Received-SPF: none (No spf1 record for (rockisland.com) ) client-ip=64.119.0.12; envelope-from=; x-ip-name=mars.rockisland.com X-Default-Received-SPF: pass (Last token {mx/16} (res=PASS)) client-ip=64.119.0.12; envelope-from=; x-ip-name=mars.rockisland.com; Received: from mars.rockisland.com (unverified [64.119.0.12]) by skynetbb.com (SurgeMail 5.3h2) with ESMTP id 59464002-1839687 for ; Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:10:29 -0700 Return-Path: Received: from mars.rockisland.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by localhost.rockisland.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 10B72116ED; Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:10:26 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from iwp@rockisland.com) X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at rockisland.com Received: from mars.rockisland.com ([127.0.0.1]) by mars.rockisland.com (mars.rockisland.com [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id PR2O3CPYxyRw; Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:10:23 -0700 (PDT) Received: from Home (207-118-33-235.dyn.centurytel.net [207.118.33.235]) (Authenticated sender: iwp@rockisland.com) by mars.rockisland.com (Postfix) with ESMTPA id 0741E1157C; Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:10:10 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from iwp@rockisland.com) From: "Frank M Penwell" To: "Frank M Penwell" Subject: Ecology being criminally investigated Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:09:47 -0700 Message-ID: <000001cc47f2$eda9d5d0$c8fd8170$@com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0001_01CC47B8.414AFDD0" X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook 12.0 Thread-Index: AcxH8ub/5m1iBJsIQXKeDGI8t9sCZQ== Content-Language: en-us X-To-Not-Matched: true X-IsFriend: X-Rcpt-To: X-FriendScore: : 0.0 sd=0.0 -0.5(X-To-Not-Matched:true) 0.0(X-LangGuess:English) [sig=1] X-LangGuess: English X-Probe: +OK skipped, from friend X-Avast: Message is clean Status: U X-UIDL: 36122 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01CC47B8.414AFDD0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_001_0002_01CC47B8.414AFDD0" ------=_NextPart_001_0002_01CC47B8.414AFDD0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ecology being criminally investigated! edit Ecology Department actions being reviewed by Kittitas prosecutors Ellensburg Daily Record ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The Kittitas County Prosecutor's Office is reviewing a criminal investigation into actions taken by state Department of Ecology officials when new groundwater well restrictions were implemented in Upper Kittitas County in 2009. Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Candace Hooper said she was assigned on Monday to review the county Sheriff's Office investigation information and make a decision on whether to file criminal charges. "I've just begun to study the information," Hooper said. "There may be a need for more information to consider before a decision can be made." Prosecutor Greg Zempel on Monday declined to comment on what specific criminal charges might be filed. "It's too early to depict publicly what the exact allegation is and whether charges will be actually filed," Zempel said. "We may need more investigation before that decision can be made. There can be a decision to charge, and there could be a decision to not file charges." Zempel said the investigation surrounds public statements made and written by state Department of Ecology officials as the agency sought to establish rules that placed restrictions on the drilling and use of new groundwater wells in Upper Kittitas County. Temporary rules were approved July 16, 2009, by then DOE Director Jay Manning. The rules were made permanent in December 2010. Zempel said one of his office's deputy civil prosecutors filed the original complaint alleging a possible criminal act in connection with DOE employee statements. That filing began an investigation by the Sheriff's Office, Zempel said, which involved gathering background information, state documents, research and interviews. County Commissioner Alan Crankovich last week said he was interviewed by an investigating deputy sheriff. The line of questioning, he said, seemed to indicate concerns that a DOE employee may have overstepped legal authority and that there may have been intimidation toward local governments. Crankovich and Commissioner Paul Jewell, who also was interviewed, stressed the complaint did not originate from the commissioners' office. A DOE spokesman said three DOE employees have been interviewed by the investigating deputy, and the agency is cooperating fully with the Sheriff's Office in the matter. David Workman, the director of DOE communications in Olympia, said in a statement last week that the DOE complied with all laws, both civil and criminal, in developing the rule. A state deputy attorney general said state agencies will not interfere with the criminal investigation. A petition to the DOE in September 2007 from the citizen advocacy group Aqua Permanente and the statewide Center for Environmental Law and Policy called for a moratorium on all new wells throughout Kittitas County. After years of talks on proposals, the state placed emergency restrictions on wells only in Upper County. Jewell said he has hopes that the Prosecutor's Office investigation into DOE employee actions won't jeopardize cooperative work with the agency to adopt a program that could lead to the lifting of the Upper County well restrictions. "So far, we've had indications they want to keep working with us in a positive manner," Jewell said of DOE officials. He said the criminal investigation "obviously has me very concerned from the point of view as a county commissioner." "We want to maintain what has been so far forward-moving progress with the DOE, and build upon that good relationship," Jewell said. Jewell said he's received indications from DOE officials that whatever the Prosecutor's Office does won't affect the ongoing work with the county. The efforts surround developing a Domestic Water Reserve Program. It involves the purchase of surface, senior water rights by the county that would be kept in stream and not used. These water rights owned by the county, in concept, would offset the amount of water being pumped from the county's aquifer by all types of domestic water wells, existing and new ones. Thus, the pumping of groundwater in Kittitas County wouldn't have a negative impact on the Yakima River Basin's overall water supply and would not adversely affect the water available to senior water right holders. -- By Mike Johnston ------=_NextPart_001_0002_01CC47B8.414AFDD0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Ecology being criminally investigated! =

