THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2017
Business / Agriculture
EPA says fire’s mercury
at acceptable levels
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Monday, August 28
in the afternoon, Dispatch
received a report of a
structure and grass fire up
Griffin Gulch, just outside
Baker City on the property
of Charlie Cree.
The Greater Bowen Val-
ley Rural Fire Protection
District responded. The
fire spread to other items
around the home including
an RV, according to the
Baker County Sheriff’s Of-
fice. The Baker City Fire
Department, Baker Rural
Fire Department, ODF, and
Baker County Emergency
Management Fire Division
also responded
Cree was transported to
Saint Alphonsus Medical
Center in Baker City with
burns. It is suspected that
the fire was caused by
sparks from a grinder.
During the fire an un-
known volume of elemen-
tal mercury was released.
Since such a release
could pose a potential
threat of mercury contami-
nation, assessments were
conducted of the area,
firefighters, their vehicles
and their equipment.
Warner said Tuesday,
“With the addition of three
40-hour people we can, I
believe, significantly cut
the overtime budget. The
problem that we have is
that it’s ongoing (the need
for overtime) and the last
two months we’ve used a
lot of overtime.”
Meaning a portion of that
budget that could’ve been
utilized is already gone.
That poses the question:
Could another fee be added
to City Utility Bills to meet
the financial need?
Shortfalls in the City
Budgets saw the passage of
a Public Safety Fee in the
amount of $6 for business
and $3 for residential that
went into effect in July.
That fee was met with
a large amount of com-
munity resistance but was
passed by City Council
nonetheless, and is still
Prices trended generally steady. All prices re-
ported today are 2017 crop, unless otherwise noted.
Most producers are done with first and second
cutting and out in the field working on third cutting.
Fires and smoke throughout the state have slowed
movement of hay due to highway closures and fire
mitigation. Retail/Stable type hay remains the larg-
est demanded hay. The export market demand has
increased as compared to prior reports.
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 872
Photo courtesy of Karen Brinton.
A fire up Griffin Gulch last week is thought to have been started by a spark from
a grinder.
Initial testing and investi-
gation of equipment and
fire stations indicated that
mercury levels were within
acceptable limits.
Officials in Baker Coun-
ty worked closely with the
Environmental Protection
Agency and continued to
work through last weekend
in response to that mercury
release.
According to a press
release, the EPA has
completed the initial as-
sessments and determined
elevated levels of mercury
are isolated to the site of
the release and some of the
Personal Protective Equip-
ment worn by responders.
All assessments made
of response vehicles, fire
stations, and individual
responder’s homes have
found levels of mercury
are within EPA acceptable
levels.
Mercury is naturally oc-
curring in the environment,
and some low level of
mercury can be normal.
EPA, state and local offi-
cials have worked with the
landowner to discuss the
risks and extent of con-
tamination, to isolate the
site, and will continue to
work with the landowner
on opportunities for site
clean up.
Said the press release,
“There is no threat to the
public and Baker County
appreciates the work
and coordination of the
responders, local, state
and EPA officials to fully
investigate this matter to
protect the safety of our
community.”
a matter of contention
among citizens.
Although not dismiss-
ing the prospect altogether,
Warner said, “I would
rather doubt that, at least
this year.”
He went on to say, “We
are working on different
ways to enhance the am-
bulance revenue which is
a big part of the cost of the
fire department. But once
again, those aren’t known
things but they are things
we’re going to try to do.”
The ambulance billing
was contracted out to a
third party in the 2016-
2017 budget year with a
large increase in projected
revenue that did not mate-
rialize.
That failed venture was
in part to blame for the
2017-2018 budget short-
falls.
The City terminated the
third-party contract in June
and has since taken back
control of the ambulance
billing.
It is important to note
that many of the ambu-
lance runs are for Medicare
and Medicaid recipients
and funds collected for
those services are set at
specific amounts, less than
what a usual ambulance
service call is billed.
As far as when the City
is required to officially ac-
cept or decline the SAFER
grant, Warner commented,
“That is something we
don’t know yet. I’m as-
suming we have a month
or two. The only thing we
have received is that we
received the grant.”
Warner said he and staff
are working on different
schedule models of how
use of the grant dollars
would look in the depart-
ment before presenting it
all to City Council.
