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October 13, 2017 CapitalPress.com 11 Washington Don Jenkins/Capital Press File Opponents of a proposal to build a coal export terminal on the Colum- bia River wave signs at a public hearing May 24, 2016, in Longview, Wash. Washington Farm Bureau CEO John Stuhlmiller says the Department of Ecology has set a bad precedent by denying the project a permit to fill wetlands for reasons unrelated to water quality. Washington Farm Bureau: Nixing coal dock bad omen By DON JENKINS Capital Press Washington Farm Bureau CEO John Stuhlmiller said Monday that he was disap- pointed but not surprised that the Department of Ecology de- nied a key permit for a coal ex- port terminal on the Columbia River in Longview. The project’s purpose, ship- ping Powder River Basin coal to Asia, probably will doom it with Gov. Jay Inslee’s climate change-conscious administra- tion, he said. “The fact that you’re mov- ing coal is heavy on every- body’s mind,” Stuhlmiller said. “Personally, I think it’s prob- ably a legacy issue for the ad- ministration,” The Farm Bureau has sup- ported Millennium Bulk Termi- nals since the coal company be- gan applying for permits more than five years ago. The Farm Bureau says that new rail lines and docks in the state will help all exporters, in- cluding farmers. The proposal suffered a ma- jor setback Sept. 26 when Ecol- ogy denied a permit that Mil- lennium needs under the federal Clean Water Act to fill wetlands and dredge the Columbia River. Millennium complained Ecolo- gy was biased against the proj- ect and said that it will appeal Labor contractor fined $105,000 for no license to the Environmental and Land Use Hearings Office, a state board. An alliance of business groups has organized a cam- paign to send emails to Ecology to demonstrate public support for the terminal, and the Farm Bureau has asked its members to join in. Ecology didn’t mention climate change in its 19-page denial letter to Millennium, but Ecology has said it would hold Millennium responsible for increased carbon emissions in countries that take the coal. Ecology’s stated reasons for denying the permit — one of about 20 state, federal and local permits the project needs — weren’t confined to wetlands or the river. Ecology’s concerns included noise, air pollution, traffic at rail crossings and crowded shipping lanes. Ecology Director Maia Bel- lon said in a written statement there were “simply too many unavoidable and negative im- pacts for the project to move forward.” Many of the reasons given by Ecology were related to how the project would affect a neigh- borhood across a state highway from Longview’s heavily in- dustrialized waterfront. A study found an influx of locomotives would raise cancer rates, ac- cording to Ecology. Matthew Weaver/Capital Press Randy Fortenbery, a small grains economist at Washington State University, says storing grain is riskier for farmers this year with flat wheat prices. Economist: Flat wheat price means storage ‘risky’ Stocks down, domestic demand remains same By MATTHEW WEAVER Capital Press Storing grain is a risky economic move for wheat growers this fall, a grain economist says, since prices aren’t likely to go up before the end of the year. “I’m not expecting (farm- ers) to get rewarded for sit- ting on grain another two, three or four months,” said Randy Fortenbery, Washing- ton State University small grains economist. If prices don’t go up, farmers cannot be compen- sated for their storage costs, Fortenbery said. Storage typically doesn’t pay off for farmers in fall and winter, he said, but it tends to pay off later in the spring, when challenges to planting a spring crop or a large reduc- tion in spring wheat acreage can occur, he said. “If you’re just sort of try- ing to hold your grain to get through the end of the year for tax purposes or whatever, I don’t think you’re going to get paid for that, given what the current market conditions look like,” Fortenbery said. Asked if he’s recom- mending selling, Fortenbery said every grower’s situation varies, and some individual markets could offer a storage incentive. It depends on how much risk the farmer wants to take. “This is one of the more risky years to speculate on storage,” he said. “If you’re not willing to be a high risk-taker, this probably isn’t a good year to store.” Fortenbery expects prices on the Portland market to re- main in the $5.45-$5.50 per bushel range through the end of December. “That’s a pretty tough price” compared to growers’ cost of production, Fortenbery said. Some farmers may be near their break-even point. U.S. wheat stocks recent- ly were 2.25 billion bushels, down 11 percent from the same date in 2016. The re- duced stock is part of the reason prices are higher than they were a year ago, but farmers shouldn’t expect it to mean prices will go higher, Fortenbery said. A combination of lower production and domestic de- mand that stayed the same means some of that demand will be met out of inventory, Fortenbery said. The USDA expects ex- ports to be down by 75 million bushels compared to a year ago, from 1.06 billion bush- els, but still higher than 2015- 2016, which was a low point, Fortenbery said. Even though exports are off, the total carry- out of bushels in stock will be reduced. While the wheat stock lev- el by itself doesn’t suggest higher prices, other things could happen to boost them, such as a smaller Australian crop than expected and a weaker U.S. dollar boosting exports, Fortenbery said,. John Deere Dealers See one of these dealers for a demonstration By DAN WHEAT Capital Press OTHELLO, Wash. — A farm labor contractor has been fined $105,000 by the state Department of Labor & Industries for allegedly oper- ating without a license. The fine, issued to Agri Aide of Othello, is the larg- est ever levied against a farm labor contractor by the de- partment, a department news release says. Marivel Brunetti, co-own- er of Agri Aide with Jose Luis Brunetti, told Capital Press the fine wasn’t for operating without a license and that she was trying to take care of the matter with L&I right then and couldn’t talk. The penalty is based on the firm’s history of repeat- ed violations, L&I said. Agri Aide did not file an appeal by an Oct. 6 deadline but made a $2,000 payment toward the infraction, L&I said. Agri Aide operated with- out a license in 2012, 2013 and 2015 and received maxi- mum fines in those cases, the news release states. Violations included forging a contractor license in 2012 and failing to tell workers about conditions of employment in 2015, L&I said. Investigation of the latest case began in May based on a complaint. It involved Agri Aide workers transplanting chili plants at Williamson Farms in Quincy. Williamson Farms hadn’t checked the Agri Aide li- cense since 2006 and said it would no longer work with any unlicensed contractor, L&I said. Tisa Soeteber, L&I agri- cultural employment special- ist, said farmers should check farm labor contractor licenses annually before using them, that the Farm Labor Con- tractor Act protects workers’ rights and limits farmers’ li- ability for using unlicensed contractors. 41-1/102
