The Spokane and Coeur dAlene chambers of commerce have established a group called the Joint Regional Issues Task Force to tackle topics that affect the business communities in both cities.


The task force includes 16 peopleeight from the Coeur dAlene Area Chamber of Commerce and eight from the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce.


Jonathan Coe, president of the Coeur dAlene chamber, says, There are a lot of regional issues that impact the business communities on both sides. It makes sense that we work together on them.


In the task forces first meeting in late September, it identified three topics that it believes need to be addressed quickly: two major proposed Rathdrum Prairie power plants and their impact on the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer; the prospect of a Superfund designation for the Coeur dAlene River Basin; and total maximum daily loads for contaminants in the Spokane River.


Rich Hadley, president and CEO of Spokanes chamber, says the task force plans to come up with a position on those topics to present to each of the two chambers boards for approval.


If we speak uniformly on a policy issue, it will have much more of an impact in lobbying efforts at both state capitals and in Washington D.C., Hadley says.


Coe says other chambers of commerce, including those in the Spokane Valley and Post Falls might be asked if they want to become involved in the task force later, perhaps on an issue-by-issue basis. No other chambers have been approached thus far.


Hadley says the Spokane and Coeur dAlene chambers decided to launch the task force with just their own representatives because they are the regions largest chambers and the only ones with lobbyists in their respective state capitals.


Members of the task force include representatives from some of the regions larger companies, including Avista Corp., Hagadone Hospitality Co., Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp., and Hecla Mining Co.