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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2020)
2A — THE OBSERVER D AILY P LANNER FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2020 LOCAL Study: Removing dams would prove costly By Matthew Weaver TODAY Capital Press Today is Friday, Jan. 10, the 10th day of 2020. There are 356 days left in the year. PORTLAND — A new study finds the costs to farmers and the region’s economy if the four dams on the lower Snake River were removed would aver- age roughly $76 million a year. That equals as much as $2.3 bil- lion over the next 30 years, according to the study, which was commis- sioned by the Pacifi c Northwest Waterways Association. Some of the estimated costs in the form of higher expenses for farmers and others would be for building and maintaining roads, railroad facilities and storage facilities. The overall impact on the region’s economy is also factored in. Meira “Rather than an opinion poll, this study relies on existing data. ...,” associa- tion executive director Kristin Meira told the Capital Press. The association commissioned economic consultants FCS Group to develop the study to offset misin- formation about the value of the Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite dams to the region’s economy. The association wanted to provide a full picture of the impacts that would be felt if the dams were removed, particularly in the trans- portation sector, Meira said. The study doesn’t include the cost of breaching the dams. Information in the study comes from government agencies, commod- ity commissions and ports. “We don’t create new data here,” Meira said. “We simply evaluate the data and determine what it means for the Northwest if the dams were to be removed. ... This is actual data with regard to the value of com- modities that move and how much transportation costs.” TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT On Jan. 10, 2016, David Bowie, the chameleon-like star who transformed the sound — and the look — of rock with his audacious creativity and his sexually ambiguous makeup and costumes, died in New York. ON THIS DATE In 1776, Thomas Paine anonymously published his infl uential pamphlet, “Com- mon Sense,” which argued for American independence from British rule. In 1863, the London Underground had its begin- nings as the Metropolitan, the world’s fi rst under- ground passenger railway, opened to the public with service between Paddington and Farringdon Street. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson, in his State of the Union address, asked Congress to impose a sur- charge on both corporate and individual income taxes to help pay for his “Great Society” programs as well as the war in Vietnam. That same day, Massachu- setts Republican Edward W. Brooke, the fi rst black person elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, took his seat. In 1984, the United States and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations for the fi rst time in more than a century. In 1994, President Bill Clinton, attending a NATO summit meeting in Brus- sels, Belgium, announced completion of an agreement to remove all long-range nuclear missiles from the former Soviet republic of Ukraine. CORRECTION The Observer ran an incorrect name in the Dec. 29, 2019, feature, “Imbler cold case excites La Grande writer.” Union County Sher- iff Jesse Alden Breshears in- vestigated the 1927 murder of John Mayfi eld in Imbler. The Observer sincerely regrets the error. LOTTERY Megabucks: $1 million 14-16-25-33-37-42 The Associated Press fi le photo The Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River near Pomeroy, Washington. A new study fi nds that the costs to farmers and the region’s economy if the four dams on the lower Snake River were removed would average roughly $76 million a year. According to the study: • Removing the Snake River locks would cause diesel fuel consumption to increase by nearly 5 million gallons per year as barges were replaced by less effi cient trucks and railroads. Carbon emissions would increase by more than 1.2 million tons a year, the equivalent of putting 181,889 more passenger cars on the road. • Transportation and storage costs for wheat, the dominant crop in the region, would likely increase from 40 cents per bushel to 60 to 80 cents per bushel with dam breaching, accord- ing to the study. That would cost the region’s farmers an additional $18.9 million to $38.8 million a year. • Expansion and maintenance of highways, railroads and grain elevators would cost more than $1.6 billion. At least 201 additional unit trains and 23.8 million miles of ad- ditional trucking would be needed annually. Barges produce fewer emis- sions than any other form of cargo transportation, Meira said. The association found the carbon impacts of shifting to trucks and rail “pretty stark.” “It’s hard to picture being con- cerned with climate change and be- ing in favor of dam breaching — they just don’t go together,” she said. County suspends new local right-of-way rules By Dick Mason The Observer LA GRANDE — The Union County Board of Commissioners suspended a new right-of-way ordinance Wednesday after repre- sentatives of two utilities expressed concerns. “We want to study it further,” said Paul Anderes, chair of the county board. The ordinance, which took effect in December, charges utilities $500 per application for projects along the right- of-way of county roads. The charge for a noncommercial application is $100. The pre- vious fees were $40 for both utilities and non-commercial users. Steve Vincent, Oregon regional business man- ager for Avista Utilities, and Mike Pommarane, director of operations for Oregon Electric Cooperative, were at the Wednesday meeting and spoke against the ordinance. Vincent