Thursday May 21,1981
Page 2— Vernonia Freedom
M—B CHIEF SAYS
Need for Mist money explained
To the Editor:
I am writing to let the people of
Columbia County know just what is
going on in this gas well royalties
fight, and why we’re fighting so hard
to receive a fair share of the monies
being generated here in the Mist gas
and private donations:
On
August
1,
1979
Robert
Townsend, of Billings, Montana, a
gas drilling company executive, was
transported. In this same accident
Don Soderback was transported via
Life Flight to Emanuel Hospital
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Public
Forum
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fields.
The very real threat posed by these
wells
far
outweighs
our
local
capability
to
provide
adequate
emergency services at this time. Not
only is our need readily apparent but,
we feel, there are strong moral
compulsions as well. It is patently
unfair for the vast bulk of the county
revenue produced in the Mist-
Birkenfeld area to remain outside the
area that not only produces it but
needs, in very real terms, to upgrade
its protection facilities in specific
response to a threat that simply
didn’t exist before the gas wells went
in.
The dilemma posed by these wells,
by projected new wells in the
Nehalem Valley, and the use of
emptied wells as reservoirs for
Canadian gas represent a broad
spectrum of challenges faced by
communities everywhere. I have been
informed of plans to drill new well
sites in the Vernonia and Chapman
areas this summer. If so, the problem
is more likely to grow larger rather
than smaller and will affect an ever
growing number of people. &
One of the largest challenges we
face concerns providing adequate
emergency medical care not only for
our own residents but for logging
crews working locally and for gas well
personnel and testing employees as
well. The examples listed below
amply demonstrate the regularity of
that need arising and the severity of
the medical need itself. Please keep in
mind that ours is a purely volunteer
ambulance
association
funded
entirely by the volunteers themselves
Injuries included; dislocated hip,
avulsion on lower hip and a cut on
right knee.
On July 13, 1980 we transported
Mountain Geographical employee
Sharon Wells. Wells tripped and hit
her head on a tree, knocking herself
unconscious for twenty minutes.
In November 1980 we aided Life
Flight in evacuating Rick Trice, an
employee of Taylor Drilling, while he
was
only
semi-conscious.
Mist-
Birkenfeld Quick Response aided in
radio communications, lights and
personnel during a night rescue.
As well as obvious problems we’ve
encountered, such as maintaining
adequate emergency response and
police protection, we also face a
number of far less obvious dilemmas.
Foremost among them is the
proliferation of litter
increased
traffic along our small rural roads has
meant. Were also suffering through a
noticeable increase in strangers
climbing our fences, unexplained
explosions
along
the
highway,
mysterious oil spills, suspiciously
unmarked oil trucks leaving an oily
trail along ¿he highway behind them,-
the loss of eight windows in the Natal
Grange Hall from seismic blasting,
and at least a doubling of traffic
during the last two years.
Although the sheriff’s office does
its best to offer us adequate
protection it remains, nonetheless, far
from complete. Some of the money we
would accrue through our last
proposal is specifically earmarked for
the sheriff’s office to aid in increasing
continued on page 3
Mist fire protection inadequate
To the Editor:
During the past few years it has
become increasingly apparent that
fire protection in our area is
inadequate. This is due, in part, to an
influx of gas drilling equipment and
crews. In order to provide the kind of
protection our community deserves it
will be necessary to improve our
equipment, fire and ambulance, in the
very near future.
The possibility of natural gas fire
Air packs too old
To the Editor:
I would like to bring to your
attention our present situation with
our
self-contained
breathing
apparatus. We have six breathing
apparatuses, some are Scott Pac’s
and some are M.S.A.’s, all of which
are in operation. However, due to the
OSHA regulations we are operating
with ■ sub-standard
breathing
apparatus.
The units we now have, were given
to us by other departments who
didn’t want them anymore, as they
were old and worn out. But they still
operate. These units are all of the
demand breathing type, which means
you have to inhale in order to get air.
This type of mask is no longer legal to
use under OSHA regulations, because
when you inhale it creates a negative
pressure. Anyone with a beard or ear
trouble could get contamination of
air into the mask.
The manufacturers of these units
and ones like them came out with a
pressure demand mask. This mask
provides a protection factor of 10,000
to 1, while demand equipment
provides a factor of less than 100 to 1.
These units protect by applying a
slight, positive pressure to the
breathing circuit at all times. Thus,
preventing
contaminants - from
entering the mask. This is not just a
new piece of equipment or a luxury.
