Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2018)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2018 How dangerous are the Northwest’s volcanoes? Anniversary of Mount St. Helens eruption By MacGREGOR CAMPBELL Oregon Public Broadcasting If you live in the Pacific Northwest, chances are good you can see a volcano from where you stand. In Oregon, Washington state and Idaho, magma has erupted out of the ground in at least 25 places in the last 10,000 years, a mere instant in the lifetime of volcanoes that can be hundreds of thousands of years old. “There’s reason to believe it could happen again,” said Seth Moran, scientist in charge at the U.S. Geologi- cal Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington. At 8:32 in the morning on May 18, 1980, the most famous Northwest volcano, Mount St. Helens, woke up, spewing ash for hundreds of miles, devastating the nearby landscape and killing 57 people. The volcano stirred again in 2004 and 2008. “Mount St. Helens is the Wikimedia Commons Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. poster child for a very tempes- tuous volcano,” Moran said. But what about the other hot spots in the Cascades? Are we going to wake up one morning to a new Mount St. Helens? Moran’s team, along with partners at the University of Washington, keep watch. They measure earthquakes, ground warping and gas emissions, all caused by magma from deep in the earth making its way to the surface. These volcanic vital signs let geologists compare what a volcano is doing today compared to what it normally does and has done in the past. “That allows us to estab- lish a range of potential behav- iors,” Moran said. Each volcano has its own personality. Mount Baker in Washington state emits a lot of gas, but doesn’t erupt very often. Mount Rainier, near Seattle, is the icy giant. It’s not likely to explode like Mount St. Helens, but could create large mudflows — think rivers of flowing concrete — caused by smaller eruptions melting the mountain’s ice. Mount Hood is similar to Rainier, not subject to large explosions, but rather smaller eruptions on its sides. Because so many people live on and play on the mountain, Hood’s small eruptions, and the sub- sequent landslides and mud- flows they create, can present a danger. Mount St. Helens gener- ally has fewer people around, but is far more active. It erupts once or twice a century, on average. It’s so active, the cur- rent mountain is only about 4,000 years old, compared to hundreds of thousand of years for other Cascade volcanoes. The other volcanoes in Ore- gon vary widely. Mount Jef- ferson and Mount Bachelor in central Oregon have been rel- atively quiet for tens of thou- sands of years. “They may be done,” Moran said. South Sister erupts every couple of thousand years on average. Newberry Crater erupts more frequently and can generate rivers of lava, similar to Hawaii’s famous Kilauea volcano. Then there’s Crater Lake in southern Oregon. What’s now a lake was once a mountain comparing in size to Mount Rainier. Around 5600 B.C., an eruption 50 times the size of Mount St. Helens in 1980 lev- eled the mountain. Moran said that Crater Lake may not be done and is high on the observatory’s list of potential threats. Three more volcanoes round out the Cascade range: California’s Lassen Peak, Mount Shasta and Medicine Lake. Moran said these volca- noes don’t typically explode without warning. They have a baseline of earthquake, ground deformation and gas activity, even when they aren’t erupt- ing. The pattern of that activ- ity can be a clue to what will happen next. For example, an earthquake followed by a series of successively smaller earthquakes, might indicate normal seismic activity. But an earthquake followed by a series of larger earthquakes might indicate an eruption is brewing. Moran said the goal is not to predict which volcano will erupt when, but rather to pro- vide a forecast, similar to a weather forecast. There will always be a range of uncer- tainty with an active volcano he said, “but the goal … is to get that uncertainty to a range that society can live with.” Restitution could top $36 million for teen who ignited Eagle Creek Fire Judge will rule on the amount By AMELIA TEMPLETON Oregon Public Broadcasting The 15-year-old boy who pleaded guilty to igniting the Eagle Creek Fire in the Colum- bia River Gorge last September could be required to pay more than $36 million in restitution to 11 parties related to fire damage. Judge John Olson did not reach a decision on how much to award in court and said he would issue a written order on the amount of restitution as early as today. The unnamed Vancouver, Washington, teen did not attend the restitution hearing in Hood River County Thursday morn- ing. He was represented by his attorney, Jack Morris. Morris described the $36 million figure as “absurd.” In filings and in court, Morris argued that Oregon’s restitution statute, which requires judges to impose the full amount of restitution sought by victims, is unconstitutional when it is applied to juvenile defendants. “Kids are different,” Morris said. “They are entitled to indi- vidual consideration.” He noted that his client is considered indigent and urged the judge to award a smaller amount that his client could more plausibly pay back. “We are not saying that no Tristan Fortsch/KATU-TV The Eagle Creek Fire was set by a teenager playing with firecrackers. restitution should be imposed,” he said. Morris noted U.S. Supreme Court rulings in death penalty and life without parole cases that have held that juveniles are entitled to different consider- ation by the courts. He suggested that the resti- tution order could