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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2018)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2018 Interest groups respond Port of Astoria reinforces to ‘cap-and-invest’ bill ailing log-export dock New tax on carbon emissions By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau SALEM — State law- makers have released the first draft of a bill to charge Ore- gon industries for emitting carbon dioxide into the atmo- sphere and to use the revenue to invest in projects meant to slow climate change. The state’s “cap-and-in- vest” bill emerges after sev- eral years of work and coin- cides with an announcement from Washington lawmakers for a similar program in their state. The bill will be consid- ered during the Legislature’s policymaking session in Feb- ruary. Democrats have iden- tified the legislation as a top priority for the session. Modeled after a pro- gram in California, Oregon’s so-called “Clean Energy Jobs” bill would set a cap of less than 25,000 tons of CO2 per year for each company, beginning in 2021. “In other words, your favorite brewery or grocery store down the street will not fall under the cap, only the largest polluters in the state,” said Brad Reed of Renew Oregon, a leading propo- nent of the bill. “The cap will decline over time through 2050 to ensure we reach our reduction targets and provide certainty for business.” The estimated 100 Ore- gon companies that emit more than that amount would be required to buy mar- ket-priced allowances for the excess. The “price” on emis- sions is designed to encour- age businesses to adopt tech- nologies and practices that reduce their carbon foot- print. The allowances would be sold at a North American auction and generate reve- nue that would be invested in green-energy and environ- mentally friendly agriculture projects. Climate change The program would even- tually generate hundreds of millions of dollars in reve- nue that would be invested in projects that slow climate change. The exact cost of the program has yet to be calcu- lated, he said. But previous estimates pegged revenue at about $700 million per year. Investments could include rebates for electric vehi- cles, solar panels on homes or safety improvements on bicycle lanes, among other things, Reed has said. Carbon trading mar- kets are gaining momentum around the globe. China has plans to launch a carbon mar- EO Media Group Oregon Democrats have released the first draft of a bill that would require industries emitting more than 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide to buy market-priced credits. The state would use proceeds from the sale of credits to fund climate-related projects. ket later this year that would account for about a quarter of that country’s industrial emissions, according to E & E News, a Washington, D.C., environment and energy publication. A cap-and-invest bill in 2016 drew strong opposition from certain Oregon business groups, including Associ- ated Oregon Industries, since merged into Oregon Busi- ness & Industry. Mark Johnson, the group’s president and CEO, said the program would drive up prices on consumers and drive away businesses from the state. “Unfortunately, the legis- lation introduced (Monday) is an example of misplaced priorities,” Johnson said. “Greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing, while Ore- gon’s fiscal crisis is worsen- ing. Rather than pushing a complex, costly program to address an issue that busi- nesses already are making progress on, legislators need to focus on a problem only they can fix — Oregon’s fis- cal instability.” Tom Koehler, co-found of Pacific Ethanol and secretary of the Oregon Business Alli- ance on Climate, said he sup- ports moving forward on the legislation this year. “There is a fundamen- tal decision that needs to be made now and not danced around: Do we believe the climate crisis is real and are we ready to do our part to make a difference?” Koehler said. “We believe action now will benefit Oregon’s econ- omy and its citizens.” Work groups several provisions to the bill designed to help businesses stay competitive, including dedicating 20 percent of rev- enue to job-generating proj- ects in rural areas and legisla- tive oversight of rule-making to ensure rules don’t put companies out of business. The Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, which Dembrow chairs, will hear testimony on the bill today at the Capitol. No cap-and-trade system in the world has resulted in significant emissions reduc- tions, in part because caps still remain relatively high and businesses haven’t had to pay out a lot of money, according to E & E News. But the programs have “served as political consen- sus builders that have got- ten industry accustomed to climate policies,” E & E News’s Debra Kahn wrote in December. Consumers could see an increase in the cost of fuel and electricity as a result of any program. Electric- ity rates, for example, could climb by about 1 to 3 percent, Dembrow said. A study by the state Department of Environmen- tal Quality indicated the costs could have an inordinate effect on people in low-in- come and rural communities because they already spend a larger share of their income on fuel. Dembrow has proposed using some of the program’s proceeds for utility payment assistance for low-income Oregonians. The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. The Port of Astoria will spend nearly $80,000 over the next few months replacing fender pilings on the west side of Pier 1 in a stopgap measure to keep its lucrative log-export dock operating. All 60 of the wooden pil- ings on the 380 feet of Pier 1’s western face, where long- shoremen load log ships for Astoria Forest Products, are in need of replacement, accord- ing to a report to the Port Commission Tuesday. The $78,580 approved by the com- mission would replace 24 pil- ings, evenly spaced in groups of four across the dock. The wooden pilings will keep the dock open while the Port develops a long-term, multiphase plan to install more durable steel pilings sheathed in polyurethane. McGrath estimated the cost of the proj- ect at $750,000 to $1 million for the entire dock, saying the process would be spread out over hopefully no more than three years. “There have been com- ments from ships’ captains saying, ‘Hey, that dock does not look like it’s going to sup- port us,’” Matt McGrath, the Port’s director of operations, said. “Pier 1 is our golden goose. That’s where we get 20 to 30 percent of our (operat- ing) revenues, so