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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 2015)
Tuesday, October 6, 2015 OFF PAGE ONE GAS: Natural gas burns cleaner than coal TRADE: TPP nations account for up to 42 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports Continued from 1A Cranking out the juice WREULQJWKHIDFLOLW\WROLIH)URPVWDUWWR¿QLVK Page 10A East Oregonian going to be happy with this,” Suess said. “This partnership levels Suess hopes other coun- WKH SOD\LQJ ¿HOG IRU RXU tries, including China and farmers, ranchers, and manu- Indonesia, will eventually facturers by eliminating join TPP. more than 18,000 taxes that But not all agricultural various countries put on our groups support the deal. Bill products,” Obama said in a Bullard, CEO of R-CALF statement. “It includes the USA in Billings, Mont., strongest commitments on said his organization will labor and the environment encourage Congress to reject of any trade agreement in the deal. history, and those commit- “We are very disap- ments are enforceable, pointed that what we have unlike in past agreements.” is but yet another trade Brett Blankenship, pres- GH¿FLWJHQHUDWLQJ IUHH WUDGH ident of the National Asso- agreement that will only ciation of Wheat Growers, cause more harm to our U.S. told the Capital Press he cattle and sheep industries,” supports the pact but that the Bullard said. organization’s analysts will Bullard said trade HYDOXDWHWKH¿QDOWH[W agreements give developing “We have always viewed countries a forum to force WKH7UDQV3DFL¿F3DUWQHUVKLS the United States to relax its as a great opportunity for health and safety standards. potential marketing gains, He wants to see the United as well as preventing future States work to increase market access losses,” health and safety standards Blankenship said. “Without in other countries before the multilateral approach allowing them access to the of a broad-based trade U.S. market. agreement, our competitors “(TPP) will result in the have been working on further relaxation of our country-to-country bilateral health and safety standards agreements, which would and the further erosion of leave American products our ability to maintain the outside of the trade zone.” highest health and safety Randy Suess, a former standard in the world,” U.S. Wheat Associates Bullard said. “Currency chairman, said Japan may valuations have far more be allowed to protect several impacts on trade than tariff commodities, including compromises or reductions.” wheat and barley, under the Blankenship pointed pact. Japan doesn’t grow to the success of securing much wheat and heavily trade promotion authority subsidizes its wheat and — called fast-track authority barley farmers, he said. — for the Obama admin- “It’s not that big of a istration in June, which deal, but it seems like if allowed the TPP negotia- we’re really going to have tions to continue. Congress a true free-trade type policy, won’t be able to modify the everything would have to be agreement, only vote for or on the table, and I guess that against it. isn’t going to be the case,” The TPP nations account he said. for up to 42 percent of all Suess said the agreement U.S. agricultural exports, is designed to level the totaling $633 billion, U.S. SOD\LQJ¿HOGIRU86IDUPHUV Agriculture Secretary Tom Some of the countries in Vilsack said in a statement. the agreement are already “Failing to grasp this good trading partners, and opportunity would be a others, such as Vietnam, are mistake, worse than just emerging markets for the losing out on potential gains, United States, he said. our producers would fall “As far as wheat and behind other countries that barley goes, I think we’re are negotiating their own Continued from 1A preferential arrangements in TPP countries,” Vilsack said. “We are committed to working with Congress within the framework of the recently passed trade promo- tion authority to obtain a strong bipartisan under- standing of and support for this historic trade deal that EHQH¿WV IDUPHUV UDQFKHUV and all those who live, work and raise families in rural communities.” The president has to ZDLW GD\V EHIRUH VLJQLQJ the pact, and only then will Congress begin the process of voting on it. As a result, a vote on the TPP likely will not happen until well into 2016, where it is likely to get ensnarled in the politics of a presidential election year. Congress can only give the deal an up-or- down vote. It can’t amend the agreement. Many of the tariff reduc- tions and other changes will be phased in over several \HDUVVREHQH¿WVWRWKH86 economy could take time to materialize. Peter Petri, a professor RI LQWHUQDWLRQDO ¿QDQFH DW Brandeis University, says he doesn’t expect the deal to lead to any U.S. job gains. But he forecasts it will boost U.S. incomes by $77 billion