By Dennis Clark
Seeley Lake, Mont. 

Sewer Facts or FUD Factor?

 

August 31, 2017



SEELEY LAKE - Prior to the Public Information meeting regarding the sewer last Wednesday, members of the Citizens for Sensible Wastewater Solutions (CSWS) were handing out a flier on light green paper. The flier is titled Some Facts about the Proposed Seeley Sewer. This same document has been made available at various locations around town.

As a summer resident interested to learn about both sides of this important issue, I brought this Fact Sheet home and read it. The following is what I learned.

I was interested to see that CSWS are so unsure of their “facts” that the document is peppered with qualifiers such as the word “probably” which shows up three times in the first two paragraphs. Also, nowhere is there even a single citation as to what authority provided them with their “facts”. So it caused me to wonder if what they are purporting to be “facts” are in fact just opinions of their group.

So let’s examine the first couple of paragraphs. The first paragraph deals with two topics; 1) will the sewer clean up the watershed, and 2) the expansion of the sewer system beyond the current district boundaries.

In support of the first topic, they temper their comment with the word “probably.” That qualifier takes the comment out of the realm of being a fact and makes it just an opinion. They then toss out an unsubstantiated figure that “less than 25 percent of the creeks, rivers and waterfront properties are in the sewer district”. So I ask, where did this percentage come from? No citation.

The comment also attempts to divert attention away from the issue that our water quality problem includes the groundwater you can’t see, as well as, the surface waters mentioned.

Regarding future expansion of the system, they say “Those properties presently outside of the district will “probably” never be annexed in because the Seeley Lake Water District is incapable of supplying new properties with city water. Expansion of the water district could cost millions.”

This statement is not a fact and is actually a red herring. It is a fallacy that is an irrelevant topic introduced in an argument to divert the attention of the readers from the original issue. There is no relationship between expanding the sewer and whether or not properties have city water. The sewer will work the same if the user’s water comes from a well, from the lake or from the city water system.

On to the second paragraph which states, “The water quality study process is “probably” flawed and misleading”. Either it is flawed and misleading or it isn’t. Again, no facts are provided to support what is clearly an ambiguous statement of opinion.

The second paragraph goes on to say, “Also tests are regularly taken at the Dog Town Bridge which sits outside of the district boundaries.” This, too, is not a fact and is inaccurate. A quick look at the sewer district map clearly shows that the Dog Town Bridge is in the district and is included in sub-district three.

So my conclusion is that CSWS’s Fact Sheet was not intended to disseminate true facts regarding the sewer project. It is clear that the purpose is to instill Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, known as the FUD factor, within the community. My recommendation is that this so called Fact Sheet be viewed for what it is, personal opinion and propaganda from CSWS, not substantiated facts.

 

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