WHEREAS selenium is a naturally-occurring geological material in western Colorado, and
WHEREAS the United States Environmental Protection Agency and United States Fish & Wildlife Service have advocated for more stringent regulations (potentially less than the existing 4.6 parts‑per‑billion of dissolved selenium) in Colorado’s rivers and streams due to a perceived threat to sensitive, threatened and/or endangered fish and aquatic wildlife, and
WHEREAS it had not been proven with adequate scientific review that more stringent regulations are necessary to prevent jeopardy to the continued existence of the threatened and/or endangered fish and aquatic wildlife species of the Colorado River system, nor if compliance with more stringent regulations can be achieved, and
WHEREAS water users and other stakeholders in Montrose, Mesa and Delta Counties have helped develop and actively participate in the collaborative Selenium Task Force to work with the federal government to manage the selenium issue, and
WHEREAS potential solutions have primarily focused on the agriculture industry and have yet to fully investigate and address other possible contributors to selenium in streams (i.e., other natural sources of deep percolation), and
WHEREAS community leaders and affected stakeholders are developing innovative programs that include agriculture changes and development priorities to make the most impact on reducing selenium levels without undue impacts on the local economy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that;
- CLUB 20 supports the efforts of the local communities and Selenium Task Forces to address selenium leaching into western Colorado streams and rivers and expanding the search for cost-effective and cooperative solutions that reach beyond just the agriculture community, and
- CLUB 20 strongly encourages the federal government to use sound science to justify any proposed changes to selenium-related regulations and fully vet such proposed changes through scientific review and comparison to baseline information to ensure that any proposed changes are not only achievable, but to determine if and how proposed changes compare to historical (i.e., natural) conditions.
Adopted 9/08/2000
Amended 9/10/2010
Renewed 3/27/2015