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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2015)
Page 10C OUTSIDE East Oregonian Saturday, June 13, 2015 Court kills rules to cut coal plant pollution &RQWUROOHGKXQWGUDZ results available By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press %,//,1*6 0RQW ² $ IHGHUDO appeals court has struck down pollution rules intended to reduce haze from coal WKDW LV EXUQHG LQ 0RQWDQD WR SURYLGH HOHFWULFLW\ IRU SHRSOH LQ WKH 3DFL¿F Northwest. Haze reduces visibility and is caused by tiny particles of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide. The Clean Air Act requires companies to use the best avail- able technology on older coal plants to reduce the pollutants, which can cause health problems such as respiratory illness. But a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the rules from the Environmental Protection Agency would arbitrarily require PPL 0RQWDQD WR LQVWDOO SROOXWLRQ FRQWUROV costing tens of millions of dollars without assurance of improvements in visibility. Tuesday’s ruling applies to the 2,100-megawatt Colstrip plant and a second plant in Billings that recently shut down partly because of the projected cost of complying with sepa- rate mercury pollution rules. The 2012 haze rules aim to protect regional air quality, including in parks and scenic areas such as Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Theo- GRUH5RRVHYHOW1DWLRQDO3DUNLQZHVWHUQ North Dakota. The court’s decision only affects portions of the rules dealing with the WZR0RQWDQDFRDOSODQWV 33/0RQWDQD²VSXQRIIODVWZHHN by its parent company to form Talen (QHUJ\ &RUS ² KDG VXHG RYHU WKH rules, saying less expensive technology ZRXOG EH VXI¿FLHQW WR UHGXFH KD]H causing pollution. Talen spokesman David Hoffman said the court’s decision was a “total victory” for the Allentown, Pennsylva- nia-based company. &ROVWULSLVRQHRIWKHODUJHVWFRDO¿UHG power plants in the West and produces HOHFWULFLW\VROGE\XWLOLWLHVLQ0RQWDQD AP Photo/Matt Brown, File This 2010 file shows the Colstrip Steam Electric Station, a coal-fired pow- er plant in Colstrip, Mont. A federal appeals court has struck down pol- lution rules intended to reduce haze in the atmosphere from the burning of coal in Montana for electricity consumed across the Pacific Northwest. Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Hoffman said the EPA, in conjunc- tion with environmentalists, crafted a rule designed to cost Talen money and PDNH LW PRUH GLI¿FXOW IRU &ROVWULS WR stay in operation. The court’s decision sends the rules back to the agency to be revised. EPA RI¿FLDOVSODQQHGWRHYDOXDWHWKHUXOLQJ before deciding what steps to take next, DJHQF\VSRNHVPDQ5LFKDUG0\ORWWVDLG The EPA had forecast reductions of more than 12,000 tons of pollutants from Colstrip annually under its rules, at an estimated cost of $83 million. The regulations also have drawn a challenge from several environmental JURXSV ² WKH 1DWLRQDO 3DUNV &RQVHU- YDWLRQ $VVRFLDWLRQ 0RQWDQD (QYLURQ- mental Information Center and Sierra Club. They said the pollution limits set by the EPA were not stringent enough. The 9th Circuit rejected the groups’ contention that the EPA should have required additional pollution-reduction technologies beyond those in the rules for two of Colstrip’s four power gener- ation units. However, the court agreed with both PPL and the environmentalists that EPA did not adequately explain its choice of technologies for Colstrip’s two older units, which Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain described as “the heart of the dispute.” 5HIHUULQJ WR WHFKQRORJLHV FRVWLQJ $25 million for sulfur dioxide reduc- tions at the older plants, the judge wrote that “this improvement very well may be necessary and ultimately cost-effec- tive. But EPA has supplied no reasons justifying that determination.” 5HSUHVHQWDWLYHVRIWKHHQYLURQPHQWDO groups said the ruling offered a second chance for the EPA to eliminate haze from burning coal. “Once they take a hard look, the outcome will be in our favor,” said $QQH +HGJHV ZLWK WKH 0RQWDQD (QYL- ronmental Information Center. “We are talking about massive amounts of pollution and control equipment that’s used by hundreds of plants across the country.” Special I-90 overpass will help animals cross safely 6($77/( $3 ² ,QWHUVWDWH LV a lifeline for the Northwest, connecting people and economies across the Cascades and linking the region to the rest of the country. For wildlife, though, it’s a killer ²DQGQRWMXVWEHFDXVHPDQ\RIWKHP ZLQG XS VTXDVKHG 0XOWLSOH ODQHV RI SDYHPHQWDQGKLJKVSHHGWUDI¿FELVHFW habitat more ruthlessly than any fence, isolating populations and undermining the genetic vigor that’s key to long-term survival. But part of that barrier is now being lifted. On Tuesday, the state Department of Transportation will break ground east of Snoqualmie Pass on the state’s ¿UVWIUHHZD\RYHUSDVVIRUDQLPDOV7KH 150-foot-long structure is designed to provide safe passage for species