Minutes 08-27-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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John Roberts: I would be unable to answer that at this time. Jeff Akin: We have never made any attempt to retain mineral rights on any lots whatsoever. Basically, the laws of the local jurisdiction, state laws, would apply to the individual rights. I would assume that it's their rights to the minerals. Larry Wright: Any more questions from the County Commissioners? The Planning Board? Johnny Randall: I just wanted a clarification on the geothermal wells in that there should be perhaps a question about the use and operational characteristics of pump and dump and the closed loop system. I assume a closed loop system does not require any more water than it does to build up pipes. The closed loop does not use groundwater, so that should be encouraged, and the pump and dump should be discouraged. Commissioner Yuhasz: I don't remember the details, but at the last Board of Health meeting, which was last week, this subject did come up and Tom Konsler, the Environmental Health Director did say that the pump and dump system is not one that's generally used or approved in Orange County and that he would anticipate that any geothermal system that was approved in Orange County would not be a pump and dump variety. Larry Wright: For the general well, the communal well, how many gallons per unit timed would you estimate that it would take in peak hours? Part b to that question is how would that influence, if any, neighboring wells from adjacent neighbors? Joe Lyle: Let me address the second part of that question first. My Name is Joe Lyle and I have been sworn. I've had several discussions with Tom Konsler. Tom has issued the following statements to me regarding this well or any proposed wells. I know there was concern from neighbors that maybe a community well could impact their existing wells. The statements made by Mr. Konsler is that the geography of the area does not lend itself to drying or reducing the peak gallons per minute of neighboring wells, to speak to the geography and the fracture in this part of the county. I also asked him about the sampling limits and what his experience has been, and he said that they have done extensive sampling in the County. The contamination as well as yields, and also assured that this has not been the case. He did not see an issue with that. We also spoke with a company that would eventually take over the operation of a community well system, one of the largest bore utility providers here in the state. They have not had any problems with their other community well systems in the County impacting neighboring wells. It's our thought, based on that information, that it should not be an issue, based on the geography here. Larry Wright: So this is independent of a water table. Joe Lyle: The way it was put to me, is that there are not individual aquifers that would spread, that these are pockets of water underneath the particular piece of land. Your neighbor next door could have 100 gallons a minute and you could end up with 2 gallons a minute, and they are completely different water sources. That's the way that Tom explained it to me. Larry Wright: My second question is maybe for somebody else to answer. With the 6,000- gallon retention pond, you have homes coming in here with lawns that have a high runoff coefficient and then you have roads and then you have these deep ditches and they take water rapidly to this 6,000-gallon retention pond. It's my understanding, I could be wrong. If it happens that this retention pond overflows, where does that overflow go?