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City of ORONO <br />RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCI L <br />NO. <br />6. The members in opposition based their position on the <br />following findings: <br />a) Applicant has not demonstrated sufficient hardship to <br />allow the excavation within the lakeshore protected area. <br />b) The !.imitless permitting of this type of system will <br />have an impact on the acquifer. <br />7. The Department of Natural Resources (Water Appropriations <br />Division) issued permit 86-6178, April 22, 1986, without <br />obtaining the required local unit of government response. The <br />City Council has asked the DNR to schedule an appropriate public <br />hearing to address the many concerns raised during the review of <br />conditional use permit #1039, a permit that would allow the use <br />of underground water from the Prairie Du Chein/Jordan acquifer <br />for a geothermal heating and cooling system. <br />8. On November 24, 1986, Hedia Adelsman and James Japs from the <br />DNR's Groundwater Appropriations Division and Judy Boudreau, DNR <br />Area Hydrologist, appeared before Council to address the City's <br />concerns regarding the proposed use of the acquifer and the <br />method of discharge. <br />9. Ms. Adelsman advised that the Prairie Du Chein/Jordan <br />acquifer from 1971 through 1980 has been monitored showing <br />decreased levels at various periods but consistently recovered to <br />remain at basically the same level. She advised that there are <br />various wells in the Orono vicinity that are monitored by the DNR <br />and if an irregularity was to occur that a permit for this type <br />of residential use would be revoked or the conditions of the <br />permit amended at any time. <br />10. In response to the concern that limitless permits issued by <br />the DNR for such geothermal systems would have ma.)or impact on <br />the acquifer, both Adelsman and Japs concurred that there would <br />be concern if they were concentrated in one area but that few <br />residential users would ever be at the applicant's level of use. <br />Again, they advised of the monitoring network and the ability to <br />revoke such permits at any time. <br />11. The DNR advised the Council that the City can always present <br />their concerns or questions to the Department regarding any <br />single or multiple number of permits issued by the DNR. <br />Page 2 of 6 <br />