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ESTABLISHED IN 1908 n www.ColumbiaMissourian.com
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Fire district to vote on staff salary ranges LOCAL WATER ISSUES

The chief’s salary
tops the maximum
suggested amount.
The salary review committee
is led by board member Shelly
Dometrorch, who made salaries
the centerpiece of her 2005 cam-
By JARED GASSEN paign for the board. The commit-
and PAUL WEBER tee, which first met in Novem-
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com ber 2007, conducted a review of
The Boone County Fire Pro- each staff position and salary in
tection District’s board of direc- the fire district compared with
specific dollar amounts for each
bracket and what to do about
employees with salaries outside
of the recommended range. The
committee recommended staff
members below the minimum
range receive a raise to the
base salary for their respective
bracket.
opt to hire Paulsell as a con-
tractor at a salary outside the
range set by the consultant, or
do nothing.
High chloride
levels found
By comparison, the fire
chief of the Lincoln, Neb., Fire
Department cannot make more
than $129,452 annually. The Lin-
coln department operates 14 fire

tors is set to decide the salary
ranges for all paid staff posi-
tions — including Fire Chief
Steve Paulsell — at a special
board meeting Thursday.
The vote comes three months
after a paid consultant, Bob
Scribner, submitted a report
analyzing the salaries of the fire
district’s paid administrative
staffs. Salaries have been an
issue since John Gordon joined
the board in 2004 and heard
complaints from fire district
volunteers that salaries of some
staff were inflated.
seven similar fire departments
around the country.
The committee then grouped
staff positions and gave each a
salary bracket with position-spe-
cific minimum and maximum
salary recommendations.
“We try to discuss this in
terms of the position, not who
is in the position,” Dometrorch
said.
At the last board meeting,
the board accepted the salary
brackets proposed by the salary
review committee. The board is
set to decide Thursday on the
Paulsell’s salary is one of
two that exceed the maximum
amount recommended by the
salary review commission,
Dometrorch said. His salary
exceeds the maximum by about
$25,000. Mechanic Jim Jennings
makes $700 more than his sal-
ary bracket allows.
In 1994, Paulsell was making
$75,582.94. Ten years later, he
was making more than $100,000
more. The board will decide if
Paulsell’s $177,058.44 salary
should be frozen or reduced to
the top of the bracket for his
position. The board could also
stations staffed by 276 career
firefighters and serves about
250,000 citizens. The Lincoln
department also has a FEMA-
funded urban search and res-
cue task force similar to Boone
County’s Missouri Task Force
One.
The Boone County Fire Dis-
trict operates 14 fire stations
with about 300 volunteers and 14
paid staff serving about 50,000
citizens.
City of Columbia Fire Chief
Bill Markgraf makes $99,114
annually.
Please see fire, page 6A
in 2 city wells
Wastewater used to
flood state wetlands
might be culprit.
By SARA SHAHRIARI
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
Two wells that supply drink-
ing water to Columbia have
unusually high chloride levels,
according to documents sup-
plied to the Missourian by the
city Department of Water and
Light.
High chloride levels in sam-
ples taken throughout the city’s
well field indicate that efflu-
ent being used to flood Eagle
Bluffs Conservation Area may
be seeping into the well field,
according to a 2002 study by
Brenda Smith of the U. S. Geo-
logical Survey in Columbia. The
sewage is treated at Columbia’s
wastewater plant and piped to
the Missouri River bottoms
near McBaine for additional
treatment in municipal wet-
land cells.
Barry Kirchhoff, superinten-
dent of the city water treat-
ment plant, said he’s aware of
the Geological Survey findings
and the possibility that treated
effluent used to flood the state-
owned conservation wetlands
is affecting groundwater in the
Missouri River bottoms that
the city relies on for drinking
water.
Chloride is a major com-
ponent of salt. Wastewater is
high in chloride because urine,
which is salty, breaks down
and leaves chloride behind.
Chloride is not known to be
harmful to people, but its pres-
ence in the wells is an indicator
of change in the water in the
alluvial plane that the city’s 15
wells tap into.
Former Columbia Water Plant
Superintendent John Betz, who
gave a June 22 presentation
at Columbia’s First Unitarian
Church on possible reasons for
high trihalomethane levels in
Columbia’s drinking water, is
concerned that city residents
aren’t receiving enough infor-
mation about their water sup-
ply and its problems.
Betz voiced the possibility
that organic matter could be
carried along with chloride
in the slow groundwater flow
from the Eagle Bluffs wetlands
to the well field. If organic
matter is carried into the wells,
it could contribute to elevated
levels of trihalomethane, a car-
cinogen, in the city’s drinking
water.
Betz suggested that shutting
off wells 5 and 6 and continu-
ing to monitor trihalomethane
levels is a feasible step the city
could take to find out if water
from these wells is affecting
trihalomethane levels in drink-
ing water.
Trihalomethanes are a
byproduct of disinfection used
to rid drinking water of harm-
ful bacteria that can be associ-
ated with organic matter.
Kirchhoff said the city could
meet its water demands with-
out those two wells, but addi-
tional testing information is
needed before considering tak-
Please see wells, page 6A

