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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 9, 2017)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian Page 2A Wednesday, August 9, 2017 Plutonium detected in air at Hanford RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) — Radio- active plutonium and americium have been found in air samples collected where workers enter the secure area of the Hanford nuclear reservation in southeastern Washington, state health officials said Tuesday. The air samples were collected by the state Department of Health on June 8 at the Rattlesnake Barricade just off of public Highway 240, The Tri-City Herald reported. That was the day workers at the Plutonium Finishing Plant were ordered to take cover indoors because of an airborne release of radioactive particles during demolition of the highly contaminated facility. Department of Health officials at a Hanford Advisory Board committee meeting in Richland on Tuesday said analysis results for the air samples were received Monday. The levels of contamination in the samples were “very, very low,” said John Martell, manager of the Radio- active Air Emissions Section of the Department of Health. “The level is interesting from a regulatory point of view, but is not a health risk” to the public, said Mike Priddy, manager of the Envi- ronmental Sciences Section of the HEPPNER New wildfire reported on Umatilla National Forest East Oregonian HEPPNER — A new wildfire is burning on the Umatilla National Forest and threatening the Tupper Guard Station about 20 miles southeast of Heppner. The Tupper Corral Fire was reported at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, and by 8 p.m. had grown to 15 acres. The cause of the fire is unknown. Firefighters will work through the night building containment lines and protecting nearby struc- tures. Resources assigned to the blaze include two bulldozers, six engines, one AP Photo/Nicholas K. Geranios, File In this June 13 file photo, the Plutonium Uranium Extraction Plant, right, stands adjacent to a dirt-covered rail tunnel, left, containing radioactive waste, amidst desert plants on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation near Richland, Wash. Radioactive plutonium and americium have been found in air samples collected where workers enter the secure area of the Han- ford nuclear reservation health officials said Tuesday. Department of Health. Hanford employees were told in a Tuesday memo that the Department of Health considers “that the amount detected is below levels that would be of concern for human health.” The Department of Energy and Department of Health are beginning an investigation and have not conclu- sively linked the airborne contamina- tion to the Plutonium Finishing Plant incident, officials said. “We are taking it seriously,” said Tom Teynor, Department of Energy project director for the Plutonium Finishing Plant. The samples were collected in an area where officials were not expecting to find airborne contamination. The Rattlesnake Barricade is at least three miles from the Plutonium Finishing Plant. ODFW warns that Willamette steelhead face extinction PORTLAND (AP) — State officials warned Monday that if California sea lions continue feeding below Willamette Falls, they could push winter steelhead trout to the brink of extinction. The Oregonian/Oregon- Live reports that the state Department of Fish and Wildlife highlighted the threat in a population feasibility study. Without federal intervention, they said, there’s an 89 percent probability that least one population of the iconic fish species will go extinct in the near future. “It’s pretty dire,” Shaun Clements, the agency’s senior fish policy adviser said in an interview from a Clackamas County park just down river from the state’s largest waterfall, where sea lions have been setting up shop around the time the trout try to make their trek to spawning grounds up river. “If we don’t deal with this near-term risk, there might not be fish,” he said. The state’s report comes as two Pacific Northwest OHA Director Lynne Saxton resigns By NICK BUDNICK Portland Tribune Oregon Health Authority Director Lynne Saxton has resigned in the wake of news of her involvement in a plan to influence lawmakers by planting negative and misleading news about a local nonprofit health provider. The Portland Tribune on Thursday broke the news of a communication plangreeted approvingly by Saxton that talked of finding an HIV patient to complain about FamilyCare, then connect him or her off the record with local reporters. The plan called for using lawmakers and lobbyists from other organizations as intermediaries to spread negative news to disguise OHA’s role, allowing