ranging from black bear and cougar to deer, elk ²DQGHYHQVTXLUUHOVPLFHDQGOL]DUGV It’s part of an ambitious project to convert a 15-mile stretch of interstate into one of the world’s most wild- life-friendly highways. “This is really a remarkable effort,” said Patricia Garvey-Darda, a biologist for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. “The goal is to connect all the species and all the habitat.” :KHQ ¿QLVKHG WKH VHFWLRQ RI , from Hyak to Easton will incorporate more than 20 major underpasses and overpasses engineered partly or wholly with wildlife in mind. Dozens of small culverts will also be rebuilt to allow easier passage. Four new underpasses are already open, and cameras are capturing images of deer, ducks, coyotes and river otters moving through. “We think this is going to make a lot of difference for wildlife,” said WSDOT project manager Brian White. The wildlife structures are being piggybacked on a nearly $1 billion project to widen I-90 from four lanes to six, straighten curves, reduce avalanche hazards and generally improve driving conditions on one of the nation’s busiest mountain highways. Some 28,000 cars traverse Snoqualmie Pass on an average weekday, and the number can more than double on sunny weekends. Except for reducing collisions with vehicles, animals weren’t especially high on WSDOT’s priority list when the agency started planning the expansion more than 10 years ago. But restoring connections between wildlife popula- tions in the North and South Cascades is a long-term goal for the U.S. Forest Service, which owns the right of way. The area is also of keen interest to conservation groups that toiled for decades to eliminate a historic checker- board pattern of timber ownership and bring almost 100,000 acres back into federal management. “I-90 has a tremendous impact on wildlife in the Cascades,” said Jen Watkins, of Conservation Northwest and the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition. BLOOMIN’ BLUES Wagging Hound’s tongue Name: Hound’s tongue 6FLHQWL¿F QDPH Cyno- JORVVXPRI¿FLQDOH tongue” is probably a reference to the shape of the leaves. Cynoglossum is from two Greek words, “N\QRVL” Hound’s-tongue is a for dog, and “JORVVD” plant that may best be for tongue, and the word referred to as a mixed “RI¿FLQDOH” is Latin referring blessing. On the one hand it WR RI¿FLDO PHGLFLQH 0DQ\ produces tons of burs, and common names have been on the other it has provided used for this plant in Europe relief from a number of and in North America, maladies on two continents. including Beggar-lice, The plant is a native of Beggar-ticks, Canadian-bur, Europe, where it was used 'RJEXU *LSV\ÀRZHU for centuries or more for 0RXVHOHDI 5RVHQREOH curing various ailments. It Sheep-lice, Stick-seed, and was brought Tory-weed. to North 0HGLFLQDO America over uses in Europe 200 years ago include and is well beating the established leaves with across the old pig grease continent as to heal dog a roadside bites. It was weed. said that Probably leaves laid its least under the feet admirable keep dogs trait is from barking “cockle- at you. In burs,” the Vermont seeds with around 1800, Bruce Barnes/For the East Oregonian hooked a physician prickles that Hound’s-tongue received a stick to socks leg wound by the dozen. Those seeds in an accident, and was also get tangled in the fur of successfully treated with cats, dogs, and other long- Hound’s tongue leaves by an haired animals. Indian chief. The plant stands about Indian tribes across the 2 to 3 feet high, with continent have used this plant lance-shaped long leaves to treat bleeding, cancer, overlapping on the central sores, kidney problems, and VWHP 7KH ÀRZHUV DUH LQ tuberculosis. tight coils at the ends of :KHUH WR ¿QG This branches, and bloom as the plant is just now coming into FRLOXQUROOV7KHÀRZHUVDUH bloom at middle elevations. a deep red-maroon nearly a Look for it in disturbed areas half-inch across. such as along the edges of The name “Hound’s roads in forest areas. +DUGWRIRUJHWÀRZHU Name: Yellow and Blue Forget-me-not 6FLHQWL¿F QDPH 0\RVRWLVGLVFRORU ÀRZHUV ZDV QRW IRUJRWWHQ by their lover. One German tale is of a knight, who KDYLQJ SLFNHG WKH ÀRZHUV for his lady, slipped and fell First, take a look at the in the river, throwing her the photo, and be aware the plant ÀRZHUV DQG FU\LQJ ³IRUJHW is only three inches tall. The me not.” ÀRZHUV DUH RQO\ DERXW WZR Other names for these millimeters wide. plants include mouse-ear, The plant in the photo is scorpion grass, and snake about as tall as it gets, though grass. it sometimes has branches. 