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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2017)
OFF PAGE ONE SMELL: Company employs 40 people Trump Page 8A East Oregonian Continued from 1A McCann — weren’t having it. “Nobody in their right mind should have to put up with that in their city,” McCann said. “Shut it down until you’ve got it fixed and approved. If people are working out there, they’re going to be talented enough to find other work. They’re not going to be left destitute.” The company employs 40 people, including 13 Stanfield residents, according to a letter Larsen read from vice president of operations Mark Johnson. In the letter Johnson explained that a fire in February had burned up the plant’s scrubber used to miti- gate odors and the new one rushed into use had turned out to be inadequate. He said the company has hired engi- neers to custom-build a new system that should reduce the problem once it is in place by November. In the meantime, the company has taken multiple steps to reduce odor by rerouting trucks, bringing in higher-quality potato waste and only storing the raw materials on site for one day before processing. Residents, however, said those measures didn’t seem to be helping. Some reported the stench had triggered asthma attacks or vomiting in people they knew. Others said it was an embarrassment during the spring when rival sports teams had commented on the rotten aroma. McCann said he knew of two families that were trying to sell their homes and move out of town due to the odor, and a woman said the smell had made it “the worst summer of my life.” Leland Winebarger brought newspaper clippings about the 3D Idapro’s oper- ations in Burley, Idaho. One, from May 2013, reported the DEQ was investigating odor complaints against the company’s plant. A second, from February 2016, reported that the city had filed a criminal complaint against 3D Idapro for misdemeanor counts of non-permitted use and failure to conform to permitted use requirements. “These people in Burley have been fighting this for three years now,” he said, asking why they should believe Johnson that things would get better. Several residents told Larsen that he should have looked into the 3D Idapro’s history and then told them they could not operate in Stanfield. But Larsen said that since the company was oper- ating on private land with the correct zoning and the proper permits, he didn’t see how the city could legally block them from opening a business in town. “There was nothing in our laws that would let me say, ‘No, you can’t build that here,’” he said. “We have laws that respect property rights. You’re allowed to buy industrial property and do industrial things on it.” Larsen denied one person’s accusation that he didn’t care about the problem because his family lives in Hermiston. He said he hadn’t started levying fines on the company for violating the nuisance ordinance because the company could decide it was easier to just pay the fines than spend money trying to fix the problem. But he said he would follow the directive of the council and use the city’s nuisance code to start levying fines. Getting a judge to issue an injunction against the company, forcing it to “cease and desist” as the council voted to pursue, is more complicated. Lawsuits over odors do happen, but head- lines from around the country indicate they’re generally brought by neighbors instead of cities. Larsen said he hasn’t taken that step so far because he has been trying to protect the city from being count- er-sued. Greg Svelund of the Department of Environmental Quality said he can only speak to the DEQ’s power, not individual cities’ or coun- ties’ ordinances, but said the DEQ can’t just come in and shut down a plant immedi- ately because residents have complained. The number of complaints about 3D Idapro’s Stanfield plant have reached a threshold that allows the department to act, he said, by requesting information from the company about possible causes of the smell and what they are doing to mitigate it. He said the company has done that and has submitted its plan to fix the problem. Now DEQ must give 3D Idapro a chance to implement the plan and show that it’s working to reduce the smell. Industrial operations in Oregon are not required to be odor-free. “What it comes down to is, is the company doing every reasonable thing it can with the type of operations they have to reduce odors?” Svelund said. He said that if a company is complying with the plan it worked out with DEQ and is still producing strong odors, the problem could be referred to a special panel that could refer it to a years-long court process, but so far “Oregon has not gone down that path before.” Odor complaints are not an unusual, even in Umatilla County. Hermiston city manager Byron Smith said there is a municipal court hearing this week for the city to begin levying fines on an individual with a wet silage operation off Highway 207 that has been drawing complaints. He said giving due process under the law in such situations can be frustrating, as neighbors continue to deal with the nuisance in the meantime. Stanfield city councilors told the audience Tuesday that although the bad smells might not go away immedi- ately, they were committed to doing what they could. “We want the smell to stop,” said councilor Jason Sperr, making a motion to fine 3D Idapro and look for a way to order the plant to “cease and desist.” McCann said if the city can’t get the help it needs from the state level, it will turn to lawmakers at the federal level for help. CLUB: Published their own book in 1937 Continued from 1A Hart said. She added, “there’s just not much of an interest in social clubs anymore.” The pioneer ladies, frequent collaborators with the Pendleton Women’s Club, held events like ice cream parties, charity dinners and award banquets. But they also preserved a history that represents “many towns, cities, states throughout the United States that were built by that same determination and tremendous hardships of the immigrants — individ- uals and families who made us the great country we are today,” Hart wrote in a letter to club members. The women kept histor- ical scrapbooks and artifacts, such as old clothes. The Vert Club Room where the ladies met, a space named for charter organizing officer Jesse S. Vert, was like a museum, Hart said. She plans to distribute the club’s assets to the Children’s Museum, Pendleton Arts Council, Umatilla County Historical Society and Pend- leton Underground Tours. The club endeavored to immortalize the pioneers with monuments. The renaming of Cabbage Hill to Emigrant Hill was coor- dinated by the ladies. They also erected a memorial bench for Aura M. Goodwin Raley in Pioneer Park, a