state officials to appear neutral. An email described the strategy as creating an “information buzz” in the state Capitol so lawmakers wouldn’t intervene in a rate dispute between FamilyCare and the state. The sudden resignation, which was first reported earlier Tuesday evening by The Oregonian, came amid growing speculation in the health care industry over Saxton’s future and questions about why Gov. Kate Brown had not responded to the Tribune’s reporting either before or after publication. Brown, however, answered those questions in a brief statement late Tuesday. “Today, after discussion with Lynne Saxton, we have agreed that her resignation is in the best interests of the agency,” Governor Brown said. “Lynne has led the Oregon Health Authority through its most chal- lenging times and helped me ensure that every Oregonian has access to the care they need. She is known as a fighter for Oregon’s values and I am proud of how she brought that level of commitment to the staff of OHA.” Other announcements will be made regarding OHA leadership in the “coming weeks,” according to the statement. The communications plan was prepared as FamilyCare and the state were doing battle in court over whether OHA is giving FamilyCare a fair rate of reimbursement for its care of low-income Medicaid patients. FamilyCare is one of 16 coordinated care organizations, or CCOs, set up by state reforms to act much like insurance plans or HMOs to provide low-income patients with health care under the Oregon Health Plan. FamilyCare has been the most vocal CCO, often accusing state officials of incompetence or seeking to do the nonprofit harm, including in the pending litigation. The communications plan called for getting reporters to write about FamilyCare and “look for opportu- nities to hurt their credibility in the news.” The goal was to portray the nonprofit as “more concerned with the bottom line and increasing revenues than the health of Oregonians.” It called for highlighting the group’s profit margins. Those margins appear larger than other CCOs in large part due to FamilyCare’s simple corporate structure. In reality pretty much all the CCOs have enjoyed large profits, in part due to an influx of young and healthy patients under the Obamacare law. However the OHA communications plan did not call for providing that context. The Tribune obtained the plan after having to file a records appeal with the Oregon Department of Justice over OHA’s refusal to release the plan OHA then released more than 50 pages that had been improperly withheld. Officials at first dismissed the plan, claiming it was not “fully imple- mented.” Evolving talking points then said the plan was “not implemented,” then said it was shelved because it does not meet OHA values. Didn’t receive your paper? Call 1-800-522-0255 before noon Tuesday through Friday or before 10 a.m. Saturday for same-day redelivery — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211 Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed major holidays SUBSCRIPTION RATES Local home delivery Savings off cover price EZPay $14.50 41 percent 52 weeks $173.67 41 percent 26 weeks $91.86 38 percent 13 weeks $47.77 36 percent *EZ Pay = one-year rate with a monthly credit or debit card/check charge www.eastoregonian.com To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255 or go online to www.eastoregonian.com and click on ‘Subscribe’ East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday and Dec. 25, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Single copy price: $1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday Corrections Classified & Legal Advertising 1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678 classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com NEWS • To submit news tips and press releases: • call 541-966-0818 • fax 541-276-8314 • email news@eastoregonian.com • To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News: email community@eastoregonian.com or call Tammy Malgesini at 541-564-4539 or Renee Struthers at 541-966-0818. • To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries: email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit www.eastoregonian. com/community/announcements • To submit a Letter to the Editor: mail to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. • To submit sports or outdoors information or tips: 541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com COMMERCIAL PRINTING Production Manager: Mike Jensen 541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com Copyright © 2017, EO Media Group REGIONAL CITIES Forecast TODAY FRIDAY THURSDAY Very hot with hazy sun Very hot with hazy sun 101° 65° 102° 66° SATURDAY Very hot with hazy sunshine