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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 2016)
10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2016 Quest: ‘We gotta stop trashing the oceans’ Continued from Page 1A But his proposal never came to fruition, and the Cap’n Oscar sank multiple times before the Port had the boat taken out of the water and stored in one of the han- gars at North Tongue Point. “It’s the best site in the world to do this project, period,” Allen said. “And Clatsop County needs the work. And that can be our ÀDJVKLSVLWH´ Allen said any extra from the Cap’n Oscar cleanup fundraiser would go into more public exposure, court- ing investors to help with ship-dismantling and a sep- arate GoFundMe page he created seeking $50,000 to survey the rocket debris from the Falcon 9, a reus- able rocket that crashed off the California coast while attempting to land on a barge at sea. The rocket was built by Space Exploration Tech- nologies Corp., a company founded by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk developing rocket technology to reduce space travel costs. “I like Elon Musk’s inno- vation, but he has to clean up his rockets, they have very harmful materials,” Allen said. “We gotta stop trashing the oceans.” Going regional Allen’s efforts to clean up the Cap’n Oscar come as the state Marine Board has applied to the National Oce- anic and Atmospheric Admin- istration’s Marine Debris Pro- gram for money to clean up WKH FRPPHUFLDO ¿VKLQJ YHV- sel Western, which sank near a public dock in Coos Bay. “The hard lesson the Cap’n Oscar taught us was that it is much better to invest in disposition of a derelict vessel while there is oppor- tunity to do so,” read a let- ter of support for the state’s Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Oil floated near the site of the Cap´n Oscar after it sank last year. Frank Allen, head of Blue Ocean Environmental, fears that ocean debris and abandoned vessels are caus- ing untold damage to the world’s oceans. application written by Matt McGrath, the Port’s opera- tions manager. “Waiting for a vessel to founder only serves to exponentially increase costs, environmental dam- ages and public distrust.” Meg Gardner, the environ- mental programs coordinator for the state Marine Board, said the state’s application VSHFL¿FDOO\VHHNVWRFOHDQXS the Western, but would also help form the Abandoned and Derelict Commercial Ves- VHO7DVN)RUFHVSHFL¿FWRWKH Oregon Coast. Gardner said Oregon’s abandoned and derelict boat removal fund pales in com- parison to Washington’s. While the cost of remov- ing a recreational boat can run about $2,500, Gardner said, the cost for a commercial boat can reach $20,000. And while both states have a fairly robust program for removing derelict recreational boats, “there’s really no good resource to remove vessels of (a large) size when they’re rotting and not in good condition any- more,” she said. Hundreds of vessels After Oregon and Wash- ington spent more than $22 million cleaning up the sunken vessel Davy Crockett near Vancouver, Washington, in 2011, the states created the Columbia River Derelict Ves- sel Task Force, which identi- ¿HG YHVVHOV RI FRQFHUQ many of them more than 100 feet long and with unknown levels of pollution. A derelict vessel task force in Washington esti- mated more than 200 aban- doned vessels in the state. Allen estimates about 300 in Oregon. “To take care of all the derelict vessels in Oregon would be $30 million,” Allen said. “They spent that on the Davy Crockett.” After taking care of aban- doned vessels, Allen said a cradle-to-grave process should be created for each active ship to account for the eventual cost of disposal. “If you do this right, and put green recycling shipyards around the world, you’ll cre- ate millions of sustainable jobs,” Allen said. Pot: Law gives Trial:1RFOHDU¿QGLQJVLQUHSRUW QRGH¿QLWLRQ for a low-dose Continued from Page 1A gle serving, McNicoll said. The Oregon Health The new law, passed by Authority has been consid- the Legislature in February, ering a 5-milligram limit on opened the way for edible recreational serving sizes and extracts sales this spring of marijuana-infused foods, and also allowed retailers to about half of what’s legal in continue to sell both medi- Washington state and Colo- cal and recreational canna- rado — Oregon’s predeces- sors in recreational legaliza- bis out of one location. The old recreational tion. The agency has said it marijuana law would have would set higher limits for required retailers to choose medical edibles. Marijuana industry advo- between a medical or