sign for Minnie Stillman in Stillman Park and a wall around the grave site of Dr. W.C. McKay, who worked as an assistant surgeon on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Among the club’s greatest accomplishments was the publication of their book, “Reminiscences of Oregon Pioneers,” in 1937. The book includes narrative stories, essays and poetry from Pendleton’s earliest white citizens, including the first mayor, dentist and school teacher. Significant historical figures like Nancy DeSpain, J. H. Raley and Minnie Stillman wrote extensively. “It paints a picture of what life was like in the old days,” said Rebecca Frostad, manager and membership coordinator for the Heritage Station Museum. “The town felt more like a family at that time. They didn’t really have the option of pulling themselves up by their boot- straps.” The book sold well locally and was reprinted in 1993 with funds from the Umatilla County Historical Society. Frostad said it’s the only book of its kind, a critical first-person record of early European life in Umatilla County. “Reminiscences of Oregon Pioneers,” once for sale in the Heritage Station Museum, is currently sold out. The club’s supply will be donated to libraries in Umatilla County, as well as the Pendleton Underground Tours, Friends of the Library and Historical Society. Frostad said a second edition, made more acces- sible to modern audiences by maps and footnotes, has been discussed as a future project. First motorcycle race on this track since 1940 NITRO IN THE BLUES Sat & Sun, July 22-23, 2017 Oregon's ONLY hillclimb, held on a wicked steep 400.foot watered hill, 3 miles from town on the Jim Whitney Ranch along the Umatilla River Tickets: $20 Adults 13-Up • $5 12-Under kids (Admission covers entire weekend) THUNDER IN THE BLUES Thursday, July 20, 2017 exhorts Senate anew to rid U.S. of Obamacare WASHINGTON (AP) — Lecturing fellow Repub- licans, President Donald Trump summoned GOP senators to the White House Wednesday and told them face-to-face they must not leave town for their August recess without sending him an “Obamacare” repeal bill to sign. Senators responded by vowing to revive legis- lative efforts left for dead twice already this week. Success was far from assured, but Trump declared “I’m ready to act,” putting the responsibility on Republican lawmakers, not himself. During last year’s presidential campaign he had declared repeatedly it would be “so easy” to get rid of the Obama law. The developments Wednesday came just a day after the latest GOP health care plan collapsed in the Senate, leading Trump himself to say it was time to simply let President Barack Obama’s health care law fail. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had indicated he was prepared to stick a fork in the Republican bill and move on to other issues including overhauling the tax code. But in an apparent change of heart, in keeping with his erratic engagement on the issue, Trump pres- sured McConnell to delay the key vote until next week, and he invited Republican senators to the White House for lunch. There, with the cameras rolling in the State Dining Room, Trump spoke at length as he cajoled, scolded and issued veiled threats to his fellow Republicans, all aimed at wringing a health care bill out of a divided caucus that’s been unable to produce one so far. “For seven years you promised the American people that you would repeal Obamacare. People are hurting. Inaction is not an option and frankly I don’t think we should leave town unless we have a health insurance plan,” he said. Seated next to Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, who is vulnerable in next year’s midterm elections, Trump remarked: “He wants to remain a senator, doesn’t he?” as Heller gave a strained grin. Contributed photo by Sally Christensen Wheat farmers in Ione pulled together to help harvest the fields of Virgil and Debbie Morgan on Sunday, July 16. HARVEST: A community fundraiser is scheduled for Sunday, July 30 Continued from 1A serves as chief of the all-volunteer Ione Rural Fire Protection District. Melissa LaRue, who works with Morrow County Grain Growers in Ione, was one of the residents who helped plan the harvest- in-a-day. She said the entire party consisted of about 50 workers, all of whom were eager to give back to the Morgans. “Virgil and Debbie have done so much in our community,” LaRue said. “When someone needs anything in our town, they’re usually the first to step in.” Harvest is usually a three-week affair on Morgans’ farm. With the job finished, Virgil was able to leave for El Paso Thursday morning to rejoin Larissa on the road to recovery. Amniotic fluid embolism is rare, occur- ring at a rate one in every 20,000 childbirths, but can result in potentially life-threatening complications. The disorder accounts for 5-10 percent of all maternal deaths in the country. After 16 frightening days in intensive care, Virgil said Larissa has since come out of her coma and been transferred to a reha- bilitation center where she is undergoing physical therapy. She is once again able to talk, walk with some assistance and hold her new baby, named Natassia. “Everything is getting better so far,” Virgil said. “She still has a long road to go. We don’t know how long it’s going to take.” A community fundraiser is scheduled for Sunday, July 30 from 5-7 p.m. at the Contributed photo by Sally Christensen Virgil Morgan has been farming wheat near Ione for 40 years. Ione Legion Hall, according to the Heppner Gazette-Times. Volunteers will be preparing and serving a dinner of pulled pork or chicken sandwiches, baked beans and salad. Plates are $10 for adults and $7 for children. Virgil Morgan said he still gets emotional thinking about all the community support they’ve received from their neighbors. “For everyone to come together to help out ... I don’t know how to thank them for it,” he said, choking back tears. “That’s what this community is about.” ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@ eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825. The solar eclipse is coming August 21 Come C o get the th he coole coolest olestt ecli eclipse ipse e glasses in town at your nearest g East Oregonian office, or come E visit us at our Umatilla County Fair booth, Aug. 8-12. $1 EACH Best deal in town! Pick some up for your friends and family while supplies last. Fri, July 21, 2017 • 3-10 PM • 16,000 Seat • Pendleton ROUNDUP STADIUM UNDER THE LIGHTS First motorcycle race held on this¼ mile, fast clay dirt track since 1940! Classes for kids, vets, women and more. Tickets: $20 13-Up • $5 12-Under kids Info: Ron Dillon 208.673.4255 www.nitrointheblues.com East Oregonian 1-800-522-0255 211 SE Byers Ave. Pendleton 333 East Main St. Hermiston
