Pryor visits with Sparta Aquifer/Ouachita River Water Supply Constituents

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CONTACT: Sherrel Johnson, Union County Water Conservation Board Grants Administrator, 870 314-0749 or sherrelj@suddenlink.net

U. S. Senator Mark Pryor (center) is pictured with Entegra/Union Power Partners Plant Manager Tom Burger (left) and Union County Water Conservation Board (UCWCB) President Robert Reynolds (right) at Union Power Station on Thursday, April 28, 2011. Pryor briefly toured the Ouachita River Alternative Water Supply Project infrastructure, then met at the power plant just north of El Dorado with constituents dependent on the pool behind Thatcher Dam for water supply.

Executives representing the UCWCB's four Union County industrial customers -- Tom Burger from Entegra/Union Power, El Dorado Chemical's Greg Withrow, Patty Cardin from Great Lakes Chemtura/Central Plant, and Steve Cousins representing Lion Oil -- attended the gathering, as did Scott Baxter from Great Lakes' corporate office in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Although Sen. Pryor made brief comments about federal budget constraints, etc., he expressed his strong commitment to helping South Arkansas and listened intently to those in attendance who made the case for support for continued Ouachita River funding.

Without the pool behind Thatcher Dam, the UCWCB could not deliver an alternative source of water to EDC, Great Lakes, and Lion, who once depended solely on the once threatened Sparta aquifer for all industrial process water. Because the three industries now use the alternative surface water from the Ouachita River, the Sparta aquifer is recovering; groundwater levels are rising and threats to drinking water quality appear to have been halted.

The UCWCB monitors Sparta recovery by measuring groundwater levels and analyzing water quality in 28 monitoring wells placed strategically in five South Arkansas counties and three North Louisiana parishes. All current data, charts, and maps are available at www.ucwcb.org

The UCWCB's largest customer, and the largest combined cycle natural gas fired merchant power plant in the country -- Union Power Station, has used Ouachita River water and became fully operational in early 2003. While it currently uses an average of several million gallons per day, when operating at full capacity, the power plant would use 19 - 21 million gallons of water per day.

Union Power made the single largest private contribution to the UCWCB's $65 million Ouachita River Alternative Water Supply infrastructure by building and oversizing the intake at the Ouachita River to accommodate both the power plant's and Union County's current and future needs, and constructing the water clarification facilities and five miles of pipeline to the power plant for $52 million. Entegra/Union Power then deeded the infrastructure over to the UCWCB for $14 million, or incremental cost of over-sizing. It was an historic $38 million gift to the people of Union County.

Others attending the April 28 gathering in support of continued Ouachita River funding were the mayors of Calion, El Dorado, and Norphlet; UCWCB members; several Union Power Partners key staff; Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Henry Florsheim and Board Chairman Craig Griffin; Charles Thomas of Calion Lumber; State Representatives Matthew Shepherd, Garry Smith, and Jeff Wardlaw; State Senator Gene Jeffress; Union County Judge Mike Loftin; UCWCB Attorney Joe Hickey; and Patricia Herring of Congressman Mike Ross' office.

Ross, whose first constituent gathering following his election to Congress in 2000 was with the UCWCB, power plant representatives, and other Union County Sparta aquifer stake holders, has consistently been a strong supporter and advocate of the Ouachita River/Sparta Recovery project. In 2009 he secured $300,000 for the UCWCB to continue monitoring the Sparta's recovery in response to providing the alternative industrial source from the Ouachita River to industry. Pryor and his staff shepherded the request through the Senate, and combined with state funds from Louisiana and Arkansas, the federal appropriation through the U.S. Geological Survey allows the UCWCB to continue to monitor Sparta aquifer recovery through September 30, 2011. The UCWCB will continue monitoring beyond September 30 to the extent funds allow.

Pryor's briefing packet included Ouachita River Alternative Water Supply project maps; a 2006 Project Description detailing how Union County's team created public policy and built and paid for the $65 million project with 88% local dollars in less than 10 years; Sparta water level and water quality recovery graphics; UCWCB 2010 and 2011 statements to the Mississippi River Commission in support of continued Ouachita River funding and funding for an updated ancillary economic benefits study (attached); an April 2008 photo of Sparta stake holders with Pryor in D.C. when the group was there accepting a national Interior Department Cooperative Conservation Award; and the attached April 20, 2011 UCWCB Resolution of Support for continued Ouachita River funding.

Pryor took a brief windshield tour of Union Power Station with Burger before leaving for his next South Arkansas appointment. Entegra owns a near identical power plant in Gila, Arizona with electric generation capacity slightly less than the Union County power plant. The Union County facility is capable of generating 2205 MW when operating at 100% capacity.

ATTACHMENTS: Photo 4.28.11, UCWCB 4.20.11 Resolution, Guest list 4.28.11 (UCWCB members are listed whether they attended or not), 2010 & 2011 UCWCB Statements Before the Mississippi River Commission. Photo April 2008 D.C. Interior Award Group w/Pryor

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL ORRELL, El Dorado News Times Photographer