rec- reational registration at the cates like McNicoll say that close of early sales at the low of a dose would make end of the year. A majority the edible products less mar- of dispensary owners had ketable because many rec- indicated to marijuana regu- reational users need more lators that they would defect potency to get high. A 5-mil- to the recreational market at ligram serving is “akin to a that time, fueling fears that placebo effect,” he said. “We would really like a medical patients might face a shortage of medical can- compromise that still pro- nabis products. Retailers tects Oregonians,” McNicoll may sell marijuana to both said. Rob Hendrickson, asso- medical patients and recre- ational users and are pro- ciate medical director of the hibited from collecting a Oregon Poison Center, said 5 tax on medical marijuana milligrams is plenty for rec- reational users. sales. “The 5 milligrams makes The law limits the sale of one serving of a low- the most sense,” Hendrick- dose edible per day and one son said. “It’s equal to smok- ³SUH¿OOHG UHFHSWDFOH RI DQ ing marijuana. You’re getting extract” per day and directs 2-3 milligrams when you the Oregon Health Authority smoke it.” That dosage also pro- to adopt rules on THC-con- centration and serving tects children who might get size limits on edibles and a hold of marijuana-infused extracts. Tetrahydrocannab- foods, he said. The Capital Bureau is a inol, or THC, is the active collaboration between EO ingredient in marijuana. 7KHODZJLYHVQRGH¿QL- Media Group and Pamplin tion for a low-dose or a sin- Media Group. Continued from Page 1A Marquis described the psy- chologist’s report as a “giant shrug” since there were no FOHDU¿QGLQJV The report could not con- clude whether Smith is unable or unwilling to aid and assist, he said. In addition, the report sug- gests postpartum post-trau- matic stress disorder. Marquis said he is unaware of any treat- ment for that disorder. New trial date William Falls and Lynne Morgan, Smith’s defense law- yers, requested the trial be delayed since they claim the case cannot move forward until the issue of her ability to aid and assist is settled. Matyas agreed and pushed the trial to June 2017, nearly three years after the alleged crimes. Smith, 42, is accused of drugging and drowning her toddler and attempting to kill her teenager in a Cannon Beach resort on July 31, 2014. Before the contested com- petency hearing next month, Smith will undergo a Min- nesota Multiphasic Person- ality Inventory test. The test will not determine her ability to aid and assist, but Marquis requested the test because it is meant to show if Smith is fak- ing her mental disease. Photos by Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Jessica Smith is led into the Clatsop County County Courthouse for a status hearing on Wednesday. Jessica Smith sits during a status hearing on Wednesday. State hospital stay In her report, Howard sug- gested Smith be sent to the Oregon State Hospital for fur- ther evaluation. The defense supports the recommendation and believes there is no need for a hearing next month. “Let’s err on the side of caution,” Morgan said. “Let’s send this woman to the hospital to be observed, to be treated, to be made competent.” Marquis warned against an LQGH¿QLWHVWD\DWWKHVWDWHKRV- pital. The clock starts ticking, he said, and after three years the defense can move to dis- miss the entire case. Ultimately, Howard’s report says it is up to the “trier of fact,” or the judge, to decide LI6PLWKLV¿WWRSURFHHGEDVHG RIIRIH[SHUW¿QGLQJV Judge Matyas previously stated she has not observed any unusual behavior from Smith in court, but ordered the independent evaluation after considering a defense expert’s claims that Smith has severe mood changes, abstract thinking and reasoning and untreated mental health issues. Security: ‘Things appear to be only getting worse’ experiencing unacceptably long security wait times during peak periods.” PreCheck lanes can screen Rank FAA Code Airport Name State Total Passengers PreCheck Passengers % PreCheck The TSA knows there is no 300 passengers an hour, twice 1 SRQ Sarasota-Bradenton Florida 64,345 30,241 47.0% TXLFN¿[ that of standard lanes. 