Council can then begin
the task of figuring out op-
tions to “pay for it.”
Warner was very clear
saying, “If we enter into
it we have to cover the
match, that’s the big deci-
sion that the City Council
has. Once we make the
decision to accept then we
need to have the fund-
ing lined up for the three
years.”
Warner noted that finding
the funds to retain those
positions after the grant ex-
pires in three years would
be difficult.
He expected to have
information for the City
Council to review by the
next Council meeting
Tuesday, September 12,
2017.
He said, “I will have
some type of proposal for
Tuesday night or at least
some alternatives and then
they may talk about it at
the meeting or move it on
to our next meeting later in
September.”
He added, “If we can do
it basically with overtime
(monies) it’s a pretty good
deal—but that remains to
be seen.”
Benefit held to buy seizure dog
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A
400-500# Bulk 143.00-169.50 Top 174.00
500-600# Bulk 133.00-153.00 Top 153.50
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 153.00-166.00 Top 177.00
400-500# Bulk 129.00-149.00 Top 161.00
500-600# Bulk 125.00-138.00 Top 141.50
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 134.00-151.00 Top 151.50
700-800# Bulk 129.00-142.75 Top 143.50
800-900# Bulk 117.00-126.00 Top 128.00
900-1,000# Bulk 109.00-116.00 Top 118.00
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 125.00-137.00 Top 140.00
700-800# Bulk 121.00-130.00 Top 131.00
800-900# Bulk 119.00-126.00 Top 126.75
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Thin Shelly Cows 47.00-65.00
Butcher Cows 66.00-73.00
Butcher Bulls 67.00-83.00
Stock Cows N/A
Younger Heifers 77.00-97.00
Pairs Young - N/A
ProducersLivestock.com
541-473-3136
— Log Price Report —
Prices are based on the majority of saw mills in
Northeastern Oregon and Central Idaho. The prices
listed below are a composite prices of various saw-
mills willing to visit with me about this topic.
Ponderosa Pine—small diameter class 8-11 inches
diameter class $250 per mbf. Only one sawmill was
willing to buy small diameter pine at this time.
Ponderosa Pine—medium diameter class 12-17
inches diameter class $300 to $350 per mbf
Ponderosa Pine-large diameter class 18 plus inches
diameter class $380 to $410 per mbf
The Pine prices are still approximately $40 per mbf
below average lumber/log market due to 2017 fire
salvage
Doug Fir & Western Larch—$380 to $420 per
mbf. Normal prices typically ranged between $425
to $475 per mbf.
White Fir-$300 per mbf. Normal prices typically
ranged between $340 to $360 per mbf.
Engelmann Spruce—$350 at one Idaho sawmill,
other sawmills including with White fir prices.
In general, the log prices still impacted from 2015
fire season and fire salvage that resulted. Sawmills
are starting to get log yard inventory in line with
sawmill production needs. With a new Administra-
tion as of 1/20/2017, a more normal economic envi-
ronment should result and hopefully a more healthy
housing situation will result in a better climate for
Northeast Oregon Sawmill and private forest land-
owners.
Courtesy of Arvid Andersen,
Andersen Forestry Consulting
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Sunday, September
3, Baker City Events held
a benefit concert at the
Geiser-Pollman Park to
raise funds to help local
Natasha Harrington apply
for a grant for a seizure
dog.
They were able to raise
$5,136.
Harrington has had
epilepsy since she was 12
years-old.
Her first diagnosis was
not correct and they did not
find out the right diagnosis
until last year in April.
SEE BENEFIT
PAGE 8
Friday, September 1, 2017 — Eastern Oregon
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa Large Square Premium
30 160.00-160.00 160.00
Alfalfa Large Square Fair
150 112.00-112.00 112.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
Fire Department grant
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
— Weekly Hay Report —
— Precious Metals Report —
Price per ounce, USD
Gold: $1,345.30
Silver: $18.06
Platinum: $1010.05
Palladium: $947.29
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press.
Natasha Harrington with her mother Robin Harrington.
Corn: $360.50/bu/USD
Wheat: $445.75/bu/USD
Soybeans: $973.75/bu/USD
Oats: $234.00 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $12.77/cwt/USD
Canola: $497.50 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $105.05//lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $143.57/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $63.43/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com