Colorado Springs, Pueblo bishops urge solution to water problem in Fountain Creek
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| Bishop Michael Sheridan addresses the media during a press conference with Pueblo Bishop Arthur Tafoya about the Fountain Creek water quality situation Aug. 17 at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Colorado Springs. Herald/Bill Howard |
Residents along and near Fountain Creek claim sewage spills from
A recent proposal to build a dam that could provide a buffer for
As the tension between the two cities has increased and with no solution in sight, Bishops Sheridan and Tafoya felt it was time for the church to step in and encourage collaboration toward an answer to the problem.
“We’re here to give moral support so that people will come together and see how they can really try to solve the water issue,” Bishop Tafoya said at the press conference. “It involves health, agriculture and communities coming together. . . . People need to know what’s going on, and I think we need to involve everybody to see how this can be resolved.”
In the statement, the bishops “emphasize the moral and ethical responsibilities we all share to find equitable and effective solutions.”
“Fountain Creek has become an effluent driven stream. Its flows are dominated by discharges from sewage treatment facilities and storm water conduits,” the statement said. “As our communities grow, those flows and the contaminants they carry will increase, and the risks of downstream flooding, human health problems and natural resource damages will increase as well.”
“Access to safe and clean water is a right of every person,” it said. “it is our moral responsibility to ensure that the water that we discharge into our waterways is not polluted.”
At the press conference, Bishop Sheridan said that, while the bishops are not proposing particular solutions, “one thing we don’t think will work is if it’s just done piecemeal if particular interests have their sway. We want to try to call and be supportive of all of those who live along Fountain Creek, all who have a stake in the table. With that common effort and with God’s help, we can make an asset out of what so often now appears as a liability.”
Bishop Tafoya defended the church’s involvement in the issue, saying it is a moral issue “because it affects the lives of people. It also affects their livelihood.”
Added Bishop Sheridan: “Ecology is not just a matter of science or something for politicians to take care of. We have a moral responsibility to care for the earth.”
Bishop Tafoya called for more members of the affected communities to get involved in the solution process.
“They’re the ones who should be taking the lead. We’re here to say, ‘Please do something,’” he said. “We are concerned as pastors that people be served well, that people are cared for. We look at all the issues, from agriculture to health, and how it affects the lives of people.”
Added Bishop Sheridan: “Insofar as our voices as pastors of these two local churches can encourage, can life people’s hopes that something can be done, that’s the voice we want to give.”
The complete statement follows:Fountain Creek: Toward Solutions for All
We the Catholic Bishops of Pueblo and Colorado Springs are concerned with the water quality issues that affect the health and safety of the residents along Fountain Creek, as well as the existing tension between these two cities we serve. To address the problems that we face with Fountain Creek, we strongly encourage a structured, inclusive dialogue to develop a shared vision for the future of the Fountain Watershed.
Fountain Creek should be a valued and nurtured natural asset to all of the people who live, work and play along its banks. It should connect and unite the communities it touches, not divide them.
It is our wish to emphasize the moral and ethical responsibilities we all share to find equitable and effective solutions to the problems impacting Fountain Creek and we want to bring a message of hope to the discussions around those issues. They are sometimes complex, but they are resolvable.
Fountain Creek has become an effluent driven stream. Its flows are dominated by discharges from sewage treatment facilities and stormwater conduits. As our communities grow, those flows and the contaminants they carry will increase, and the risks of downstream flooding, human health problems and natural resource damages will increase as well.
Water is a necessity of life. Access to safe and clean water is a right of every person. It is our moral responsibility to ensure that the water that we discharge into our waterways is not polluted. Every community along our waterways has the right to clean water and to protection from floods and other damages that can be caused by ill-considered actions upstream.
It is our belief that every set of problems provides us with valuable opportunities. So it is with Fountain Creek.
A serious commitment is essential to insure that the citizens who are most affected have a place at the table in any dialogue that explores possible solutions to the problems of Fountain Creek.
We applaud the efforts of leaders in and out of government who seek to assure clean water and manageable flows in Fountain Creek. We are especially grateful to those citizens who have organized to address problems in Fountain Creek, including the “water sentinels,” citizens who have volunteered to receive training to do water testing on the Fountain.
Fort Carson has chosen to build a sustainable future for the base and is reaching out to the surrounding communities to adopt the same vision. This vision is needed in our discussion about Fountain Creek.
We live in one of the most beautiful areas in the country. Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and the surrounding communities are linked not only by Fountain Creek, but by a future that will be increasingly interdependent. What we envision and work for today will determine what future generations will inherit.
Aug. 17, 2006