in our community and Suez plans to mix some of our water with surface water
and chlorinate it. We do not want to change our water. A citizen group is forming and I thinkthe PUC should delay acquisition by Suez to allow this citizen group an opportunity to tender
an offer for Eagle Water Company. We were let down by our mayor. He ran on the platformof not selling Eagle Water and once elected the council and him had a meeting and decided to
drop their lawsuit against Eagle Water. This was NOT the will of the people. It would be amiscarriage of justice to allow this sale to go through without giving the people of Eagle a
vote or referendum on the matter. I know a lot of people voted for this Mayor with the idea ofsecuring their water rights. Because of the city of Eagle's failure, it is up to you and us to stop
this sale and allow the citizen's a right to be heard. We should not be giving away our localresource control to a foreign-owned company. The people of Idaho and more specifically the
people of Eagle know how best to control and use their water resources. Suez wants to raiserates and diminish water quality. Why should we accept that? Please allow our voices to be
heard, allow the community to triumph, please stop the sale to Suez. Thank you, MatthewMeyer"
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Name: Sunday Haas
Submission Time: Jun 15 2021 7:53PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 537 Mango Dr
Eagle, ID 83616-5125
Name of Utility Company: Eagle water
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "I am gravely concerned about the potential of Suez taking over Eagle water. Itsnot just the horrendous increase in our monthly bill but rather another outside entity, this one
from another country, taking precious resources from our great state! Are we not capable ofhandling our own water?? Has Eagle not done well so far? There are many changes that we
cannot control that hurt our great state and its people, but this we can actually stop and have avoice in. Please keep Idaho in Idaho's capable hands. We can do this together!"
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Name: Andrew Dietsch
Submission Time: Jun 15 2021 10:22PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 518 Mango Dr
Eagle, ID 83616
Name of Utility Company: Eagle Water
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "I would like to voice my disapproval of the sale of Eagle’s water system to SUEZ.It is not in the best interest of my family and all of the Eagle residents to give up our clean and
affordable well water and pay many times more for inferior processed water. This simplycannot be allowed to move forward. Another solution that keeps Eagle water in Eagle must be
pursued. "
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Name: KEVIN MURPHYSubmission Time: Jun 15 2021 6:27PM
Email: [e-mail]: 208-854-9002
Address: 2191 E. SKOKIE DR.EAGLE, ID 83616
Name of Utility Company: Eagle Water
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "All, In reference to the pending application for Suez to purchase Eagle Water Co.,
I hereby declare that as a resident of Eagle for 11 years, I am wholly opposed to thistransaction for the simple fact that the sale benefits exactly one person, the current owner of
Eagle Water Co. and a few major shareholders of Suez and not the residents and businesses ofEagle, Idaho at all. Further, I want it known and presented to all involved that in referencing
the November 15, 2018 press release from Suez, it sites what we now know are falsestatements which reinforce the sham that is this transaction but attempt to rationalize what will
be a 331% increase in the cost of water service water to Eagle with literally no tangiblebenefit. A service which in the 11 years i have lived in Eagle has NEVER been an issue.
