Some question motives in Gilbert SRP vote

By Edythe Jensen
© The Arizona Republic
April 5, 2001

Threats of recall and the involvement of a statewide environmental group may have factored into the Gilbert Town Council's 3-2 vote opposing the expansion of the Salt River Project's Santan power plant.

Mayor Cynthia Dunham, who lost her bid for re-election March 13, questioned the tactics Wednesday.

"It makes me wonder what motives are in play and what other individuals from outside Gilbert are involved," she said.

The two recall targets, Councilmen Larry Morrison and Steve Urie, said they believed power plant opponents were threatening to oust them last month because of their perceived failure to listen to neighbors. Both appeared to have had a change of heart Tuesday, voting to oppose the Santan Generating Station expansion at Val Vista Drive and Warner Road unless a long list of resident concerns was resolved. The two insisted the recall threat didn't influence their votes.

Joining the Gilbert residents at the council meeting was Steve Brittle of Phoenix, head of the environmental activist group Don't Waste Arizona.

"If you allow this plant here, it will kill people," Brittle told the council.

"That's totally irresponsible," SRP spokesman Scott Harelson said of Brittle's statement.

Morrison, Urie and vocal expansion opponent Mike Evans were the three votes needed to pass the opposition resolution. Dunham and Councilwoman Maggie Cathey voted against it. Councilman Les Presmyk, an SRP employee, abstained from voting; Councilman Dave Crozier was absent but has previously abstained from voting because he works for Arizona Public Service. The Arizona Corporation Commission gets the final word April 25.

Brittle said he has been providing technical information to power plant opponents and felt compelled to speak at Tuesday's meeting to clarify the dangers of chemicals used at the plant site.

Evans said he has known Brittle for years and put the Gilbert activists in touch with him months ago. He said he knew about the recall plans and helped convince the activists that it was a bad idea.

"They had petition circulators lined up, a recall campaign ready to be formed, money ready to be contributed," Evans said of the activists' efforts. "(Mayor-elect) Steve Berman and I implored them not to do it."

Evans said he was preparing to escalate his anti-expansion push.

"SRP cannot build and operate this plant without an amiable working relationship with the town," he said. "They need our water to be able to run their plant."

Berman did not return telephone messages. Jim Parrault, who with his wife is a leader in the resident activist group, refused to talk to The Arizona Republic. Efforts to reach other resident leaders were unsuccessful.

Harelson said the Corporation Commission has never denied a power plant construction request from the SRP after the utility received a recommendation of approval from the line siting committee, which the Gilbert expansion received in February.

"The political winds in the town of Gilbert may have changed but the need for electricity hasn't," he said.