Page 2A
NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Friday, March 13, 2015
Bill would study effects of
closing Montana coal plant
SEATTLE (AP) — Wash-
ington lawmakers say they
want to study the effects of
FORVLQJDPDVVLYHFRDO¿UHG
power plant in southeastern
Montana that provides pow-
er to the Northwest.
Senate Bill 5874 was
initially written to make
it easier for owners of the
four-unit plant in Colstrip,
Montana, to shut that plant
down, prompting letters of
concern from Montana’s
governor and Montana’s
utility commission.
But the Senate amended
and passed the bill Wednes-
day night to call for a study
RQWKHFRVWVDQGEHQH¿WVRI
a possible closure. It now
goes to the House of Repre-
sentatives for consideration,
where those wanting to
wean Washington state off
coal hope it can be amended
again.
Bill sponsor Sen. Doug
Ericksen, R-Ferndale, said
Thursday that Senate mem-
bers felt they didn’t have all
the information they needed.
“I heard from lots of peo-
ple in Montana and Wash-
ington concerned about
rushing into a decision that
doesn’t need to be made
today,” said Ericksen, who
chairs the Senate Energy,
Environment & Telecom-
munications Committee.
Sen. Kevin Ranker,
D-Orcas Island, urged sup-
SRUWRQWKH6HQDWHÀRRUVD\-
ing it would keep the legis-
lation alive so more work
Associate Press
kinds of mischiefs over in
the House, the other body,
and just because it’s a study
here doesn’t mean it’ll come
back a study,” he said before
Wednesday’s vote.
The legislation comes
as investor-owned utilities
operating in Washington
have been under pressure
by Gov. Jay Inslee and envi-
ronmental groups to reduce
or eliminate electricity they
get from out-of-state coal
plants.
Washington’s only coal
power plant in Centralia is
slated to close by 2025, and
Oregon’s only coal plant in
Boardman will shut down
in 2020. Much of the state’s
FRDO¿UHG HOHFWULFLW\ FRPHV
into the state from the Col-
strip plant in Montana and
the Jim Bridger plant in Wy-
oming.
Senate Bill 5874 does not
VSHFL¿FDOO\ QDPH &ROVWULS
but it would apply to it.
Last month, Montana
Gov. Steve Bullock wrote
to Inslee and senators, ex-
pressing concerns that the
ELOO ZRXOG KDYH VLJQL¿FDQW
effects on his state.
The Democrat said he
agreed that climate change
is a serious issue. But “I
have grave concerns when
one state takes action that
FRXOG KDYH VLJQL¿FDQW HFR-
nomic consequences for
another state, on a matter
that will require action on a
much larger scale to be suc-
cessful,” he said.
AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File
This 2014 photo shows the Colstrip Steam Electric Sta-
tion in Colstrip, Mont.
can be done in the House.
Ranker has said the state
has “a moral imperative” to
cut down on greenhouse gas
emissions and wean itself
off coal that is imported into
the state.
The Sierra Club said it
hoped changes to the bill
can be made in the House
Man serves 897 days
in jail, even though he
didn’t commit a crime
that will lead to retiring Col-
strip, a large source of car-
bon pollution, and replacing
that coal-power with clean-
er, renewable energy.
That’s what troubled Sen.
Jim Honeyford, R-Sunny-
side, one of three senators
who opposed the bill. “This
leaves this bill open to all
PORTLAND — A man
waiting to testify in an
Oregon murder case has
been held in jail as a mate-
rial witness for nearly 900
days, though he has com-
mitted no crime.
Legal experts tell The
Oregonian that it’s ex-
ceptionally rare to be
held as long as Benito
Vasquez-Hernandez.
The 59-year-old man
has been incarcerated at
the Washington Coun-
ty Jail for 897 days, or
just shy of two and half
years. His bail was set at
$500,000.
Prosecutors
say
Va s q u e z - H e r n a n d e z ’s
testimony is essential to
their case, and he probably
wouldn’t show up to court
if released. His elder son,
Eloy Vasquez-Santiago, is
suspected of killing Maria
Bolanos-Rivera of Hills-
boro in 2012.
Civil rights advocates
say Vasquez-Hernandez
should be released because
he is poor, has no formal
education and appears
to have very low mental
competency. He’s also an
immigrant who doesn’t
speak English and doesn’t
understand the American
justice system.
Vasquez-Hernandez’s
other son is the second ma-
terial witness in the case.
