Well outside Ecology's authority?

DAVENPORT—A reportedly reversed stance by the state Dept. of Ecology created a discussion on whether Lincoln County should have an ordinance requiring developers outside municipality limits to connect to a public water system instead of drilling private wells at the Lincoln County Commissioners regular meeting Tuesday, June 20.

The conversation was started by Public Health Director Ed Dzedzy, who told the commissioners he learned from the Dept. of Ecology (DOE) in a meeting two weeks ago that the DOE’s attorney general reasoned the DOE couldn’t prevent developers from drilling wells, as it has...