prevent the teen from qualifying for a home loan, car insurance and other forms of credit. “The actual act here is throwing a couple of firecrack- ers,” he said. “It’s a 15-year-old boy that did something incredi- bly stupid.” Attorneys for the state pushed Olson to impose the full amount and defended the con- stitutionality of Oregon’s resti- tution law. They noted that in juve- nile cases, a judge can forgive a dependent’s obligation to pay WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 restitution after 10 years if the defendant meets certain criteria. “There is an end point in 10 years,” said Hood River Dis- trict Attorney John Sewell. “It is not as draconian and absolut- ist as counsel says.” The U.S. Forest Service reported the largest damages from the fire at $21.1 million. The Oregon Department of Transportation reported $12.5 million, the Oregon State Fire Marshall $1.6 million and the Union Pacific Railroad more than $1 million. Oregon State Parks, Allstate and four private property owners sought smaller amounts of restitution. Olson said he would take time to consider the constitu- tional arguments before reach- ing a decision in the case. He noted that the highest amount of restitution he’d pre- viously been aware of awarded in a juvenile case was just $114,000. “It is an extraordinary amount of restitution,” Olson said. “It is an extraordinary amount of loss.” Olson sentenced the teen- ager in February to five years of probation and 1,920 hours of community service with the U.S. Forest Service. The boy and his family have cooperated with inves- tigators, and in February he pleaded guilty to 12 charges, including reckless burning, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. At the time of the fire, wit- nesses described seeing a child lobbing a firecracker down a canyon before the area erupted in smoke and flames. More than 100 hikers and dogs were stranded in the area overnight. The fire burned nearly 49,000 acres. It was extin- guished in November, destroy- ing homes and trails in the Gorge. It also forced businesses to close, displaced people for days and shut down both Inter- state 84 and the Historic Colum- bia River Highway. Portions of the highway remain closed. Gorge residents impacted by the fire left the hearing disappointed. Paul Smith, who lives near Stevenson on the Washing- ton side of the Gorge, said he didn’t seek financial restitution for his losses in the fire but had hoped for a chance to speak at the hearing. Smith evacuated his farm when the fire jumped across the Columbia River and began burning on the Washington side of the Gorge. “We had two dogs, five horses and 10 chickens,” he said. Smith said he had to put down his 32-year-old gray appaloosa mare, Pondie, due to stress and smoke inhalation. “I’m not seeking restitu- tion,” he said. “I just wanted to say my piece.” C E L E B R AT I NG 30 -est- 1988 years May 19 , 2018 6AM - 7PM providing a place to go other than work or home since 1989 giveaways • food • fun live music 5:30 - 7:00 PM sale 30 % off one item 45 E Columbia River Hwy Clatskanie, OR 503-728-4222 Volunteer SEASIDE AMERICAN LEGION th 6 ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND Pick of the Week Buddy LIVE five year old male Chihuahua LOBSTER FEED SATURDAY, MAY 26 TH • 4-8 PM Oh to be faring forth with your very best Buddy - this most happy fella’. He’s irresistible. $ Advanced Ticket Sales 29 For Lobster Alternative? 12oz New York Strip Steak - Just $ 20 All Dinners served with baked potato, baked beans & coleslaw Enjoy music by : “Mark Dove” & Friends 503-738-5111 • 1315 Broadway in Seaside See more on Petfinder.com Sponsored By B AYSHORE A NIMAL H OSPITAL C LATSOP C OUNTY A NIMAL S HELTER 1315 SE 19 th Street, Warrenton • 861 - PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat LEWIS & CLARK TIMBERLANDS Recreational Access Permit Public Notice The family of Rusty Donaldson will never forget the love and thoughtfulness given to us during our recent time of sadness at the loss of our husband, father, brother, grandfather and uncle. Thank you to all who sent cards, brought food, made contributions and sent flowers. It was so appreciated. Marsha and Kurt Donaldson Martha and Dale McGinty Jennie Mathre All recreational activities on Lewis & Clark Timberlands Oregon will require a no fee recreational permit effective June 1, 2018 SILHOUETTE ® CLEARVIEW™ SHADINGS Soften harsh sunlight and save with Hunter Douglas window fashions. Enjoy generous rebates on qualifying purchases of light-diffusing styles April 14–June 25, 2018. 100 ON QUALIFYING PURCHASES REBATES STARTING AT $ To acquire a permit (available 5/21/18): Go online to greenwoodresources.com and click on Recreation Access, or Scan the QR code using your smartphone at one of our access gate signs. Call 503.755.6655 for recorded information. Our goal is to provide a quality recreational experience while improving communications with our timberland visitors. * Budget Blinds of the Oregon Coast & Southwest Washington North Oregon Coast - 503-738-5242 Lincoln City - 541-994-9954 Southwest Washington - 503-738-5242 www.budgetblinds.com Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 4/14/18–6/25/18 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Offer excludes HDOrigins ™ and Nantucket ™ Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette ® Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card and mailed within 4 weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 6 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations may apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2018 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners. 18Q2NPSCVC1