He was released last fall
after being diagnosed with
schizophrenia while serv-
ing 727 days in jail.
Both material witness-
es were arrested two years
Gov. Brown signs low-carbon fuel standard bill
discussions of a transporta-
tion project funding package.
The governor’s decision
to sign it was not unexpected.
Brown had expressed support
IRU WKH FRQFHSW LQ KHU ¿UVW
press conference as governor
last month.
Senate Bill 324 will make
permanent the fuel standard
established by a 2009 bill.
The Oregon Environmental
Quality Commission voted in
January to adopt regulations
based on that existing law that
will require fuel importers and
producers to reduce the car-
By HILLARY BORRUD
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Gov. Kate
Brown signed a bill into law
Thursday that will allow the
state to implement a low-car-
bon fuel standard.
The governor’s announce-
ment followed contentious
votes in the House and Sen-
ate where lawmakers passed
the legislation by near-party-
line votes. Republicans and
some rural Democrats voted
against the bill, and Republi-
cans withdrew in protest from
bon content of transportation
fuels by 10 percent during the
next decade, starting in Janu-
ary 2016. However, the exist-
ing law was set to sunset this
year before the agency could
implement the rules.
Fuel in Oregon already
contains 10 percent ethanol
for gasoline, and a 5 percent
biodiesel blend for diesel be-
cause of a separate state man-
date. The state could achieve
the low-carbon fuel program
goals if importers and pro-
GXFHUV FDQ ¿QG HWKDQROV DQG
biodiesels with lower carbon
contents, but to meet the 10
percent carbon reduction goal
companies will also likely
have to purchase carbon cred-
its through a system the DEQ
will establish.
Brown said in a statement
Thursday the fuel standard
will be an important tool to
¿JKW FOLPDWH FKDQJH DQG
Oregon is already experienc-
ing the effects of a warming
planet.
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SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Partly sunny and
mild
Cloudy and mild
with a shower
Breezy with rain at
times
69° 47°
67° 51°
MONDAY
TUESDAY
A couple of
morning showers
Mostly sunny and
pleasant
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
62° 42°
60° 39°
62° 42°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
68° 44°
67° 45°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
64°
54°
78° (1934)
44°
34°
14° (1906)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.04"
0.04"
0.46"
1.59"
3.34"
2.97"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
69°
57°
77° (2003)
47°
33°
11° (2009)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.01"
0.01"
0.38"
1.07"
2.13"
2.62"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Last
New
Mar 13
Mar 20
7:12 a.m.
6:58 p.m.
2:01 a.m.
11:44 a.m.
First
Full
Mar 26
63° 37°
66° 40°
Seattle
67/53
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
65° 39°
Apr 4
Spokane
Wenatchee
64/46
66/49
Tacoma
Moses
66/47
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 68/47
64/46
63/51
66/45
67/45
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
68/50
69/52 Lewiston
70/46
Astoria
67/48
62/50
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
69/52
Pendleton 65/41
The Dalles 68/44
69/47
67/48
La Grande
Salem
67/46
69/51
Albany
Corvallis 69/51
69/51
John Day
67/47
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
67/43
67/50
66/42
Caldwell
Burns
68/44
65/37
Medford
69/49
Klamath Falls
66/40
REGIONAL FORECAST
Eastern Washington: Partly sunny today.
Cloudy tonight. Spotty showers tomorrow.
Cascades: Clouds and sun today. Cloudy
tonight; occasional rain and drizzle across
the north.
Northern California: Clouds and sun today.
Mostly cloudy tonight. Variable cloudiness
tomorrow.
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Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
Hi
62
62
66
58
65
65
67
68
68
67
66
67
64
69
60
62
67
69
69
69
68
69
64
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67
Lo
50
41
42
51
37
41
50
47
44
47
40
46
41
49
50
53
43
43
47
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51
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50
52
45
W
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pc
pc
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c
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pc
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pc
pc
pc
c
c
c
pc
pc
pc
c
pc
c
pc
pc
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Hi
56
62
59
57
65
58
60
61
67
62
63
63
58
68
56
60
67
68
67
60
63
60
58
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60
67
66
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Sat.
Lo
42
44
42
52
43
43
48
47
45
47
46
47
43
52
46
50
46
45
51
48
43
46
44
44
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43
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c
sh
c
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c
c
c
c
c
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c
c
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sh
c
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WORLD CITIES
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Hi
54
72
58
50
69
40
51
60
49
73
56
Lo
30
67
46
36
48
26
36
41
26
65
40
W
s
c
s
r
sh
pc
c
s
s
pc
s
Hi
54
75
61
46
66
42
49
58
46
77
53
Sat.