Liu Haipeng, from Inner Mongolia, cheers after Royals player David DeJesus hit a walk-off home run. Through
JIM BUELL/Missourian City searches for
ways to reduce
a translator, Haipeng described his first baseball game: “I don’t [understand] the rules, but I still feel it’s very
interesting.” Haipeng received the Santa hat free at the ballpark; the game’s theme was Christmas in July.

‘Glocalization’ trihalomethanes
The compounds have
been connected to
increased cancer risk.
halomethane levels, Kirchhoff
said. It has also begun flushing
water out of city water mains,
which drain water that has been
Eighteen delegates from By KOURTNEY GEERS
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com By SARA SHAHRIARI
standing in pipes. Water stand-
ing in pipes at high summer

Inner Mongolia, China,
learn about American
government and culture
JIM BUELL/Missourian
Liu Haipeng joins the crowd in
cheering after Royals player David
DeJesus hit a walk-off home run.
I
t was a confusing cultural moment, even
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
Levels of trihalomethanes in
Columbia’s drinking water in
by U.S. standards. But imagine you’re from May again violated the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency’s
Inner Mongolia, China, attending your first
standards. The result from the
city’s latest sample found tri-
baseball game ever, on a beautiful Saturday in July, halomethanes at 101 parts per
and you’re handed a Santa hat at the gates. billion, said Barry Kirchhoff,
superintendent of the Columbia
For a group of government officials from Inner Water Treatment Plant.
Trihalomethanes are com-
Mongolia, getting a taste of American culture at pounds that form when chlo-
rine, which is added to drinking
a Royals game in Kansas City, it was just one water to kill potentially harmful
bacteria, interacts with organic
strange experience among many. They entered matter in the water. Trihalo-
methanes have been linked with
the gates of Kauffman Stadium along with other increased risk of cancer.
The latest results are the
groups from MU’s Asian Affairs Center, and were highest level of trihalometh-
anes found in the city’s drink-
handed Santa hats decorated with Royals mono- ing water in the past 10 years,
according to documents provid-
grams. Salvation Army bell-ringers and a band ed by the city’s Department of
Water and Light.
playing Christmas tunes welcomed them next. Based on May’s test results,
Kirchhoff said he expects the
The theme of the night’s game was Christmas in city to receive another notice
that it has exceeded the EPA’s
July, of course. limit of 80 parts per billion.
Columbia’s rising trihalo-
methane levels have sent the
Welcome to the heartland. city scrambling for short-term
remedies and long-term solu-
Please see delegates, page 6A tions.
The city has decreased the
amount of chlorine it adds to the
water in hopes of decreasing tri-
temperatures is believed to be
particularly susceptible to tri-
halomethane formation, Kirch-
hoff said.
In May, the city of Columbia
entered a $91,000 contract with
MU to conduct tests of the city’s
water system.
The university team, lead by
Enos Inniss, assistant professor
in the MU College of Engineer-
ing, will sample water through-
out the city’s water distribu-
tion system to determine where
trihalomethanes are forming.
Sampling of water in the city’s
15 wells has begun, Inniss said.
Columbia’s water is tested
four times a year for trihalo-
methanes. Compliance tests of
the city’s trihalomethanes lev-
els occur near the end of the
city’s water lines, as water that
travels farther in the system
leaves more time for trihalo-
methanes to form.
According to EPA standards,
the average of any four tests
must be below 80 parts per
billion. Columbia’s November
2007 sample pushed the year’s
average above this level, and
the public was notified of the
violation in May.
2007 was not the first time
the city’s drinking water had
exceeded 80 parts per billion.
Please see levels, page 6A