This would mean the possible safety
of our volunteers. I would like you
and the board to take this into
consideration.
Terry K. Bair
Assistant Fire Chief
Mist-Birkenfeld Fire Dept.
Development seen as harbinger of progress
To the Editor:
I’ve heard a lot of talk about the
Old Mill site, and only a few against
the development plans for it. Whether
the merchants on Bridge Street know
it or not, they will have to conform,
with progress and competition. New
merchants bring in new ideas. Light
industrial will mean getting our
people off welfare or getting those
who have been laid off back on the job
market again.
For instance, I’ve come up against
too many times a product being sold
out of stock, we’ll have to order,
which will take a week, or we don’t
sell that. I get hot under the collar
from the same excuse, enough to get
into the car and travel to Hillsboro,
Forest Grove or St. Helens, just to
shop. Even though it takes more time
Vernonia Freedom
Published weekly in Vernonia Oregon, 97064. on. Thursdays at 825 Bridge St.
Serving The Upper Nehalem Valley. Phone 429-8111. Subscriptions, $8 per year.
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POSTMASTER: send address changes to Vernonia Freedom. 825 Bridge St..
Vernonia, OR 97064.
Dennis Dobson......................................................
publisher-editor
Ann Dobson................................... ............. publisher-business manager
MEMBER
429-8111
Oregon
Newspaper
Publishers
and gas, the price of gas is cheaper to
purchase when you get there than in
Vernonia.
Have you ever looked at your water
after it has sat in a glass for a week?
Ever thought about how many times
a day you go to the bathroom? Have
you caught the aroma at the schools?
The city will have help cleaning that
up. Otherwise it would sadden me to
think of Vernonia dying off like a
ghost town.
I’ve seen people come I’ve seen the
last straw that broke many a man’s
back, leave Vernonia. You can’t stay
the same way you’ve been the last 30
years for the next 30 years.
Maybe the City Council could see
fit to work with these developers
instead of against them, by the
sounds of the Columbia County
Planning meeting there will be
enough hurdles for the developers to
overcome.
Best of luck and a speedy
bureaucratic
process
for
the
developers—they
need
you
in
Vernonia.
Ms. Kathy Patton
Portland, Ore.
increases with every well that is
drilled. Communication received from
Fire Chief Miles Felmly of Deerfield,
Ohio proves these fires can and do
occur more frequently than we have
been led to believe.
In addition to the possibility of well
fire, other problems have already
occured. One instance involved an
illegal
fire,
whereupon
fire
investigation led to the recovery of
several thousand dollars of stolen
tools and equipment from local
logging firms. Also, hides and
carcasses of deer and elk were found.
As a direct result of fire investigation
these men were found guilty of theft
and poaching.
There have been numerous acts of
negligence on the part of the drilling
crews that could have had very
serious consequences. These include
telephone service being interrupted
for the entire area, and accidents in
remote places involving both life and
property.
I would like the Board of Directors
to take the following steps to protect
our community:
1. Notification of well sites and
seismic crews.
2.
On
site
inspection
and
regulations.
3. Application and fees for both
drilling and explosives being used to
locate gas fields.
Additional funds will need to be
allocated to implement these policies,
but I feel your prompt action will lead
to a more successful fire department.
Norman V. Mueller
Chief
Mist-Birkenfeld Fire Dept.
MEETING NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the Upper
Nehalem Valley Citizen Planning
Advisory Committee (CPAC) will
hold its regular monthly meeting on
Wednesday, May 27,1981 at 7:30 pm
at the West Oregon Electric Building.
Agenda items include the review of
the new proposed Zoning Ordinance
draft; goal 5 policies and what affect
it will have on the area and review
lands for an exception to Goals 3 and
4.
All local residents are invited to
attend.
For further information contact the
Planning and Building Department,
First Floor, Courthouse, St. Helens,
Oregon or call 397-1501.
Coramae Freeman
5-21
CPAC Coordinator
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
The Columbia
County Juvenile
Services
Commission
will
be
presenting
their
1981-1982
Comprehensive Plan to the State
Juvenile Services Commission on
May 22, 1981, in Portland. The
presentation
will
include
an
explanation of the programs funded
/for the 1981-1982 year by JSC funds.
Those programs are:
Boys and Girls Aid Society
Expanded Family Counseling
Scappoose Alternative School
. , Alcohol and Drug Education in
Schools and Youth Alcohol
Information School
Parent Training Network
The next meeting of the local Juvenile
Services Commission will be June 8,
at 7 pm in the Extension Conference
Room of the Courthouse. The public
is invited.