When you have a complex issue, it's probably a good idea to have a forum where experts can present detailed information with Q & A. Here's a great example that's coming up soon! Check out the new video on www.thepeoplesproject.com as well for visuals that show the extensive infrastructure that helps this project be the most affordable water solution for Monterey County's water woes.
THE PEOPLE’S WATER PUBLIC FORUM TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH AT EMBASSY SUITES
November 3, 2011. Monterey, CA. The community is invited to attend a public forum to hear informative presentations and learn more details about THE PEOPLE’S MOSS LANDING WATER DESAL PROJECT, the most viable, quickest and affordable alternative to solve the water crisis. THE PEOPLE’S WATER PUBLIC FORUM will be held on Wednesday, November 16th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Embassy Suites, 1441 Canyon del Rey in Seaside. Presenting at The People’s Water Public Forum will be Nader Agha, General Partner in THE PEOPLE’S MOSS LANDING WATER DESAL PROJECT, Stan Lueck, Desal plant Manufacturer/Partner in DeSal America, Cameron Weist, Attorney/Bond and Traditional Financing, and George Schroeder, Partner in THE PEOPLE’S MOSS LANDING WATER DESAL PROJECT. There will also be time for Q & A following the presentations. For more information, go to www.ThePeoplesWater.com.
About the Presenters:
Stan Lueck, Manufacturer/Partner in DeSal America, LLC
Mr. Lueck holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and has spent the last 30 years as a technical professional. His experience began as an undergraduate research associate in surface chemistry, and since, he has been involved in numerous projects related to water treatment and environmental control. His client list includes Fortune 500 companies as well as federal government agencies.
For the last 22 years, Mr. Lueck has specialized in the area of water treatment. He has designed treatment systems, provided troubleshooting and membrane cleaning services, conducted pilot tests and feasibility studies, and developed monitoring and control systems specifically for reverse osmosis and ion exchange applications. Mr. Lueck has trained several hundred water treatment operators from around the world, and he speaks regularly at national water treatment conferences. He has authored a number of articles in water treatment technical and trade journals and has served on the editorial board of Separation and Filtration Systems Magazine. His professional affiliations include the American Membrane Technology Association; the North American Membrane Society; the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society (ISA); and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). He previously served on a committee formed by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers to establish testing guidelines for reverse osmosis performance. He also served on Committee D19 (water) of the ASTM.
Nader Agha, General Partner, The People’s Moss Landing Water Desal Project
Nader Agha, Managing Partner and the founder and developer of the 200 acre Moss Landing Green Business Park, leads THE PEOPLE’S MOSS LANDING WATER DESAL PROJECT’S highly experienced management and engineering team. Mr. Agha is a general contractor who has worked on over 90 projects and has been described as one of the best estimators in Monterey County.
Team members bring more than 50 years of combined experience in the design, construction and operation of large-capacity reverse-osmosis desalination plants valued at hundreds of millions of dollars around the world.
Cameron A. Weist
Cameron A. Weist, Attorney at Law, and founding partner of the Scotts Valley, CA-based Weist Law Firm, has over 20 years of experience in municipal law, securities law and tax law aspects of public and private finance. He is also educated and trained in several branches of economics, urban and regional planning, public policy, business administration, operations research, demography, accounting, finance and real estate. His decades of experience are applied to a broad array of financing projects and programs, and address such issues as infrastructure development, economic development, development feasibility, policy research, strategic planning, program and project financing evaluation. He has developed an expertise in joint powers authority pooled financings, lease and installment sale financings, tax increment financings, special assessment financings, private activity bonds, tribal economic development bonds, clean renewable energy bonds, special districts formations, USDA financings, urban redevelopment projects, impact fee legislation, municipal utility district formations, capital recovery charge programs and numerous other value-added services focusing on public improvement projects.
George Schroeder
George Schroeder practiced law in Monterey, CA from 1960-2000, with an emphasis in real estate and estate planning. He was a member of the City of Monterey Planning Commission for four years, including two years as Chairman. He has represented Nader Agha in all real estate matters from 1965 - 2000, and has been his partner since 1980 in real estate development in Monterey County. Since retiring from practice, he has been an advisor and consultant to Mr. Agha. Mr. Schroeder is a University of California at Berkeley undergraduate and graduate from its law school, Boalt Hall in 1958.
About The People’s Moss Landing Water Desal Project
Every man, woman and child has the right to fresh, clean drinking water. Fresh water is also needed for plants, animals, pets, farms and businesses. The Monterey Peninsula ratepayers (homeowners, renters, business owners, hotels, restaurants and others) need a new reliable and affordable source of fresh water now and for generations to come.
Currently, the public is being given an array of confusing alternatives to the water dilemma, some riddled with controversy and even possible corruption. The public has a right to participate in shaping the public policies that affect their lives and their budgets, including the control of water and the rates they pay for it. They also have a right to know about an alternative solution that already exists. THE PEOPLE’S MOSS LANDING WATER DESAL PROJECT is the answer to the region’s water dilemma.
Situated at the 200-acre Moss Landing Green Commercial Park (formerly the National Refractories & Minerals plant), THE PEOPLE’S MOSS LANDING WATER DESAL PROJECT (approximately 60 acres including desal and solar) is a continuation of the original Moss Landing Desal Project that was launched in 2004. This site is the most suitable location in California for the construction of a desalination plant because it is already zoned for industrial use and the development of energy and utility operations.
Desalination is not a new concept. The technology already successfully delivers water to more than 120 countries worldwide through 13,000 existing desalination plants around the globe. Desalination proves to be a reliable, drought-resistant and affordable water solution for as little as $600 per acre-foot. However, here on the Monterey Peninsula, the reported costs of other proposed desal projects are shockingly high, as much as $7,500 per acre-foot! The projected cost of the water produced by THE PEOPLE’S MOSS LANDING WATER DESAL PROJECT is approximately approximately $1,317 per acre foot (at 3.5% with 30-year bond financing), delivered to Seaside (including plant, solar, land, infrastructure, and 15 miles of 30” pipeline).
The current estimated cost of the presently proposed desalination project is reported to be $400 million to $600 million. Compare that with the cost of THE PEOPLE’S MOSS LANDING WATER DESAL PROJECT which is estimated at approximately $128,650,000. This number includes $18 million for the solar farm, $30 million in land plus infrastructure, and an $18,750,000 million pipeline to Seaside. This low cost of $128,650,000 is partly due to the existing infrastructure. The replacement cost of the existing infrastructure is approximately $121,000,000.
The existing intake and outfall pipes have handled up to 60 million gallons of seawater per day for years. These pipes are operable and already in use and permits are already in place. Previously, these pipes were, in effect, part of a desalination plant which extracted minerals and put the water back into the ocean. The only difference now is that the fresh water created by the new desal plant will be put into the public water system. There are also existing water tanks capable of storing 44 million gallons of water.
THE PEOPLE’S MOSS LANDING WATER DESAL PROJECT has a unique and valuable existing infrastructure worth approximately $121,000,000* which will be made available to a public agency at a rate significantly less than its market rate (at 24% of appraised value)), thus saving ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars in new construction costs! The people will also save money on their water bills. The water produced by THE PEOPLE’S MOSS LANDING WATER DESAL PROJECT will be pumped to Seaside from Moss Landing at a cost to the ratepayers of approximately $12.50 per month (with 3.5% 30-year bond financing available for a limited time).
For more information, go to www.ThePeoplesWater.com.