we have to take care of it. We’ve just not done that previously.” McGrath estimated $3.5 million in needs for Pier 1, from purchasing a generator and moving a fuel tank to pav- ing and encasing the pier in metal sheet piling. The Port, updating a 2010 strategic plan to guide its efforts, faces older, crum- bling infrastructure across most of its properties. During a strategic planning work- shop Tuesday, Port Executive Director Jim Knight said Port staff outlined about $60 mil- lion worth of improvements needed to bring the entire Port into proper working order. The Port Commission and staff will next look at the agency’s financial capacity and which projects are most likely to attract grant support, Knight said. The Port received a clean opinion on an audit of its 2016-17 financial statements by accounting firm Talbot, Korvola & Warwick. The Port improved its net financial position, including revenues State Sen. Michael Dem- brow of Portland and Rep. Ken Helm of Beaverton assembled a series of work groups to address concerns from business and industry, environmentalists and advo- cates for minorities and res- idents of rural areas. The Democrats said they added The Port of Astoria intends to appeal a court judgment that awarded Param Hotel Corp. the lease of the Astoria River- walk Inn. Param plans to take over operations of the hotel in November. The company has promised to pay off nearly $400,000 in debts former operator Brad Smithart owed to the Port, Astoria and Clat- sop County. The company also plans to pay more than $185,000 to Smithart, who owes significant back taxes and has relocated to New York. Param recently filed for more than $200,000 in legal fees against the Port. A trial scheduled to begin Tuesday in a lawsuit by the Port against Smithart has been delayed until after the results of litigation with Param. A jury recently awarded Param a $4 million verdict for the Port’s alleged breach of a contract and fraud. The Port- land hotelier had been try- ing since 2014 to take over for Smithart. In 2015, the Port Commission voted to give the company Smithart’s remain- ing lease in exchange for their paying off his debts. But after the vote, the deal fell apart, with both sides blaming each other. Circuit Court Judge Dawn McIntosh later reduced the settlement against the Port to less than $1 million, citing the Oregon Tort Claims Act lim- iting payouts against public agencies. She gave Param the option of taking damages or a seven-year lease on the hotel. The company chose the lease. WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 and assets minus expenses, from nearly $18.9 million in the 2015-16 fiscal year to more than $21.7 million this past year, mostly because of $4 million worth of improve- ments at the Astoria Regional Airport funded by grants from the Federal Aviation Adminis- tration and state Department of Transportation. The agency also increased its operating revenues by nearly $277,000, while decreasing operat- ing expenses by more than $400,000. C onsult a PROFESSIONAL Q: My doctor says I need surgery for a ruptured disk. so fast. At least 1/3 of adults A: Not have a ruptured disk and no ASTORIA CHIROPRACTIC Barry Sears, D.C. 503-325-3311 2935 Marine Drive Astoria, Oregon symptoms. The presence of a bulging or herniated disk may have preceded the current complaints. Most pain is from inflammation. If that can be reduced, the pain goes away from the back, arms and legs. Chiropractic manipulation is an effective tool to reduce spinal inflammation and reduce pain. There is rarely a time when surgery should be done before a 3-4 week trial of conservative chiropractic care. At least 1/3 of spinal surgeries do not eliminate the patient’s problems. Once done, it can’t be undone. Try chiropractic first. Call 503-325-3311 to see if we can help you. Q: What’s the best advice for me to keep my teeth healthy? this begins with A: Seriously, you. In today’s dental world, JEFFREY M. LEINASSAR DMD, FAGD 503/325-0310 1414 M ARINE D RIVE A STORIA www.smileastoria.com fewer people are losing all their teeth. The very best advice is to be diligent, maybe even obsessive in your home-care brushing and flossing. Next, like it or not, see your dental hygienist frequently and your dentist regularly for dental checkups. You will be way ahead — cost-wise, time- wise and treatment-wise — by making routine dental care part of your life’s commitment. We look forward to seeing you. us about Q: Tell yourself. Port of Astoria to appeal Riverwalk Inn verdict By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian The Daily Astorian The pilings along 380 feet of dock on Pier 1 where log ships are loaded are in need of replacement, according to Port of Astoria staff. LEO FINZI Astorias Best.com Introducing Dung (Dee) Nguyen DO, Family Medicine Dee Nguyen earned her medical degree from Nova-Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She completed her residency at Christus Santa Rosa Family Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. She is board-certified in family medicine. She volunteered with AmeriCorps, and has worked with HIV/AIDS patients and in women’s health. In her free time, she enjoys backpacking, hiking, traveling, thrifting, remodeling, and snorkeling. W e make house calls to your home or business ! M-F 10-6 Sat . 11-4 77 11th Street, Suite H Astoria, OR 503-325-2300 2158 Exchange Street, Suite 304 Astoria, OR 97103 (503) 325-8315 www.yvfwc.org consumer electronics retailer. Then for 16 years I worked at Bijou Elementary School, as technology coordinator and teacher. We opened Astoria’s Best in 2003. My goal is to provide top quality, affordable sales and service, right here in Astoria. We stock a selection of new and used computers, parts and cables, do repairs & upgrades, in store and at your home or business. too late to Q: Is can it Tuna? yes, the season A: Normally ended in mid September. Now accepting new patients. Coastal Family Health Center 13 years, I worked A: For for Pacific Stereo, a Amanda Cordero Northwest Wild Products Fresh Seafood Market 354 Industry St, Astoria 503-791-1907 Daily 9 am- 7 pm On the docks of the West Mooring Basin, by the Riverwalk Inn But this year we were able to freeze enough whole Tuna to last us until the next season. Since most of the tuna available for canning last summer, was blast frozen on the boat, the quality of the Tuna you can purchase today will be the same. It's only 25 cents a pound more than the peak season price. So why not get an early (or late, depending on how you look at it) start on your canning?