7KH ÀRZHU EXGV DUH LQ 7KHFRORURIWKHÀRZHUSHWDOV a tight coil (like the tail of may be blue a scorpion), or yellow, which opens even on the as the buds same plant. start blooming The leaves from the and stems are bottom of the covered with stem upward. soft hairs. Thoreau, in The name 1852, found 0\RVRWLV is forget-me-not from Greek f l o w e r s words mus interesting. and ous, for He stated, “it mouse and is the more ear, combined beautiful for to refer to being small mouse ears. and unpre- Bruce Barnes/For the East Oregonian tending, Some of for the 40 or Forget-me-not HYHQ ÀRZHUV so Forget- should be me-not species worldwide modest.” have leaves that are shaped Some eastern Indian similar to the ear of a mouse. tribes had a more practical The word discolor means view of the 0\RVRWLV plants. having different colors. One tribe rubbed the plant Others of the 6 species in the on their hair to hold the hair %OXH 0RXQWDLQV DUH PXFK in place, and another mixed larger plants, some quite it with feed to aid cows in showy, as tall as two feet birthing. high and covered with tiny :KHUH WR ¿QG This EOXHÀRZHUV plant may be found now at The name Forget-me-not middle elevations in grassy for plants in the genus open or wooded areas of the 0\RVRWLV, is found in both %OXH 0RXQWDLQV ,W LV IDLUO\ French and German tradi- common but hard to spot due tions. Whoever wore the to its size. Oregon hunters can now check to see if they drew a big game tag for the fall. Draw results are available online at https:// or.outdoorcentral.us/or/ hunterreport, or by calling 1-866-947-6339. Hunters will need to provide their hunter LGHQWL¿FDWLRQQXPEHU which is printed on all license documents and stays the same from year to year. Anyone unable to ORFDWHWKHLULGHQWL¿FDWLRQ number can call the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s licensing division at 503-947-6101. A total of 137,015 big game hunt tags were available in the draw this year. ODFW received 407,402 hunt applications ²XSIURPD\HDU ago. ODFW limits the number of tags for some hunts to control hunting pressure and distribute tags fairly for the state’s most popular hunts. In Eastern 2UHJRQULÀHGHHUKXQWLQJ pronghorn, bighorn sheep DQG5RFN\0RXQWDLQJRDW hunts are all limited entry, DVZHOODVPRVWULÀHHON hunts. Hunters who drew a tag are reminded to buy it no later than the day before the hunt begins. Contributed photo, Oregon State Police The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is looking for whoever unlawfully wounded a buck deer in the Starkey Unit near La Grande. %XFNZKLWHWDLOSRDFKHG RXWVLGH/D*UDQGH There are no deer hunting seasons open The Oregon State Police during this time of year. Anyone with infor- Fish and Wildlife Division is investigating a buck deer mation about the case that was illegally shot on or should call OSP’s Turn-in before June 3 in the Starkey Poachers program at 1-800- 452-7888. Unit outside La Grande. Callers can remain According to Sgt. Chris Hawkins, a concerned resi- anonymous, and may be dent reported the poaching eligible for a reward offered just a couple miles off Inter- by the Oregon Hunters state 84 and a short distance Association. Information can also be XS /DGG &UHHN 5RDG The animal was mortally provided to OSP Senior wounded, shot twice in the Trooper Kris Davis in La KHDGZLWKDFDOLEHUULÀH Grande at 541-805-4757. East Oregonian Hiker slips off trail, hangs from cliff for 45 minutes 3257/$1' $3 ² $SULO 0HDGV¶ ¿UVW KLNH RI the season was almost her last. Her foot slipped while hiking with her sister Sunday at the Columbia 5LYHU *RUJH HDVW RI 3RUW- land. She fell off the trail and over the side of the cliff. Her options: Find some- thing to hold or go into a 100-foot freefall. “As I slid down, there ZDVRQHWKRXJKW,KDGµ0\ life is about to end,”’ she wrote on her blog. The 19-year-old clutched a branch that broke and started to slide again. She then quickly found a root sticking out of the cliff; it was small, but big enough to hold her for about 45 minutes until passing hikers came to the rescue. One of them, Wim Aarts, climbed down nearby trees with a rope made from clothing. 0HDGV ZURWH WKDW VKH grabbed the clothing rope ² KHOG E\ VHYHUDO SHRSOH DERYH ²DQG HYHQWXDOO\ returned to safety and her sister Stacy. “I walked to her as fast as my shaking legs would let me, and I threw myself in her arms as we both began to sob on each other’s shoulder,” she wrote. “I had never been so happy to see her and to ZDONRQÀDWJURXQG´ $DUWV SUDLVHG 0HDGV for remaining calm in a desperate situation. “If you want to rescue someone, you want to rescue someone level- headed like she was,” Aarts told 7KH2UHJRQLDQ 0HDGV OLYHV QHDU Portland and recently completed her sophomore \HDU DW /LQ¿HOG &ROOHJH Though she escaped her brush with death, she told 7KH 2UHJRQLDQ it hasn’t escaped her dreams. “I’m waking up kicking my legs, thinking that I’m back on the cliff,” she said. YOU’RE INVITED TO A MEDICARE BIRTHDAY PARTY! Are you turning 65 between now and the end of September? If so, we would love to see you! Join us for a FREE and fun event & learn more about Medicare • The basics of Medicare • Your rights & responsibilities • Social Security & Disability Benefits Saturday, June 27 10am-1pm GSMC Conference Center #1 Sponsored by: Good Shepherd Medical Center SHIBA Office Questions? Call 541-667-3507 or hosborne@gshealth.org
