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February 10, 2017 CapitalPress.com Subscribe to our weekly Idaho email newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters 9 Idaho Bill would create dyed fuel enforcement program in Idaho By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press BOISE — A bill that would create a dyed fuel en- forcement program in Idaho has been introduced in the Legislature. Members of the Senate Transportation Committee voted unanimously Feb. 2 to print the bill, by Sen. Bert Brackett, a Republican ranch- er from Rogerson and the committee’s chairman. Brackett said his bill would create a basic enforcement program with the goal of stop- ping any illegal use of dyed fuel, which is also called dyed diesel and is exempt from state and federal fuel taxes be- cause it’s only for use in off- road, unlicensed vehicles. “We don’t want a bloated Associated Press File The Idaho Legislature is considering an enforcement program aimed at keeping untaxed dyed diesel meant for tractors, combines and other off-road equipment from being used in cars and trucks. bureaucracy with this,” he told Food Producers of Ida- ho members recently. “The goal is not to increase revenue through penalties. It’s to in- crease compliance.” “The whole gist of this proposal is that it will be rea- sonable,” Brackett said. Dyed fuel is heavily used in the agricultural, mining, timber and construction in- dustries. Idaho Farm Bureau Feder- ation and Food Producers of Idaho both sent white papers to lawmakers outlining their concerns about a possible dyed fuel enforcement pro- gram. Brackett said those papers were helpful as he was put- ting the proposal together and his legislation addresses their concerns. Law enforcement offi- cers in Idaho currently don’t have authority to test fuel tanks for dyed fuel, which is tinted red so it can be easily identified. Brackett’s bill would allow certain of- ficers and weigh stations to do that. A 2016 report by the state tax commission, state police and transportation department estimated that as much as $11 million worth of the fuel is ille- Well driller stays busiest in winter By DIANNA TROYER For the Capital Press Rich Scrivner and his two- man crew seek shelter in his “dog house” during winter while drilling irrigation wells in the Raft River Valley of southeastern Idaho. “It’s what I call my trailer,” says the Malta resident. “I get a fire burning in the stove, and we’re toasty no matter what’s going on outside.” Before he bought the wooden dog house, ranchers stacked up round bales around his trucks to provide shelter when he began drilling in the valley in 2003 to help a friend who had too much work. Winter is his busiest time. “From mid-October to May, it’s go, go, go. Farmers need the water in summer, so I do my drilling and mainte- nance during their downtime.” Scrivner, 67, says drilling wells has been a gratifying ca- reer for decades. “Every job is different,” he says. “You never know what you’ll run into. When I’m done, I have a great sense of accomplishment. Like gold, silver, or copper, water is a valuable commodity. Unlike metals, though, you can’t live without it.” He encourages irrigators to do routine maintenance on their wells. “It’s a lot cheaper, about $18,000, than drilling a new TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Poor water quality is often overlooked when pesticides aren’t performing as they should. But water is the main in- gredient in a tank mix, and the quality of that water is the first thing applicators should investigate. Water can make up 99 per- cent of the mix, so its quali- ty is critical, Ronda Hirnyck, University of Idaho state pes- ticide coordinator, told those attending a pesticide seminar at Agri-Action on Friday. Poor pesticide perfor- mance could be a matter of water acidity or minerals or suspended solids in the water, she said. “If you have a problem, remember water quality could be an issue,” she said. The most common com- plaint associated with water quality is that herbicides ar- en’t working effectively. Most herbicides are weak acids. If the water pH — a scale that measures acidity — is not compatible, it causes the pes- ticide to break apart so it’s no longer effective. That can happen quickly, in anywhere from minutes to hours. Most herbicides work best in water with a pH of 4 to 6.5. Chemical stability varies, but most herbicides need a pH be- low 7 or neutral. More alka- line water negatively affects chemical stability. “The bottom line is you probably need to get the pH down because the mix is not going to be effective,” she said. Oregon professional to lead southern Idaho economic development Capital Press Photos by Dianna Troyer/For the Capital Press Rich Scrivner works on billing when he isn’t drilling an irrigation well. Rich Scrivner relies on a small camera to diagnose problems that require repairs. 600-foot-deep well that will cost about $180,000 for the drilling, electrical lines, pump and pipe.” For repair and maintenance, Scrivner relies on a camera and a scrubbing device. “If you’re not using a cam- era, you’re making an educat- ed guess about what’s wrong,” he says. To remove mineral buildup, he uses a high-pressure pump that sprays 9 gallons of water a minute at 5,000 pounds per square inch. “That jetter head can make a casing look new,” he says. The area’s geology can damage a well. A fault line runs through part of the Raft River Valley, so as the earth moves it often shifts the well casing slightly. To make it straight and round again, he inserts a swedge, a large cone-shaped piece of metal with a cable at- tached to it, into the casing. “Then you beat on it,” he says, laughing. As the swedge descends A pH of 3.5 to 6 is satisfac- tory for short-term storage. A pH between 6 and 7 is proba- bly OK if it is sprayed within an hour or two of mixing, she said. Applicators can use a lit- mus strip to test pH. If it’s greater than 7, they should consider adding a buffering agent or acidifier or finding