HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210616Comments_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 7:54AM
Email: aacollinge@yahoo.com
Telephone: 208-391-3 576
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"
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 8:22PM
Email: louis.meyer@gmail.com
Telephone: 208-412-4262
Address: 323 N Yellow Pine PI
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 the
cleanest 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 think
the 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 platform
of 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 a
miscarriage 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 of
securing 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 local
resource 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 raise
rates 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, Matthew
Meyer"
Name: Sunday Haas
Submission Time: Jun 15 2021 7:53PM
Email: sundayhaas@gmail.com
Telephone: 847-612-6342
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. Its
not 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 of
handling 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 a
voice in. Please keep Idaho in Idaho's capable hands. We can do this together!"
Name: Andrew Dietsch
Submission Time: Jun 15 2021 10:22PM
Email: ddietsch@gmail.com
Telephone: 208-939-7200
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 simply
cannot be allowed to move forward. Another solution that keeps Eagle water in Eagle must be
pursued. "
Name: KEVIN MURPHY
Submission Time: Jun 15 2021 6:27PM
Email: murphy.kcm62@gmail.com
Telephone: 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 this
transaction 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 of
Eagle, 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 false
statements which reinforce the sham that is this transaction but attempt to rationalize what will
be a 3 3 1% increase in the cost of water service water to Eagle with literally no tangible
benefit. 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 water
service, 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 of
Eagle'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 press
release states the following: - SUEZ will make significant improvements that will enhance
service reliability for Eagle Water Company customers, including: - 24-hour automated
monitoring of the system to ensure continuous service reliability and water quality. - My
Translation: WHAT IMPROVEMENTS? SURELY EWC HAS SUCH A SYSTEM IN
PLACE, LIKELY REQUIRED BY LAW BUT WOW, THIS SOUNDS LIKE PURE
BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE. WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE DETAILS, THE
BENEFITS?NOT THE MARKETING RHETORIC... - Provide critical system disinfection
for public safety. - My Translation: A 'SUEZ' SYSTEM. I'M CERTAIN EWC HAS SUCH A
SYSTEM IS ALREADY IN PLACE AND ONE IS LIKELY REQUIRED BY PUBLIC
HEALTH CODES. - The expertise and experience of certified water quality, production and
distribution personnel. - My Translation: THIS MEANS SUEZ EMPLOYEES AND THIS
SOUNDS LIKE PURE BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE! WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE
DETAILS, THE BENEFITS? ..NOT THE MARKETING RHETORIC. AGAIN TO JUSTIFY
A 3 3 1% 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 GLOBAL
ENTITY 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 economies
of scale achieved by a larger company- My translation: MORE BUREAUCRATIC
NONSENSE WHICH MEANS THE TRIPLING OF OUR COSTS WILL FACILITATE BIG
BOTTOM LINE WIN FOR SUEZ WHICH IN TURN WILL MOST CERTAINLY MAKE
MINIMAL IF ANY ACTUAL IMPROVEMENTS BENEFITING EAGLE RESIDENTS
AND BUSINESSES, BECAUSE. 'ECONOMIES OF SCALE' TYPICALLY MEANS COST
SAVINGS ALTHOUGH APPARENTLY IN THIS CASE ONLY FOR SUEZ WHILE
EAGLE, 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"
Name: Christine Sunday
Submission Time: Jun 15 2021 9:42PM
Email: c.sunday@msn.com
Telephone: 208-853-1407
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 Suez
will 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!!! "
Name: Donald Littlefueld
Submission Time: Jun 15 2021 10:22PM
Email: Bar20ranch.dl@gmail.com
Telephone: 208-988-4678
Address: 5753 w durning dr
Eagle, 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 "
From: PUC Consumer Comments
To: Jan Nonyuki
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 1:50PM
Email: dmarphis@gmail.com
Telephone: 208-576-1004
Address:
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 system
when 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 and
history 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 average
increase 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 from
the 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 Water
Company 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 is
NOT 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 reserved
for 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 fundamental
goal 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 new
development 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 the
sale 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 to
the 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 an
additional$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 Suez
customers 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 is
how much the sale price has been inflated(rumored at $6M)by middleman Norm Bangle of
H2O 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"
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 2:08PM
Email: scott343smith@gmail.com
Telephone: 760-803-1011
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 my
concern 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 sale
to 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's
public 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, failing
infrastructure, 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's
local 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 that
ALL 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 Creek
around 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 local
control of our most precious, life-sustaining natural resource to any foreign company whose
fundamental goal is maximizing profits for their shareholders? 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 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"
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 10:03AM
Email: sunnyjazzl8@yahoo.com
Telephone: 845-988-6918
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"
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 3:25PM
Email: mjrnelson2001 @yahoo.com
Telephone: 208-850-1857
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 "