a year, or 0.4 percent, by 2025, mostly by creating export-oriented jobs that will pay more, even as other jobs are lost. Another target for oppo- nents was drug companies’ efforts to protect some of their products from cheaper foreign competition. U.S. drug makers wanted 12 years of protection from competitors for biologics — ultra-expensive medicines produced in living cells. That is longer than in any country but the United States. Critics say blocking competition from near-copies drives up drug prices and makes them too expensive for people in poor countries. Drug companies didn’t get the dozen years they wanted; they got about eight years of protection. GUARD: First deployment was to Afghanistan in 2010-11 He said it will be inter- esting to see another part of sent thousands of refugees WKHZRUOGEXWGLI¿FXOWWRSDUW ÀHHLQJ´ with loved ones for a year. The 168th Aviation Regi- “Leaving family at home ment, Atkins said, will use with my two children and my CH-47 Chinook helicopters wife, it’s always tough that to move supplies and passen- way,” he said. “It’s not some- gers. thing I’m looking forward Before the ceremony, Sgt. to.” August Radke said this will For this deployment, be his second deployment however, Radke won’t be ZLWKWKHUHJLPHQWWKH¿UVWWR away from his entire family. Afghanistan in 2010-11. His older brother, Chief “That was just a whole :DUUDQW 2I¿FHU -DFRE culture shock going to a Radke, is a pilot deploying different world,” he said of with the regiment. $IJKDQLVWDQ ³, GLG ¿QG D Jacob Radke said he was lot of similarities, as far as deployed to Iraq in 2004-05 À\LQJDURXQG:DOORZD/DNH as a ground medic unit with and the Snake River Valley the Washington National is kind of similar. It just kind Guard before joining the of brought it into perspective, Oregon Guard with the made me miss home a little intention of becoming a pilot. bit.” “I’m looking forward Continued from 1A 2012 NW Carden Ave. 541-276-1522 to it,” he said of the new deployment. “It’s going to be an interesting experience. I haven’t been to Iraq (which borders Kuwait) for 10 years, and this time it will be in the air as opposed to on the ground. It will be interesting to see what’s changed in 10 years and a different perspec- tive from the air.” Spc. Brandon Bonney said he has enjoyed being in the Guard since 2011 but has never been deployed. “I’m just ready to get it VWDUWHG´KHVDLG³,W¶VWKH¿UVW deployment, so it’s going to be a new experience.” it’s the longest job he’s ever seen planned and one of the more complex. “It’s all being driven, in my mind, by the environment,” Mody said. “This is a very low carbon footprint plant.” The easy comparison is right next door, where the Boardman Coal Plant is slated to close or convert to an alternative, renewable source of fuel by 2020. Carty, on the other hand, represents 45 years of progress in energy technology, Mody said. Natural gas not only burns cleaner than coal, but the plant is able to capture a bulk of its own heat to create steam, which is then used to drive a second turbine at the plant. The result, Mody said, is an increase in HI¿FLHQF\E\DVPXFKDVSHUFHQW “It’s a very important resource for our customers, and for PGE,” he said. Carty uses what is known as a combined cycle system, splitting power generation between two Mitsubishi-manufactured turbines with a combined capacity of 440 PHJDZDWWV 7KH ¿UVW JHQHUDWRU UXQV RII WKH combustion of natural gas, burning at a temperature of about 1,100 degrees. A heat-recovery steam generator, however, captures the majority of heat that ZRXOG RWKHUZLVH EH ZDVWHG DQG ¿OWHUV LQ high-purity water to create steam, used to drive the second turbine. Transformers at the plant take the elec- tricity that’s generated and step it up to 500 kilovolts, which is essentially like pressur- izing the power to move it over long distances. 7KH SRZHU LV FDUULHG ¿UVW WR WKH *UDVVODQG Substation a mile away, and from there fed onto the Bonneville Power Administration transmission system in Gilliam County. At capacity, Mody said the station will be a dependable source of electricity for customers and enable PGE to invest in more renewable energy, like wind and solar. Oregon gets its electricity many different sources, including: • Hydro power ...............44.7 percent • Coal .............................33.4 percent • Natural gas ..................11.8 percent • Wind...............................5.2 percent • Nuclear ..........................2.8 percent • Biomass ......................0.54 percent • Waste ...........................0.23 percent • Petroleum ....................0.12 percent • Geothermal .................0.12 percent • /and¿ll gas .................0.09 percent • Solar ............................0.02 percent Source: Oregon Department of Energy “We’re very excited to have this