NEWPORT NEWS -- Water bill dues add $750,000 to the pot to secure permits for the King William County project. Newport News officials expect $22.5 million spent over 17 years to finally get them the permits they need by year's end to build a massive reservoir in King William County. Then their focus will shift to defending those permits from lawsuits and designing the 12.2 billion-gallon reservoir. Of course, they initially expected to spend only a few million dollars over a few years getting permits for a reservoir that's expected to ensure an adequate water supply for 50 years after it's built. "We've had some successes," said Dave Morris, reservoir project manager, "and it looks like things will be wrapping up." On Tuesday, the City Council voted 6-1, with Madeline McMillan opposed, to spend an additional $750,000 on lawyers, environmental consultants and public relations. The money comes from water bills paid to Newport News Waterworks by more than 400,000 customers in Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson and parts of James City and York counties. The reservoir's opponents contend that supporters have inflated the Peninsula's future need for water and that environmental destruction caused by its construction would overshadow potential benefits. The latest round of spending comes after an appeals court upheld a permit already awarded to Newport News and after a state agency reversed its earlier opposition to the project. The Army Corps of Engineers has indicated it will grant the project's final permit once a dozen or so state agencies agree that the reservoir does not violate laws protecting coastal areas. The state Department of Environmental Quality will hold a public hearing before deciding whether the reservoir complies with those laws. The hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 20 in the Williamsburg Community Building, 401 N. Boundary St. One hour before the hearing, state officials will explain their review process. |
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