Seniors coalition wants to join Lake Mead forum

      Biologist Larry Paulson attended a forum of government agencies pursuing solutions to Lake Mead's water-quality problems, but he said he felt more like he was on the outside looking in at Wednesday's meeting.
      "The deck is stacked," said Paulson, one of a few nongovernment employees who attended the forum that lists 17 state, local and federal agencies as its members.
      He said that while the forum listens to his suggestions about speeding up restoration of wetlands along Las Vegas Wash and increasing reuse of treated wastewater channeled to the lake, he won't have equal footing with forum members when they decide what actions to take to resolve problems.
      "We are not solely here as critics. We are here as participants," he said, trying to persuade the forum's leader, Allen Biaggi of the state Environmental Protection Division, to include his group on the forum's member list. The list appeared on a draft agreement that charts the course for the Lake Mead Water Quality Coordination Forum, which held its second meeting Wednesday.
      Representing the Nevada Seniors Coalition, Paulson is a critic of water agencies and wastewater dischargers that he blames for much of the contamination in the lake's Las Vegas Bay. There, federal biologists in November reported finding sexual disorders in carp and evidence of contamination from toxic chemicals that have been banned for more than 20 years.
      Biaggi explained the forum's position: "We feel the forum is being established for agencies that have water-quality responsibilities of the bay and wash. Forum membership is for governmental agencies."
      Paulson responded: "That's bull."
      Another nongovernment attendee, Steven Weber, environmental resources director for Lake Las Vegas Resort, said he, too, was concerned, but from the standpoint that "We need to be informed but we don't need to be a member of the forum per se."
      The forum identified 18 issues it should pursue, ranging from determining if there is a need to warn people about eating fish caught in Las Vegas Bay to identifying sources of contamination, and defining the path of residual compounds thought to flow from Las Vegas Wash toward water-supply intakes six miles downstream.
      Paulson said, "We could start putting wetlands together while doing studies" and also take action on reusing treated water rather than loading it into the lake.''
      Many forum members agreed with Paulson.
      Results from tissue tests of two striped bass and two catfish from Las Vegas Bay are expected from an Environmental Protection Agency laboratory in 60 days, National Park Service biologist Bill Burke said. The fish are among 30 that have been caught to see if they also contain evidence of chemicals that were found in carp from the bay.