Outside today Getting it right Index

HEADLINES

Mass. lawmakers act to end ban Our 100th year/#306

2 sections
The Massachusetts Senate on Tuesday voted to repeal This morning: Sunny and hot The Missourian’s policy is to check all local Abby 7A Lottery 2A 16 pages
an obscure 1913 law that has been used to keep out- with gentle south wind. stories for accuracy before publication. If Calendar 2A Opinion 7A
of-state same-sex couples from marrying there. The Temp: 91° you are a source of information, and we Classified 5B Sports 1B
House is expected to take similar action today, and This evening: Mostly clear and don’t double-check it with you, let us know. Comics 4B Sudoku 4B
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— Los Angeles Times Temp: 67° Page 2A Call Tom Warhover at 573-882-5734. 6 54051 90850 3
Page 6A — WEDNESDAY, July 16, 2008 Columbia Missourian

Fire: New SOMETHING IN THE WATER

Columbia’s water supply comes from 15 groundwater wells. Wells 5 Wells: Use of effluent
member and 6, which are adjacent to a wetland area flooded with treated

on wetlands dates to ’94

wastewater, contain high levels of chloride. Chloride indicates that
treated wastewater from the wetlands might be getting into the wells.

opposes Wells
2
Wastewater
Boone Co.

CONTINUED from page 1A 159.6 parts per million in May

CONTINUED from page 1A 9, 10 treatment MAP ing them out of service. 2007. When chloride testing of
City Manager Bill Watkins wetlands k
AREA
Kirchhoff acknowledged the the wells began in 1999, well 5
makes $147,784. ee possibility that chloride from averaged 18 parts per million

.
K RD
Cr
R
But one of the board’s two he wastewater used to flood the for the year.
IVE

Wells rc Chloride levels in wastewater

Pe Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area

R OA
newest members, John William-
2, 7 are normally about 240 parts
RI R

son, said that he was “very much Water 1 could be contributing to the lev-
BUR
opposed” to lowering Paulsell’s Wells els found in wells 5 and 6. “Could per million, and chloride levels
1, 8 treatment
SOU

salary by $25,000. plant it get there?” he said. “I suspect in the Missouri River are about
Willia mson said, hypotheti- Wells K it’s possible.” 20 parts per million, Smith said.
MIS

HOOL RD.
cally, that “if at some point the 13, 14 Smith’s 2002 study for the Chloride levels in the city’s unaf-
chief is gonna retire, we prob- United States Geological Survey fected wells are also around 20
ably wouldn’t offer this salary to on the groundwater that sup- parts per million, according to
Wells 2 the Water and Light documents.
someone new.” Wells plies Columbia’s well field con-
SC

