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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 "