serve our customers next year,” Mody said. Despite their close proximity, Carty was never envisioned as a replacement for the Boardman Coal Plant. The $513 million VWDWLRQ ZDV LGHQWL¿HG LQ 3*(¶V ORQJ range energy plan to a customer demand that continues to grow at a rate of 1-1.5 percent every year. Steve Corson, a spokesman for PGE, also said the plant will help minimize the XWLOLW\¶V H[SRVXUH WR ÀXFWXDWLQJ SULFHV RQ the wholesale power market. PGE decided to turn to wholesale power purchases after decommissioning the Trojan Nuclear Plant QHDU&ODWVNDQLHLQ Carty will help PGE maintain demand after several Mid-Columbia hydro power contracts expire in the coming years. %RDUGPDQZLOODOVREHQH¿WZLWKWKHFUHDWLRQ of 20 full-time jobs. Mody said the project is lucky not only to have the right infrastructure, but great neigh- bors in the community. “It’s very hard to get good sites,” he said. “We don’t have any people protesting, or anything like that. It’s creating clean jobs for the community.” CBARC: Oregon wheat assessment was $2M in 2014 drought and lower yields are anticipated for 2015. just a lot of adjustment to a As money gets tight, lot of new stuff,” Rowe said Padget said every dollar in an interview with the East becomes closely scrutinized. Oregonian. “You have to And like anything else, expect these growing pains.” change can lend itself to Some of the new uncertainty. researchers at CBARC are “We just want to make not only from out of town, sure those dollars are targeted but out of the country: where you get the greatest Valtcho Jeliazkov, who rate of return,” Padget said. replaced Petrie as director, “We’re constantly providing grew up in Bulgaria, while input on what we want.” -XGLW %DUURVR ZKR ¿OOHG In addition to Pendleton, Ball’s position, earned her &%$5& RSHUDWHV D ¿HOG doctorate at the Institute of station in Moro not far Agrarian Science in Madrid, from Padget’s farm. Erling Spain. Jacobsen, the Moro farm Darren Padget, a Sherman manager, also recently County wheat farmer and retired. Padget is part of the chairman of the Oregon committee charged with Wheat Commission, said ¿QGLQJKLVUHSODFHPHQW it’s crucial for CBARC staff To OSU’s credit, Padget to continue meeting with said he feels the university JURZHUVLQWKH¿HOGWREHWWHU has been receptive to the understand the region’s growers’ needs. unique climate and cropping “I believe there’s a lot of systems. hard decisions to be made “That’s probably the in front of us,” he said. “We biggest concern I have,” don’t have an endless supply Padget said. “There’s a lot of money.” to learn, and they really have CBARC did get a to lean on the growers to welcome boost from the understand it.” Wheat Growers League in About half of Oregon’s August after the organization wheat assessment — every purchased 57 acres adjacent grower is assessed a nickel to the Pendleton station, per bushel — goes toward and leased them back to the research with OSU labs and center for research. It’s the extension. The assessment ¿UVW&%$5&KDVDGGHGODQG was just a little more than VLQFH $2 million in 2014, though Steve Clark, vice presi- Continued from 1A dent of university relations at OSU, said the college recognizes the turnover at CBARC and the need to foster new strategic partner- ships. The CBARC Liaison Committee will meet at 8 DP1RYKRVWLQJDQRSHQ house for growers to come tour the station and meet the new staff in Pendleton. “That will be a great opportunity for the univer- sity to listen and learn,” Clark said. Since coming on board almost a year ago, Jeliazkov said he’s met with 20 indi- vidual farmers along with the Wheat Growers League and Wheat Commission. In every meeting, he said he has two main questions: What are problems facing farms, and how can CBARC help? Though every farm is different, Jeliazkov said growers seem most inter- ested in breeding new wheat varieties, followed closely by weed control, applying fertilizers and herbicides in drought and testing the EHQH¿WRIFRYHUFURSV Jeliazkov said the former scientists had great credi- bility with the growers, and they look forward to estab- lishing that for themselves. “It will take time,” he said. “New people bring new expertise, and new ideas.” OV ER 30,000 BOOKS Here comes our 35th Annual Book Sale, the best deal you’ll ever get on thousands of used books. While you’re there, join the Friends as a member and save even more! T hu rsday-Satu rday, October 8-10, 2015 Pendleton C onvention C enter 1601 W estgate, Pendleton, Oregon. Members Preview Sale Thursday, 7-9 pm; Friday, 10 am - 8 pm, public welcome Saturday, 10 am - 2 pm with $1 bag sale from 3-5 pm Memberships available at the door. Questions? Call 541-966-0380, 541-276-3625 P ENDLETON FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY Sponsored by: PendletonFriendsoftheLibrary@gmail.com