Additionally, it is common public opinion that if/when Suez assumes control of our waterservice, the quality of the water will in fact decline! This begs the question for which I am
certain no bureaucrat or EWC or Suez executive has a valid answer. - How will the quality ofEagle's water service increase enough to even remotely justify an increase of more than triple
the current average monthly bill ($12.35 vs $40.88 - Suez postcard 15 June 2021)? The pressrelease states the following: - SUEZ will make significant improvements that will enhance
service reliability for Eagle Water Company customers, including: - 24-hour automatedmonitoring of the system to ensure continuous service reliability and water quality. - My
Translation: WHAT IMPROVEMENTS? SURELY EWC HAS SUCH A SYSTEM INPLACE, LIKELY REQUIRED BY LAW BUT WOW, THIS SOUNDS LIKE PURE
BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE. WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE DETAILS, THEBENEFITS? NOT THE MARKETING RHETORIC... - Provide critical system disinfection
for public safety. - My Translation: A 'SUEZ' SYSTEM. I'M CERTAIN EWC HAS SUCH ASYSTEM IS ALREADY IN PLACE AND ONE IS LIKELY REQUIRED BY PUBLIC
HEALTH CODES. - The expertise and experience of certified water quality, production anddistribution personnel. - My Translation: THIS MEANS SUEZ EMPLOYEES AND THIS
SOUNDS LIKE PURE BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE! WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEDETAILS, THE BENEFITS? ..NOT THE MARKETING RHETORIC. AGAIN TO JUSTIFY
A 331% INCREASE... - A robust online customer web and billing site . - My translation:ADMIN COSTS FORCED ONTO AND BURDENED BY THE CONSUMER WHO IS
FORCED TO ADOPT AND SUBSIDIZE THE BILL PAY SYSTEM OF A GLOBALENTITY AS THOUGH WE WERE PART OF A HUGE MUNICIPALITY. - Greater access
to capital investments necessary to maintain a water system for the long-term and economiesof scale achieved by a larger company - My translation: MORE BUREAUCRATIC
NONSENSE WHICH MEANS THE TRIPLING OF OUR COSTS WILL FACILITATE BIGBOTTOM LINE WIN FOR SUEZ WHICH IN TURN WILL MOST CERTAINLY MAKE
MINIMAL IF ANY ACTUAL IMPROVEMENTS BENEFITING EAGLE RESIDENTSAND BUSINESSES, BECAUSE. 'ECONOMIES OF SCALE' TYPICALLY MEANS COST
SAVINGS ALTHOUGH APPARENTLY IN THIS CASE ONLY FOR SUEZ WHILEEAGLE, IDAHO PAYS 3X MORE TO BOLSTER SUEZ'S BOTTOM LINE. - NOTHING
ABOUT THIS BENEFITS EAGLE, IDAHO! In summary, NO, no to Suez in Eagle, Idaho!Most emphatically, Kevin Murphy"
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Name: Christine Sunday
Submission Time: Jun 15 2021 9:42PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 2884 E SHADOWCREST DR
Eagle, ID 83616
Name of Utility Company: Eagle Water Company
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "I do not want Suez to have Eagle Water Company. We have great water and Suezwill ruin that. On top of that they want to triple the price we pay. Being a senior citizen that
would really affect me. NO to Suez!!! "
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Name: Donald LittlefueldSubmission Time: Jun 15 2021 10:22PM
Email: [e-mail]: 208-988-4678
Address: 5753 w durning drEagle, ID 83616
Name of Utility Company: City of Eagle Water Dept.
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "I understand Suez water co. Is trying to purchase The Eagle water Co. I am very
much against such a sale. One of the reasons I moved here like many others was good drinking water a friendly company to do business with and affordable utilities. We all know that if Suez
gets ahold of it our costs will go up and be just another step in trying to push us seniors on fixed incomes out of our homes . I hope you will stop this sale so our costs won’t go up
beyond reason, and leave us with poorer quality of drinking water . Thank you . Don "
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From:PUC Consumer Comments
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Wednesday, June 16, 2021 2:00:07 PM
The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Denise Marphis
Submission Time: Jun 16 2021 1:50PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 239 E Rockingham Dr.