3Dedit

 

Ecology = Department actions being reviewed by Kittitas = prosecutors


Ellensburg Daily Record

 

 ELLENSBURG, Wash.  — The Kittitas = County Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing a criminal investigation = into actions taken by state Department of Ecology officials when new = groundwater well restrictions were implemented in Upper Kittitas County = in 2009.

Chief = Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Candace Hooper said she was assigned on = Monday to review the county Sheriff’s Office investigation = information and make a decision on whether to file criminal = charges.

"I’ve just begun to study the = information," Hooper said. "There may be a need for more = information to consider before a decision can be = made."

Prosecutor Greg Zempel on Monday declined to comment on = what specific criminal charges might be filed.

"It’s too early to depict publicly what the = exact allegation is and whether charges will be actually filed," = Zempel said. "We may need more investigation before that decision = can be made. There can be a decision to charge, and there could be a = decision to not file charges."

Zempel = said the investigation surrounds public statements made and written by = state Department of Ecology officials as the agency sought to establish = rules that placed restrictions on the drilling and use of new = groundwater wells in Upper Kittitas County.

Temporary rules were approved July 16, 2009, by then DOE = Director Jay Manning. The rules were made permanent in December = 2010.

Zempel = said one of his office’s deputy civil prosecutors filed the = original complaint alleging a possible criminal act in connection with = DOE employee statements.

That = filing began an investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, Zempel = said, which involved gathering background information, state documents, = research and interviews.

County = Commissioner Alan Crankovich last week said he was interviewed by an = investigating deputy sheriff. The line of questioning, he said, seemed = to indicate concerns that a DOE employee may have overstepped legal = authority and that there may have been intimidation toward local = governments.

Crankovich and Commissioner Paul Jewell, who also was = interviewed, stressed the complaint did not originate from the = commissioners’ office.

A DOE = spokesman said three DOE employees have been interviewed by the = investigating deputy, and the agency is cooperating fully with the = Sheriff’s Office in the matter.

David = Workman, the director of DOE communications in Olympia, said in a = statement last week that the DOE complied with all laws, both civil and = criminal, in developing the rule.

A state = deputy attorney general said state agencies will not interfere with the = criminal investigation.