11, 12 Wastewater The use of treated effluent to

“Steve has had a very long 3, 4 cluded that groundwater under
R
TA

treatment
and very productive career as Eagle Bluffs is higher than in seasonally flood the Missouri
S

the chief,” Williamson said of
Paulsell, who has been with the
district over 30 years.
Scribner said Tuesday he rec-
ommends the board accept the
grid, but he declined to say how
salaries that exceed the maxi-
mum for their range should be
adjusted.
Phone calls to Steve Paulsell
were not returned.
The fire chief’s March 24,
2005, contract stipulates that
if the fire district reduces his
salary or benefits more than
an across-the-board reduction
of all employees, Paulsell could
choose to be terminated and
receive his severance package.
Paulsell’s severance pay
would be a lump sum cash pay-
ment equal to six months’ salary
at the time of termination as
well as payment for all accrued
vacation time, which stood at 42
weeks as of 2005. The total sev-
erance package was estimated
by board member Dometrorch
to total around $400,000.
wetlands
adjacent areas. This causes a
Well 15 4 slow flow of groundwater to
surrounding areas with lower
water, such as the well field,
where the city wells average
Wells 5 and 6 about 100 feet deep.
The hill of water under the
3 Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area
N and is a necessary component
Eagle Bluffs “indicates potential for ground-
Conservation Area
1 / 2 MILE water flow toward the city of
Columbia well field,” Smith
wrote in 2002. The study also
noted that elevated levels of
1 Wastewater from toilets, sinks and showers goes through the first phase chloride, potassium, sulfate and
of cleaning at the city sewage treatment plant off of Gillespie Bridge
Road. calcium found in samples taken
in or near the well field indi-
2 After leaving the plant, the water is pumped into wetland treatment cate that water is flowing from
cells where it is cleaned further.
Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area
toward the well field.
3 The treated wastewater is then used on a seasonal basis to flood the Columbia’s wells 5 and 6 began
Department of Conservation’s Eagle Bluffs Area, creating a wetland
habitat. to show above-average chlo-
ride levels in 2000, according
to documents provided by the
4 This treated wastewater is soaking into the ground, flowing down along Department of Water and Light.
underground rock layers and mixing with the groundwater beneath wells
5 and 6, according to a 2002 U.S. Geological Studies report. With few exceptions, since 2000,
wells 5 and 6 have had at least
Source: COLUMBIA WATER AND LIGHT DEPARTMENT two times the chloride levels
TABAN SALEM/Missourian
found in the city’s other wells,
with well 5 hitting a high of
Department of Conservation’s
Eagle Bluffs wetlands dates to
1994, Kirchhoff said. When the
wastewater is not used to flood
the wetlands, it is routed into the
Missouri River. Tim James of
the Department of Conservation
said that use of the wastewater
saves a tremendous amount of
money compared with pumping
water from the Missouri River.
Everett Baker, an environ-
mental engineer for the Mis-
souri Department of Natural
Resources, said there are three
possible reasons for the high
chloride levels in wells 5 and 6:
treated wastewater entering the
wells, a crack in the bedrock
beneath the wells that is leak-
ing in highly mineralized water,
or a salt or brine disposal site
near the wells. The city has no
knowledge of a brine disposal
site near the well field, Everett
said.
The University of Missouri
Water Resource Center is con-
ducting research for the city
BROOKE FLETCHER/ Missourian
Tim Campbell runs a sample
on the chlorine levels of
Columbia’s water supply.
Chlorine is used to disinfect
of safe drinking water.
that includes testing the levels
of organic matter in wells 5 and
6. The center is also sampling
drinking water in the distribu-
tion system for trihalometh-
anes.
Enos Inniss, assistant pro-
fessor in the MU College of
Engineering’s Water Resources
Research Center, said the center
has no results available on the
organic matter levels in wells
5 and 6. Smith said a study she
authored that contains informa-
tion on organics levels in the
wells will be published later this
year. She would not comment on
the findings before the study is
released.

Levels: Changes to water CHEMICAL REACTIONS

However, Paulsell’s contract
has not been recognized by the
board since December 2007.
“The contract is not enforced Trihalomethanes form when water containing organic matter is
at this time. A, it was unen- treated with chlorine. Although their effects are not fully known,
forceable and B, it has expired,”
board Chairman John Gordon
said.
Gordon said the three-person
board hired a St. Louis attorney
system might slow formation
CONTINUED from page 1A liters of water at the EPA’s adults, and levels as low as 40
trihalomethanes are harmful. High levels of chloride in wells 5 and
6 could be a sign of high levels of organic matter contributing to
trihalomethanes in Columbia’s drinking water.