Eagle, ID 83616
Name of Utility Company: Eagle water
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "1. Why approve the sale and allow Suez to operate Eagle public water systemwhen Suez is not doing a great job of owning and operating Boise’s system, has multiple
water quality Issues, failing infrastructure, a backload of customer service complaints andhistory of consistent rate increases? This sale is NOT in the public interest. 2. Suez has
publicly stated that if the sale is approved residential rates will spike by 232% (an averageincrease from $12.35/mth to $40.88/mth) and commercial rates will spike by 326% (an
average increase from $38.96/mth to $166.19/mth). However it’s important to note that fromthe beginning Suez has hinted that ALL Suez customers across the valley will be dealing with
increases to cover this purchase. Rate shock is NOT in the public interest. 3. Eagle WaterCompany has the greatest water quality in the region with no chemical injection (as confirmed
by their 2020 annual report). Suez will mix this water with surface water from the Boise River,heavily treat it with chlorine and other chemicals and likely send it to other areas of the Boise
valley to solve ongoing water quality issues they have there. This treatment of the resource isNOT in the public interest. 4. Suez is already pumping water from Redwood Creek around
Eagle into the foothills to serve Avimor and Hidden Springs; shouldn’t this water be reservedfor growth between Eagle and Star? Why would Idahoans give up further local control of our
most precious, life-sustaining natural resource to any foreign company whose fundamentalgoal is maximizing profits for their shareholders? Private water wells are reportedly running
dry in many areas of the Boise Valley – including in Eagle - from the crush of newdevelopment that has negatively impacted our aquifers. This disturbing reality has left a
growing number of citizens with literally no viable options for a domestic water source.Sending water we need in our Eagle community to outlying areas for new, non-contiguous
growth is NOT in the public interest. 5. Why would this commission consider allowing thesale of Eagle Water Company to Suez when the proposed sale price of $10.5 million dollars is
nearly 10 times that of the actual base rate or estimated values of the company according tothe 2020 annual report filed by EWC? The IPUC rejected a previous attempt by another party
some years back under similar circumstances. The $10.5M amended sales price includes anadditional $500,000 asked for by EWC in order to soften the $1.75M payment they are
ordered to pay the City of Eagle as part of the recent lawsuit settlement. Why should Suezcustomers be forced to pay for fees that EWC owes the City of Eagle due to their own failure
to fulfill their contractual responsibility from years past? Another question to be considered ishow much the sale price has been inflated (rumored at $6M) by middleman Norm Bangle of
H20 Eagle? This grossly inflated price is NOT in the public interest. 6. Suez is currently being acquired by another European multi-national company with a shaky reputation; Veolia.
Reports are that Suez will still exist, but it will be a much smaller company, and its U.S. business will migrate to Veolia. The new Veolia will have annual revenue of around $44
billion, more than five times the bundle of Suez assets that will create “new Suez.” Why would the PUC approve the sale when this merger taking place right now between Veolia and
Suez threatens to create future issues within Eagle, including higher rates, poor water quality and extremely poor customer service? At the very least shouldn’t the process be paused until
this merger is complete and then resumed with the new majority owner as the applicant? This transfer of our critical local resource to a foreign national corporation is NOT in the public
interest. Veolia has an abysmal track record as documented in this excerpt from a recent article by author/journalist David Dayan. “In the U.S., Veolia operates water treatment plants and
entire water systems, and virtually wherever high-profile problems have arisen, the company is not far behind. Veolia was contracted to assess water for the city of Flint, Michigan, and
according to contemporaneous emails the company knew about the lead risk months before residents and informed city managers, but never made public its recommendations to find an
alternative water supply. Veolia’s subsequent report identified Flint’s water as “safe,” and its one recommendation, adding a chemical called ferric chloride to address persistent
discoloration, allegedly accelerated pipe corrosion and acidity in the water, according to a lawsuit from the Michigan attorney general. In Pittsburgh, a similar lead contamination crisis
also coincided with Veolia’s entry, in this case to manage city water system operations. Veolia replaced an anti-corrosion chemical with a cheaper knockoff, and reduced the city’s water
quality staff by half. Simultaneously, the company increased"
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From:PUC Consumer Comments
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Wednesday, June 16, 2021 3:00:06 PM
The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Scott Smith Smith
Submission Time: Jun 16 2021 2:08PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 1873 E. Shalimar Drive
Eagle, ID 83616
Name of Utility Company: City of Eagle Water District
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "Good afternoon, I am a resident of Eagle, Idaho and would like to express myconcern with the proposed sale of the Eagle Water Company to Suez. I do not believe it is at
all in the best interest of the residents of Eagle and surrounding communities to allow the saleto proceed. Suez as a foreign company has no ties or allegiance to the citizens of Eagle and the
surrounding communities. Why approve the sale and allow Suez to operate the City of Eagle’spublic water system when they are not doing a great job of owning and operating Boise’s
water supply system. They are currently dealing with multiple water quality issues, failinginfrastructure, a backload of customer service complaints and history of consistent rate
increases? Suez have already confirmed their intent to sell water from Eagle Water Company'slocal aquifer to other communities and increase water rates. Suez has publicly stated that if the
sale is approved residential rates will spike by 232% (an average increase from $12.35/mo. to$40.88/mo.) and commercial rates will spike by 326% (an average increase from $38.96/mo.
to $166.19/mo.). However it’s important to note that from the beginning Suez has hinted thatALL Suez customers across the valley will be dealing with increases to cover this purchase.
