Commissioners table monitoring well drilling decision

A decision that would allow the Department of Defense (DOD) to drill monitoring wells on private property was unanimously tabled by the commission.

Friends and relatives of Art Schaap, the owner of Highland Dairy, spoke on his behalf Tuesday at the Curry County Commission meeting; encouraging commissioners to not pass the resolution that would install monitoring wells on multiple locations, including Schaap’s land.

Kyle Bethel, Schaap’s son-in-law, spoke at the podium during the public input agenda item.

“The landowner must grant permission,” Bethel said. “We ask our elected officials to have our backs when the law is not abided.”

Bethel then asked the commission to end the project immediately.

Chris Segura with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center attended the meeting to tell the commission that he believes the project is for the greater good of the community.

Segura said the purpose of the wells is to gain information off base, meaning they can read the quality of the water and if contaminations are spreading underground. Segura added that they were looking to install 12 around the county.

It has been almost six years since it was discovered that Schaap’s dairy cattle consumed PFAS-contaminated water. The commission agreed that drilling the wells is necessary to see the flow and if it’s spreading still, but not all were convinced it was being done in a legal manner.

While monitoring wells don’t take water, those drilling the well must still have permission from the landowner to drill the well, Commission Seth Martin said.

Chairman Robert Thornton believed the entire situation had been blown out of proportion.

“Everyone in this county deserves to know what’s going on. What is the big deal about allowing monitoring wells?” Thornton said.

Martin then said landowners are willing to comply but still want to be asked permission.

“We’ve wasted a lot of time on this. Everyone in the county deserves to know about the water,” Thornton said.

The commission eventually decided to table the decision, hoping to seek more answers. Thornton asked the county attorney to write a letter to the DOD, asking them to ask landowners for permission to have monitoring wells installed.

He then asked landowners to give them the go ahead to do so when asked.