By Nate Poppino

Times-News writer

Voters found it a fantastic idea.

For nearly $7 million - paid for largely through loans and grants from the federal stimulus act - the roughly 250 residents of Bliss will receive an upgraded wastewater system and can stop relying on septic tanks and small ponds.

But the planned location for the town's new wastewater lagoons - which lies outside Bliss city limits - has angered a number of Gooding County residents, leading to a tort claim and increased public scrutiny of an environmental study of the project.

The plastic-lined lagoons, designed to meet state standards, would be placed on land just southeast of Bliss near the Snake River Canyon rim, currently owned by Gooding County Commission Chairman Tom Faulkner.

"I just think it's good for the city of Bliss," said Faulkner, who has owned the land for three years. "That's why I've been supportive of it."

J-U-B Engineers and Region IV Development are helping the town through the process, while U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are overseeing the environmental review.

Critics of the plan generally fall in two categories: Faulkner's immediate neighbors are concerned about their property values and other side effects of living next to the waste lagoons, while residents in the canyon along River Road worry leaks in the liner will poison the springs they use for drinking water, aquaculture and other purposes.

Some, such as Bernard Saul, are upset enough that they're filing a tort claim against the city, county and anyone else they could think of. Saul told the Times-News this week that the claim will allow residents to pursue court actions later on should the plan go forward.

Saul's home sits 200 feet from the site and he used to farm the land under a long-term lease. He said the site is full of sinkholes that would lead to holes in the liner. It's also within 500 feet of a massive landslide that carried 100 acres of land into the Snake River in 1993. Core tests ordered by the town largely tested spots outside of the lagoon perimeter and avoided rocky ground to make the data look good, he alleged.

Glenn and Shelley Frederickson own land on two sides of Faulkner's and have already decided to move due to worries about possible odor and other issues from the lagoons. Shelley Frederickson alleged Bliss officials even threatened to take 10 acres from her through eminent domain for one of the lagoon setbacks.

"None of us are against Bliss getting a new sewer," she said, arguing the town could have looked at federal land. "The location choice is what has all of us up in arms."

Feedback received as part of the environmental review included comments signed by 19 residents along River Road, questioning everything from odor and property values to the quality of the liners used for what their letter calls a "cesspool."

The town and project developers are preparing a response to the public comments that will be reviewed by the state and federal agencies before release, possibly next week. Carleen Herring with Region IV Development said the pending tort claim means she can't say much about the neighbors' concerns. But she did say the eminent-domain accusation isn't an issue - the setbacks won't need to extend to the Fredericksons' land. Bliss Mayor Laura Pulse could not be reached this week for comment.

Some critics, including River Road resident Connie Flinders, have even questioned whether Faulkner bought the land just to make money by selling it to Bliss.

But Faulkner disputed such accusations and said he thinks the project would attract critics no matter where it would be. The land has yet to even be appraised; city officials could not confirm Thursday how much they've budgeted to buy it.