Rate shock is NOT in the public interest. Suez is already pumping water from Redwood Creekaround Eagle into the foothills to serve Avimor and Hidden Springs; shouldn’t this water be
reserved for growth between Eagle and Star? Why would Idahoans give up further localcontrol of our most precious, life-sustaining natural resource to any foreign company whose
fundamental goal is maximizing profits for their shareholders? Suez is currently beingacquired by another European multi-national company with a shaky reputation; Veolia.
Reports are that Suez will still exist, but it will be a much smaller company, and its U.S.business will migrate to Veolia. The new Veolia will have annual revenue of around $44
billion, more than five times the bundle of Suez assets that will create “new Suez.” Whywould the PUC approve the sale when this merger taking place right now between Veolia and
Suez threatens to create future issues within Eagle, including higher rates, poor water quality,and extremely poor customer service? At the very least shouldn’t the process be paused until
this merger is complete and then resumed with the new majority owner as the applicant? Thistransfer of our critical local resource to a foreign national corporation is NOT in the public
interest. Veolia has an abysmal track record as documented in this excerpt from a recent articleby author/journalist David Dayan. “In the U.S., Veolia operates water treatment plants and
entire water systems, and virtually wherever high-profile problems have arisen, the companyis not far behind. Veolia was contracted to assess water for the city of Flint, Michigan, and
according to contemporaneous emails the company knew about the lead risk months before residents and informed city managers, but never made public its recommendations to find an
alternative water supply. Veolia’s subsequent report identified Flint’s water as “safe,” and its one recommendation, adding a chemical called ferric chloride to address persistent
discoloration, allegedly accelerated pipe corrosion and acidity in the water, according to a lawsuit from the Michigan attorney general. In Pittsburgh, a similar lead contamination crisis
also coincided with Veolia’s entry, in this case, to manage city water system operations. Veolia replaced an anti-corrosion chemical with a cheaper knockoff and reduced the city’s
water quality staff by half. Simultaneously, the company increased water rates by 20 percent over four years, and issued inaccurate bills that overcharged residents by as much as 600
percent, leading to unnecessary water shutoffs. As lead concentrations increased, Pittsburgh sued Veolia for malfeasance but eventually dropped the case. These case studies reflect the
telltale signs of water privatization, where cities and states sell off their public water infrastructure to be managed or owned by for-profit companies, in exchange for a one-time
and short-term cash infusion. The deals both introduce the profit motive into a basic human need and relinquish democratic control of how safely and affordably that need is met.” Learn
more about the multinational for-profit corporation that will be taking over this major community water source if the sale is approved by the IPUC at:
https://prospect.org/.../corporate-merger-aims-to-build.../ Please do not allow the sale of the Eagle Water Company to Suez proceed. Allow the City of Eagle to reexamine the purchase of
the Eagle Water Company, or another local venture who has ties to the community and better interests of the citizens. thank you ofr your time and consideration. Respectfully, Scott Smith"
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From:PUC Consumer Comments
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Wednesday, June 16, 2021 11:00:05 AM
The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Sara Cytrynowicz
Submission Time: Jun 16 2021 10:03AMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 123 S Cooksom Ave
Eagle, ID 83616
Name of Utility Company: Eagle Water
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "Greetings, Please keep Eagle water local and DO NOT SELL to Suez!!! Having corporations take over and own our land and water is never in the best interest of the people or
the environment. Keeping Eagle water local will ensure it continues to be as clean and free from chemicals/toxins as possible. I thank you in advance for making the health and wellbeing
of Eagle residents your priority. Kindest regards, Sara"
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From:PUC Consumer Comments
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Wednesday, June 16, 2021 4:00:04 PM
The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: stan Nelson
Submission Time: Jun 16 2021 3:25PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 288 Amanita
Eagle, ID 83616
Name of Utility Company: eagle water
Case ID: EAG-W-18-01
Comment: "I am very opposed to the sale of the water company to a FOREIGN CORPORATION "
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