an alternative water source. Minerals in water can also affect the efficacy of pesti- cides. Water hardness is the measure of positively charged minerals, and most water is hard. Most pesticides have negative charges. The miner- als act like a magnet, absorb- ing the chemicals in the water. They tie up the pesticide and reduce its effectiveness. Noticeable effects are seen in 2,4-D and glyphosate at hardness as low as 150 parts per million, she said. The amount of total dis- solved solids can be tested by evaporating water to dryness and measuring the remaining minerals. Dry ammonium sul- fate can be added to water to reduce hardness, she said. Suspended solids in water can also be an issue in pesti- cide performance. Some pes- ticides — such as glyphosate — are attracted to soil parti- cles and will bind with any suspended soil particles in the water, reducing efficacy. Applicators can test the level of suspended solids by dropping a quarter in a 5-gal- lon bucket of water. If they can’t see the quarter, the wa- ter is too turbid. The remedy and pressure is applied, the casing becomes round and straight again. He stores the massive tools of his trade along the edges of his one-acre property. Drill bits range in diameter from 16 to 24 inches. They weigh 1,500 to 1,800 pounds and stretch 6 to 8 feet long. Next to them are 150-pound wrenches he must maneuver with a hydraulic winch to tighten the bits onto a drilling stem. Since 2003, he estimates he has drilled 30 new irrigation wells in the region as far south as Park Valley and as far north as Paul. A typical well pro- vides 3,000 gallons of water a minute. is to find an alternative water source, she said. Water quality issues that affect pesticide performance can be remedied, she said. “You just need to sam- ple water so you know what you have to begin with. As easy as it is to sample water, it’s worthwhile to test,” she said. TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization has hired Connie Stopher to serve as its new executive di- rector, effective March 15. The announcement was made on Feb. 1. Stopher has been executive director of the South Coast Development Council in Coos Bay, Ore., since 2014. In that position, she was responsible for launching the council’s business retention and expan- sion program and assisting with numerous business start- ups, expansions and reloca- tions, which have added hun- dreds of new jobs throughout the region, according to a press release from SIEDO. In her new position with SIEDO, she will be respon- sible for leading the econom- ic development activities in Southern Idaho to develop and grow the region by work- ing closely with SIEDO’s executive board, member cit- ies and counties, the College of Southern Idaho, Business Plus (a regional private busi- ness nonprofit organization), regional and state agencies and site selectors. Her efforts will be focused on talent attraction and busi- ness recruitment, expansion and retention. “The region has seen tre- mendous success over the last several years, and I’m excited to be working with the talent- ed individuals and communi- ties that have supported that growth,” Stopher said in the press release. Stopher brings extensive skills in all areas of econom- ic development, having run a successful similar organiza- Courtesy of SIEDO The Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization has announced the hiring of Connie Stopher as the new executive director. Stopher was the executive director of the South Coast Development Council in Coos Bay, Ore. tion in Oregon, said Dan Ol- mstead, SIEDO chairman. “She offers the ability to develop a vision for the region to move the organization and economic successes in south- ern Idaho forward. She has al- ready connected with several of our regional partners in the interview process and is ready to hit the ground running,” he said. Stopher has also served as an economic development specialist for Bannock De- velopment Corp. and human resource workforce training instructor at Idaho State Uni- versity. She earned a master’s de- gree in public administration and a bachelor of arts in polit- ical science from ISU. Brad Wills has served as SIEDO interim direc- tor since October, after Jeff Hough resigned in September due to personal reasons. WE SPECIALIZE IN BULK BAGS! ROP-40-42-4/#17 Capital Press The FPI and IFBF white papers oppose joint jurisdic- tion of an enforcement pro- gram with the federal Internal Revenue Service. “Yes, Idaho will have sole jurisdiction over the pro- gram,” Brackett said. “There will be no joint jurisdiction with the IRS.” The white papers also called for an outreach and education program before the program goes into effect, and Brackett said that would hap- pen. His legislation would be effective July 1 and require a six-month outreach effort before enforcement actions begin. That means any enforce- ment wouldn’t begin until early next year. “That’s ample time to get the word out,” Brackett said. By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Water quality impacts pesticide performance By CAROL RYAN DUMAS gally used in Idaho each year. IFBF’s white paper chal- lenges that premise. Based on the report’s es- timate, that means about 37 million gallons of dyed fuel was used illegally on Ida- ho highways in 2015, IFBF pointed out. “We question whether one-sixth of the dyed fuel consumed in ... Idaho is illegally used on Idaho’s high- ways.” But IFBF and other farm groups have told lawmakers that they are willing to dis- cuss a dyed fuel enforcement program as long as it doesn’t unfairly target agriculture and isn’t burdensome. Brackett’s bill would set the fine for a first offense at $250. It would go to $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for a third offense. BAGS: • Seed Bags • Fertilizer Bags • Feed Bags • Potato Bags • Printed Bags • Plain Bags • Bulk Bags • Totes • Woven Polypropylene • Bopp • Polyethylene • Pocket Bags • Roll Stock & More! 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