A = petition to the DOE in September 2007 from the citizen advocacy group = Aqua Permanente and the statewide Center for Environmental Law and = Policy called for a moratorium on all new wells throughout Kittitas = County. After years of talks on proposals, the state placed emergency = restrictions on wells only in Upper County.

Jewell = said he has hopes that the Prosecutor’s Office investigation into = DOE employee actions won’t jeopardize cooperative work with the = agency to adopt a program that could lead to the lifting of the Upper = County well restrictions.

"So far, we’ve had indications they want to = keep working with us in a positive manner," Jewell said of DOE = officials.

He said = the criminal investigation "obviously has me very concerned from = the point of view as a county = commissioner."

"We want to maintain what has been so far = forward-moving progress with the DOE, and build upon that good = relationship," Jewell said.

Jewell = said he’s received indications from DOE officials that whatever = the Prosecutor’s Office does won’t affect the ongoing work = with the county.

The = efforts surround developing a Domestic Water Reserve Program. It = involves the purchase of surface, senior water rights by the county that = would be kept in stream and not used.

These = water rights owned by the county, in concept, would offset the amount of = water being pumped from the county’s aquifer by all types of = domestic water wells, existing and new ones.

Thus, = the pumping of groundwater in Kittitas County wouldn’t have a = negative impact on the Yakima River Basin’s overall water supply = and would not adversely affect the water available to senior water right = holders.

-- By = Mike Johnston

 

------=_NextPart_001_0002_01CC47B8.414AFDD0-- ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01CC47B8.414AFDD0 Content-Type: image/png; name="image001.png" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-ID: iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABIAAAASCAMAAABhEH5lAAAAA3NCSVQICAjb4U/gAAABUFBMVEX/ ///3///39//v9///7+/37+/v7/fn7/fe7///573n5/fv5+fe5+/W5/f33sb/3qX33r3e3u/W3uf/ 1pzv1r3e1t7W1t7O1uf/1kLO1t7/zozG1t73zoT/zlLOzt7Oztb/zjnGzt7Gztb/ziH/zhD/xlLG xta9xt69xtb/xhC9xsa9xs7/xgDWvbX3vTH3vSG1vb21vcb/tSnOta3Gtb3/tQj/tQD3tRC9tb2t tbX/rRittb3erVq9ra29rbWtrb2lrb3/pQClrbWtpaWlpbX/nAicpaW1nJz3lCmcnK2UnK2UnKX/ jAj/jAD3hDnWhFLGhHu9hITGhGvehBj3exi9hGOEjKV7jKW1e3PeczGEhIx7hJSce4R7hIz/awCt c2PWayl7e4x7e4Slc1pze3u9azn/WgDvWghrc3vGWjFra3vnQgDeQgCtSimEUkL/AP/EQcPCAAAA cHRSTlP///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //8At2Fi0gAAAAlwSFlzAAAK8AAACvABQqw0mAAAABx0RVh0U29mdHdhcmUAQWRvYmUgRmlyZXdv cmtzIENTM5jWRgMAAAAsdEVYdENyZWF0aW9uIFRpbWUARnJpIDIzIEp1bCAyMDA0IDIwOjE0OjA0 IC0wMDAw128ueAAAAM9JREFUGJVjyMcADFiF1CSBQFHDOdg/3gIqJMYABIzMNjpGfhFQIUmQEAO3 uWNcjjuKkIyZb1pumCGSEIu+mW92TLg3khC/mWNcproXspCejmt6IC+yEKemqU+CHI9DVL42TEhV xSokgIPLIUXbUgvsLkY+BWWjSFFBIc8MLUtriJCArIRHkLiamneGlrUBREhEWCrVTlpD0jtDWwvq Id3kUFtJJQ1JlyS4H43zTITkJcXYnbzhQqysjExsTMxM9lAh68TY2OjYRBDIcgMKAQCzJVHpRUMa jAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg== ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01CC47B8.414AFDD0--