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Mr. Heuser noted there was an ongoing discussion within and without the WCI as to whether the cap and trade model <br />he was illustrating was truly a market-based mechanism for affecting climate change and provided an example of <br />how a business such as an industrial firm might utilize the cap and trade model. <br />Mr. Heuser briefly discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the carbon cap and trade model, noting that while <br />it created a quantifiable market incentive for businesses to reduce emissions, it also might require the creation of an <br />administrative infrastructure that could prove challenging to maintain and enforce. <br />Mr. Heuser noted that the direct benefits to EWEB from the WCI were currently indeterminate, but it appeared that <br />the WCI would allow EWEB to further its commitment to conservation, efficiency and renewable energy resources. <br />Mr. Simpson thanked Mr. Heuser and Ms. Wilson for the presentations and opened the meeting to further general <br />discussions. <br />Mr. Clark asked how EWEB’s efforts to secure the safety and quality of local water sources were progressing. He <br />noted that he had heard comments from community members about fuel and septic tanks along the McKenzie River <br />that had given him cause for concern. Mr. Berggren responded that EWEB’s watershed management program had <br />been very active addressing not only the concerns that Mr. Clark had raised, but also the issue of removing pesticides <br />and other harmful chemicals from the local watershed along the McKenzie River. Mr. Berggren added that EWEB <br />had recently begun discussions with its board about significantly expanding the efforts of their watershed <br />management program. <br />Mr. Brown noted that, as a longtime advocate of clean water in the region, he was aware of the fuel and septic tank <br />concerns along the McKenzie River and noted that EWEB was engaged in several proactive efforts to address those <br />problems. <br />Mr. Farmer noted a concern for the fact that the Eugene/Springfield area was one of the few communities of its size <br />that did not have a backup water source. He noted that while EWEB had historically been willing to accept the risk <br />of having no backup water source, EWEB had also begun to incorporate plans to address that risk as part of its ten- <br />year financial plan. Mr. Berggren added that the matter for a backup water source for the Eugene/Springfield area <br />was not only problematic for financial reasons, but for reasons of availability as well in that no new water rights had <br />been assigned in the region for many years. <br />Ms. Piercy adjourned the joint work session meeting at 1:27 p.m. <br />Respectfully submitted, <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Jon Ruiz <br />City Manager <br /> <br />(Recorded by Wade Hicks) <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 19, 2008 Page 5 <br /> Work Session <br />