CHLORIDE LEVELS IN GROUNDWATER WELLS 5 AND 6

to review the contract. “He felt,
as other attorneys have said, it is
unenforceable,” Gordon said.
“The contract was never voted
on by the board and was signed
by the chairman (Willis Smith)
at the time,” Gordon said Mon-
day. “It was not fair to the tax-
payers of Boone County.”
Board meeting minutes from
2005 indicate no discussion or
vote were held to allow Presi-
dent Smith to sign the March
24 contract. Gordon said that’s
one legitimate reason for invali-
dating the contract but added:
“There are other reasons.”
Smith’s and Paulsell’s are the
only signatures on the 1994 and
2005 contracts. District legal
counsel Jeff Parshall’s signature
line remains blank.
The special open meeting will
be Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the
fire district headquarters at
2201 I-70 Drive NW.
Gordon said Tuesday that he
is attempting to set up a closed
meeting before the scheduled
open meeting, if the board mem-
bers’ schedule’s allow. The pur-
pose of the meeting would be
“to discuss a specific personnel
problem,” Gordon said.
In 2001, trihalomethanes maximum contaminant level parts per billion can be linked Measured in parts per million
averaged 80.8 parts per billion, for trihalomethanes for 70 with neural tube defects, small 100
double 2000’s level of 39.43. At years could result in three to head circumference and small
that time, the EPA threshold four cancers per 10,000 peo- body length in newborns.
was 100 parts per billion; the ple. “These are inherently dan- 80
standard was lowered to 80 Trihalomethanes have been gerous chemicals,” Naidenko
parts per billion in 2004. linked to other health effects, said. 60
In November, Columbia vot- especially for sensitive popula- Decreasing your ingestion
ers may be asked to consider a tions. of trihalomethanes is easy. 40
$38.9 million bond issue, half “Even when a contaminant Former Columbia Water Plant
of which would fund changes is at the EPA level, we have Superintendent John Betz rec- 20
to the city’s to worry about ommends leaving drinking
water system more sensi- water in an open pitcher for
0
that would
increase water
“These are inherently tive popula- three to four hours. Because 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
tions such as certain trihalomethanes are
flow through- dangerous chemicals.” children, dia- volatile, they will leave the
TRIHALOMETHANE LEVELS IN COLUMBIA’S WATER
out the sys- betics and the water. Naidenko suggests that
tem and pos-
Olga Naidenko elderly,” said houseplants will benefit from
Measured in parts per billion
Senior scientist at the Environmental 100
sibly slow the Working Group Olga Naid- the same courtesy.
formation of enko, senior Although bottled water may
trihalometh- scientist at the seem like an appealing solution, 2004 EPA standard
anes. Closing loops in the water Environmental Working Group its purity is less regulated than 80
system would decrease triha- in Washington, D.C., a non- that of Columbia’s tap water.
lomethane formation by mak- profit group that advocates for Carbon filtration systems are
ing water flow continuously reform and disseminates infor- another way to decrease tri- 60
instead of sitting in the parts mation on public health and the halomethane levels in drinking
of the system, Water and Light environment. water, Naidenko said.
spokeswoman Connie Kacpro- Epidemiological studies Meanwhile, the city awaits 40
wicz said. published in “The American the university’s test results,
The city’s notice to its water Journal of Epidemiology” and which Kirchhoff says will offer
customers in May stated “Epidemiology” found that a clearer view of where and 20
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
that, according to the Mis- trihalomethane levels as low why trihalomethane levels con-
souri Department of Natural as 50 parts per billion could tinue to rise dramatically in Source: CITY OF COLUMBIA WATER AND LIGHT DEPARTMENT
Resources, consuming two be linked to bladder cancer in Columbia’s drinking water.

