Engineers exploring whether Laurel View plant could pipe treated water to North Newport River
Customers come in one after another at Buck’s Outboard, an old-school outboard motor repair shop on Isle of Wight, just steps from the Jerico River. Randy Buck, 71, who says “I’ve always been kind of a river rat myself,” inherited the business. Hanging from the walls are his father’s World War II medals and photos, a couple of vintage outboards, and framed photos of grinning, sunburned men holding trophy fish.
“Living down here my whole life, I’ve seen a lot of people, families enjoy the river in its natural state,” Buck said, “and a lot of memories have been made. And we’d like to keep it that way.”
More than 900 members of the Facebook group “Save the Laurel View River” have loudly opposed a proposed state-of-the-art water reclamation facility, which would discharge treated wastewater a few feet from the sandbar…