Lo
35
69
42
39
48
26
37
47
29
64
41
W
pc
pc
s
c
r
pc
c
pc
pc
sh
c
WINDS
(in mph)
Today
Saturday
Boardman
Pendleton
NE 3-6
ESE 4-8
SW 6-12
SSW 7-14
UV INDEX TODAY
0
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Today
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Coastal Oregon: Mostly cloudy today.
Cloudy tonight; periods of rain, except dry
in the south.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Warm today
with clouds and sunshine; pleasant in the
south. Overcast tonight.
Western Washington: Mostly cloudy today.
Periods of rain late tonight. Periods of rain
tomorrow.
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REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
TODAY
Corrections
Pendleton’s Historic Preservation Committee must ap-
prove any renovations that alter the primary façade of his-
toric properties in town, but not interior remodels. A photo
caption with the story “This old house” (March 12) includ-
ed incorrect information.
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The article “PHS grad designs Lego set for aspiring female
scientists” (March 7) misstated her current job duties.
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Copyright © 2015, EO Media Group
2
4
ago in California, after
Vasquez-Hernandez told
detectives he had seen
blood in the minivan his
elder son drove, and the
younger son said his old-
er brother had admitted to
him that he had stabbed the
woman to death.
Two days later, the
older
brother,
Eloy
Vasquez-Santiago, turned
himself in to authorities.
He told investigators that
he had worked with Maria
Bolanos-Rivera at Oregon
Berry Packing Compa-
ny in Hillsboro, and they
had gone out on a date the
day she disappeared. Eloy
Vasquez-Santiago told po-
lice he stabbed her because
she had insulted him, but
did not tell them where the
body could be found.
In Oregon, a judge can
keep material witnesses in
FXVWRG\ LQGH¿QLWHO\ XQ-
til they testify, or release
them pending trial. But
typically, detention lasts
less than a week.
Vasquez-Hernandez’s
defense attorney tried to
get him to give a sworn
statement in a video depo-
sition. But Vasquez-Her-
QDQGH]ZDVVRÀXVWHUHGKH
kept repeating he should
not be in jail and he’s in-
nocent — until the judge
threw him out.
Senior Deputy District
Attorney Jeff Lesowski
said he sincerely regrets
keeping the witness locked
up for so long, but he sees
no alternative.
Eloy Vasquez-Santia-
go’s murder trial is sched-
uled to start Tuesday.
4
2
0
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2015
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: Drenching rain will expand from the South to the Ohio Valley and cen-
tral Appalachians today. Locally strong storms will affect the Gulf Coast. Spotty storms are
forecast for Colorado and New Mexico.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 90° in Fort Myers, Fla.
Low 12° in Frenchville, Maine
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
64
52
43
51
64
60
67
37
64
56
58
54
60
57
55
72
-4
57
76
71
56
77
71
79
67
90
Lo
40
48
41
41
41
57
49
30
60
48
42
43
53
33
43
49
-23
34
64
51
46
63
44
57
58
62
W
t
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pc
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sh
pc
s
r
r
c
r
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sh
pc
t
c
pc
s
c
r
c
c
s
r
s
Hi
65
70
53
58
71
73
68
43
74
62
53
50
65
68
55
69
-2
62
78
74
57
81
66
81
65
92
Sat.
Lo
39
55
43
41
50
53
51
32
60
40
32
31
44
42
33
43
-27
45
64
52
35
62
39
57
50
64
W
pc
sh
r
r
pc
c
c
r
t
r
pc
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s
c
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pc
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pc
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c
t
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pc
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pc
Today
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Tucson
Washington, DC
Wichita
Hi
58
70
82
62
60
59
73
47
66
71
50
88
36
38
54
64
70
76
58
62
83
68
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81
55
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Lo
55
61
73
40
36
57
54
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36
40
64
28
28
49
32
44
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r
r
s
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pc
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r
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pc
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c
pc
pc
c
Hi
62
65
84
53
58
70
73
54
69
67
59
88
40
45
72
75
75
80
62
70
87
72
58
81
63
67
Sat.
Lo
41
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70
33
39
47
57
42
39
38
42
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28
31
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51
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41
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46
37
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
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sh
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