Delegates: Some things lost in translation

TABAN SALEM/Missourian

CONTINUED from page 1A

Attending the game were about
half of the 18 delegates from the
autonomous region of China. The
Asian Affairs Center is hosting
them in a three-month program
to learn about the U.S.
For those who chose the base-
ball game over a trip to New York
City, it was a singular way to
learn about the idiosyncrasies of
the culture.
Some things were lost in trans-
lation, including the crowd doing
the wave and the concept of
innings. But the consensus from
the Inner Mongolians at the end
of the game was that it was
“good” and “interesting.”
Liu Haipeng, vice director
He explained that it is difficult hands-on field trips and profes-
for the leaders of the government sional site visits,” Kim said. “In
INNER MONGOLIA
of the personnel department to take off so much time in a the classroom, they learn a lot Inner Mongolia is the Mongol autonomous region of China, bordering
of Inner Mongolia, didn’t need foreign country to explore things about American English and cul- to the north with Mongolia and Russia. A delegation of 18 Inner
words to express his excitement. such as the economy, politics, cul- ture, and also there are a series of Mongolian officials are in a three-month program in Columbia learning
He cheered and danced after a ture and daily life. global leadership, public adminis- American culture and government management.
game-winning home run by the Sang Kim, director of the MU tration-type seminars throughout
Royals’ David DeJesus. Then Asian Affairs Center and the the program. Toward the end of
again, he danced when the oppos- Missouri International Training the program, to confirm what
ing team’s Ichiro Suzuki got a hit. Institute, said the government they have learned in the class-
With the help of a translator, of Inner Mongolia has chosen room, they go to different agen- MONGOLIA
Li Chunguang, deputy secretary Columbia as a training base in cies of Missouri.”
general of the Inner Mongolia 2005 and 2007, as well as this The government of Inner Mon- Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region People’s summer. golia funds the trip to improve MAP AREA
Beijing
Government, said the group’s “Inner Mongolian Government the region. Those chosen to come
experience in more than two had been sending its officials to to the training program at MU
months so far has been the East and West Coast areas of are usually promoted when they
significant. the U.S. before return home, CHINA
they were being said Kim.
sent to Colum- “It was OK for them “They may not
bia, Missouri. see a whole lot
It was OK for to go to those urban, on the federal
them to go to
those urban,
international cities, but level, but these
are provincial
international they weren’t getting officials so
cities, but they what they see
weren’t getting a whole lot of true and learn here
Source: AP, MISSOURIAN

a whole lot of American experience.” apply to their SU JING/Missourian

true American work back in the public’s opinions. he hopes more Americans will
experience, Sang Kim Inner Mongolia Kim put into words an idea travel to China to both learn a
according to Director of the MU Asian Affairs Center autonomous that resounded with many in culture and share theirs, play-
and the Missouri International the group, that their presence ing a role in the glocalization
the feedback I Training Institute
region,” Kim
heard from the explained. in Columbia is evidence of process.
organizers,” Li Shaohua, “glocalization” — globalization Glocalization received a vocal-
Kim said. board chairman of Xizhuozi at a local level. ization when members of the
Not only does Columbia offer Mountain Grasslands Cement For example, the group’s group did as they always do when
a unique taste of the U.S., the Corp. in Inner Mongolia, said visit allows Americans to they end a party: They sang a tra-
program sponsored by the Asian through a translator that he learn about Inner Mongolia ditional song after a casual din-
JIM BUELL/Missourian
Affairs Center offers diverse was impressed with the way without having to travel to ner at the Memorial Union.
From left to right, Liu Haipeng, Feng Ye, Xiong Yidi and Li educational opportunities for the the local government makes China. As Kim joked to the group, it’s
Hongling watch a Royals game at Kauffman Stadium in group of officials. money work, using a little to Many members of the group not over until the fat lady sings in
Kansas City. They traveled from Inner Mongolia to learn about “The program is a combina- do a lot. He also appreciated said they see the benefits of America, but it’s really not over
government in Columbia and to gain cultural experiences. tion of classroom learning and its willingness to listen to the this process. Chunguang said until the Inner Mongolian sings.