30 SEA Seattle-Tacoma International Wash. 1,051,912 367,467 34.9% “The real answer to the vol- The TSA offered Congress 65 PDX Portland International Oregon 515,258 151,299 29.4% 76 ATL Hartsfield Atlanta International Georgia 1,565,920 442,475 28.3% ume growth is to ideally get a lofty goal of having 25 mil- OLRQ ÀLHUV HQUROOHG LQ WKH a fully-vetted trusted traveler program. Based on that and population,” TSA Administra- when it grows too long. Fliers’ VFUHHQHUV IDLOHG WR ¿QG PRFN mer travel months. RWKHU LQFUHDVHG HI¿FLHQFLHV tor Peter Neffenger told The Workarounds “The TSA is more or less Associated Press. the TSA’s front-line screen- Without enough mem- behavior is monitored, they are weapons and explosives. In response, TSA agents suggesting that we need to live ers were cut from 47,147 bers, the TSA faced a prob- screened for explosives and For now though, the agency three years ago to 42,525 cur- lem: PreCheck lanes were then allowed to use the faster stopped pulling passengers with it,” says Isom, Ameri- is relocating 28 of its 142 out of line unless there was FDQ¶VFKLHIRSHUDWLQJRI¿FHU rently. At the same time, the nearly deserted while other PreCheck lane. canine teams to the 20 busiest The Associated Press has an explosive-detecting canine QXPEHURIDQQXDOÀLHUVSDVV- lines snaked throughout ter- airports so it can randomly put ing through checkpoints has minals. Keeping empty Pre- VSHQW WKH ODVW \HDU ¿JKWLQJ team present. That change Seattle waits PRUHÀLHUVLQWR3UH&KHFN7KH grown from 643 million to Check lanes open was a waste under the Freedom of Infor- went into effect in September, At Seattle-Tacoma Inter- TSA won’t say which airports more than 700 million. of staff. But without them, pas- mation Act for details on right after the Labor Day rush. national Airport waits have are losing the teams and could The move forced about topped out at 90 minutes, with therefore have longer lines. As of March 1, only 9.3 sengers who paid to join would KRZ PDQ\ ÀLHUV DUH DOORZHG into PreCheck through each 10 percent of all passengers the typical morning rush aver- million people were Pre- be aggregated. An additional 200 screen- Check members. Applicants So the agency created method, but has been denied ² VRPH PLOOLRQ ÀLHUV D aging 45 minutes to an hour, ers are being trained each must pay $85 to $100 every workarounds to allow passen- the information for unspeci- year — to go back to normal says Wendy Reiter, the air- week, but that is offset by the screening. ¿YH \HDUV 7KH\ PXVW DOVR gers who hadn’t been fully ¿HGVHFXULW\UHDVRQV port’s director of security and average 103 screeners the TSA Longer lines soon fol- emergency preparedness. In loses weekly through attri- trek to the airport for an inter- vetted to still get expedited lowed. By February, just 26 WKH ¿UVW ZHHN RI 0DUFK tion. The agency is asking air- view before being accepted. screening. Making adjustments While 250,000 to 300,000 7KRVH ZKR ÀHZ Lines did get shorter. By percent of passengers were Delta Air Lines passengers lines to enforce carry-on bags people are joining every miles a year or more with an Thanksgiving 2014 nearly 50 screened through PreCheck, PLVVHG LQWHUQDWLRQDO ÀLJKWV restrictions before checkpoints month, it will take more than airline sometimes got the Pre- SHUFHQW RI ÀLHUV ZHUH JHWWLQJ according to Associated Press ²WKHW\SHRIÀLJKWWKDWRQO\ so it has fewer bags to screen. calculations on TSA data departs once a day. four years at that pace to Check designation on their expedited screening. Airport and airline staff will boarding pass at check-in. At the world’s busiest air- also take over some nonsecuri- Then last year, two back- obtained through a public reach the target. port, in Atlanta, general man- ty-related tasks, such as return- “It hasn’t been a failure; it Others would randomly get to-back embarrassing inspec- records request. During the week of spring ager Miguel Southwell told the ing empty bins to the start of just isn’t moving as quickly it based on demographic tor general reports came out, highlighting TSA security break in mid-March, 6,800 TSA last month that “things the checkpoint. as it needs to move,” says information. As a further step, the lapses. One disclosed that the American Airlines passengers appear to be only getting Sharon Pinkerton, senior There has been one bright vice president for legislative TSA in 2013 created a pro- agency let a convicted domes- PLVVHG WKHLU ÀLJKWV EHFDXVH worse.” side: the TSA says there is a And in Minneapolis, exec- direct correlation between lon- and regulatory policy at air- gram called Managed Inclu- tic terrorist use PreCheck. The of long checkpoint lines, fore- line trade group Airlines for sion where it randomly pulls second revealed that in 67 out shadowing the headaches air- utive director Jeffrey Hamiel ger lines and a spike in Pre- people out of the normal line of 70 tests across the nation, lines fear during the peak sum- told the TSA that “we are Check enrollments. America. Continued from Page 1A PERCENTAGE OF PRECHECK FLIERS