said the local law appears to confl ict with Or- egon Revised Statue 785.010, which authorizes utilities to construct, maintain and operate utility facilities along public roads free of charge. He said the “free of charge” condition has been upheld by the Oregon Court of Appeals in two cases, one in 1984 and another in 1994. Vincent said Avista Utilities asked the county commissioners either to sus- pend enforcement of its new ordinance until it complies with the state law or another court hands down a ruling. Pommarane asked the board to clarify the new local law. “We want to support the county and we also want to understand what the ordi- nance means,” he said. Pommarane said clarifi ca- tion was needed on on sev- eral aspects of the local law, including what impact it will have on OTEC’s members, who are also its owners. He wants to know, for example, how much the new ordi- nance will affect costs, which could affect the rates OTEC members pay. Per the county law, the right-of-ways on Union County roads run 30 feet from the centerline on both sides of the road. Pomma- rane said OTEC crews work almost every day in Union County’s right-of-ways, providing maintenance and service to new members, and the co-op conducts about 35 projects in right-of-ways a year in the county. The county’s law, he said, could require OTEC to pay for a $500 permit for any type of work in a right-of-way. Pommarane wants to know whether this will the case. Union County Public Works Director Doug Wright said the ordinance helps the county protect the road and the right-of-way because it requires the submission of plans to apply for permits, and that allows the county to know what work could be going on in right-of-ways and ensure it is done in a proper manner. The board of commission- ers voted 3-0 to suspend the ordinance. The board late Friday morning held an emergency meeting to further discuss protecting rights-of-way. In another matter, the board of commissioners decided to delay voting Hwy 30 Cannabis was closed. “It was really tough. I felt bad for them,” she said. Portland attorney Leland Berger, who represents Hwy 30 Cannabis and Lindsey, said the Oregon Health Authority’s investigation of Hwy 30 focused on employ- ees who were not follow- ing rules and regulations. Berger said Lindsey put a lot of trust in her employees, some of whom let her down. Berger also said some may be guilty of theft. Those employees no longer work for Hwy 30 Cannabis, and Berger said Lindsey is taking a more hands-on approach to running her business. Berger described the settle- ment, which was in in lieu of a health authority hearing, as similar to an out-of-court settlement in a civil case. Modie said the preliminary fi ndings resulted in the imme- diate suspension in November. He added the settlement agreement addressed the suspension only and provided the dispensary an opportunity to resume operations. Modie also said the state’s medical marijuana program has no additional information to share because the investiga- tion is ongoing, whether to provide $6,000 to the Eastern Oregon Film Festival this year. The board made the motion at its Dec. 18, 2019, meeting after Chris Jennings, director of the annual fi lm festival, asked the country to provide $7,800 to fund the event in 2020. The county provided the fi lm festival $3,500 in 2019. The funding would come from the county’s motel tax, also known as its transient room tax. Anderes said he did not want the commissioners to vote on the motion until the board conducts a work session to set priorities for how transient room tax funding should be spent. The commission will vote on the motion for funding of the Eastern Oregon Film Festival at a regular meeting following the work session. Mega Millions: $80 million 25-40-41-52-56-21-x4 Powerball: $277 million 2-4-7-43-56-22-x4 Win for Life: Jan. 8 27-36-43-69 Pick 4: Jan. 9 • 1 p.m.: 5-9-3-8 • 4 p.m.: 9-0-1-0 • 7 p.m.: 1-4-1-9 • 10 p.m.: 1-2-8-9 Pick 4: Jan. 8 • 1 p.m.: 4-0-2-4 • 4 p.m.: 5-7-9-2 • 7 p.m.: 7-6-3-2 • 10 p.m.: 0-2-4-4 NEWSPAPER LATE? Every effort is made to de- liver your Observer in a timely manner. Occasionally condi- tions exist that make delivery more diffi cult. If you are not on a motor route, delivery should be before 5:30 p.m. If your delivery is by motor carrier, delivery should be by 6 p.m. The Observer offi ce closes at 5 p.m. If you do not receive your paper please call 541-963- 3161. QUOTE OF THE DAY “In much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” — Ecclesiastes 1:18 Hwy 30 Cannabis opens after closure By Dick Mason The Observer LA GRANDE — Hwy 30 Cannabis is back in opera- tion. The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program in November 2019 ordered the medical marijuana dispen- sary at 1709 Adams Ave., La Grande, to suspend opera- tions. Owner Rona Lindsey appealed, and the business reopened Dec. 19. Jonathan Modie, spokes- person for the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, said Hwy 30 entered into an agreement with the Oregon Health Authority, effective Nov. 25, to lift the suspen- sion. “The dispensary was found to be in compliance with the terms of the settle- ment agreement and the emergency suspension was lifted Dec. 18, 2019. Since the dispensary entered into a settlement agreement regarding the emergency suspension, the appeal was withdrawn,” according to a statement from Modie. However, he also re- ported the investigation that prompted the suspension is ongoing. Lindsey said Hwy 30 has received a positive reception after the shutdown. Many of her customers traveled to Pendleton and Ontario to get medical mari- juana, she explained, while THANK YOU!! To our valued friends and customers for all the years of support. 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