Partly sunny and hot PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 101° 68° 98° 67° 86° 55° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 105° 65° 105° 63° PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW 99° 89° 111° (1972) 63° 59° 40° (1893) 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 0.00" 0.00" 0.09" 11.30" 7.34" 8.04" HERMISTON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE Yesterday Normals Records HIGH LOW 99° 89° 108° (1972) 60° 59° 40° (1934) 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 0.00" 0.00" 0.05" 6.59" 4.98" 5.97" SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today Last New Aug 14 Aug 21 First Aug 29 101° 70° 88° 58° Seattle 90/62 ALMANAC Yesterday Normals Records 104° 70° 5:48 a.m. 8:12 p.m. 9:23 p.m. 7:46 a.m. Full Sep 5 Today SUNDAY Partial sunshine Spokane Wenatchee 96/66 99/71 Tacoma Moses 89/56 Lake Pullman Aberdeen Olympia Yakima 102/66 95/59 74/56 91/54 103/65 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 89/58 100/72 Lewiston 104/62 Astoria 101/68 71/54 Portland Enterprise Hermiston 93/63 Pendleton 92/56 The Dalles 105/63 101/65 102/68 La Grande Salem 96/58 96/60 Albany Corvallis 95/57 92/55 John Day 95/64 Ontario Eugene Bend 96/62 93/56 95/59 Caldwell Burns 94/62 89/50 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 71 93 95 64 89 92 93 99 105 95 85 96 95 98 62 66 96 104 101 93 97 96 96 95 94 100 103 Lo 54 50 59 55 50 56 56 65 63 64 55 58 55 69 53 56 62 62 65 63 55 60 66 53 60 72 65 W pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Thu. Hi 70 93 95 69 90 92 92 99 105 94 90 97 95 98 62 66 95 104 102 94 96 96 96 95 94 100 104 Lo 56 50 60 55 51 57 55 66 65 64 55 58 56 68 52 56 62 62 66 63 56 61 67 55 64 72 66 Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. W c pc pc pc t pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc c c pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc WORLD CITIES Today Beijing Hong Kong Jerusalem London Mexico City Moscow Paris Rome Seoul Sydney Tokyo Hi 84 94 91 61 75 72 67 91 92 69 96 Lo 71 84 72 52 58 54 53 74 75 48 79 W c t s r pc pc t pc pc s pc Thu. Hi 90 94 90 68 63 76 68 90 88 75 88 Lo 73 85 70 52 56 59 54 72 75 59 77 W pc t s pc t pc sh pc t pc t WINDS Medford 98/69 (in mph) Klamath Falls 85/55 Boardman Pendleton REGIONAL FORECAST Coastal Oregon: Low clouds followed by some sun today; smoky. Low clouds tonight. Eastern and Central Oregon: Hazy sunshine today; hot across the north and near the Cascades. Western Washington: Smoky today. Hazy sun; low clouds, then perhaps some sun at the coast. Eastern Washington: Hazy sun today; smoky. Mainly clear tonight. Hazy sun tomorrow. Cascades: Hazy sun today. Hot; smoky in central parts. Partly cloudy tonight. Northern California: A thunderstorm in spots today; low clouds followed by sunshine at the coast. Today Thursday NNE 4-8 NNW 4-8 NE 3-6 NNW 4-8 UV INDEX TODAY Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. 1 congressional leaders are trying to give Oregon and Washington broader authority to kill sea lions at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. The bill would also apply to the sea lion logjam at Willamette Falls in Oregon City. For years, lawmakers have pushed for more latitude to intervene at Bonneville and prevent sea lions from eating spring Chinook salmon there. But state officials say the threat to steelhead on the Willamette River now poses a much greater risk. In 2017, just 512 native steelhead made it past Willamette Falls on their journey to spawning grounds on the North and South Santiam, Molalla and Calapooia rivers. That’s the lowest winter steelhead run ever recorded, according to Clements. In the early 2000s, the winter steelhead run was close to 15,000. Authorities believe sea lions have consumed one-quarter of the 2017 steelhead run. The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-0818. ADVERTISING Advertising Director: Marissa Williams 541-278-2669 • addirector@eastoregonian.com Advertising Services: Laura Jensen 541-966-0806 • ljensen@eastoregonian.com Multimedia Consultants: • Danni Halladay 541-278-2683 • dhalladay@eastoregonian.com • Jeanne Jewett 541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com • Dayle Stinson 541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com • Angela Treadwell 541-966-0827 • atreadwell@eastoregonian.com • Audra Workman 541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com Subscriber services: For home delivery, vacation stops or delivery concerns: 1-800-522-0255 crew and air attack. “Fuels are extremely dry and firefighter and public safety remain our number one priority,” said Brian Ebert, Umatilla National Forest Deputy Fire Staff. “Crews will assess the need for direct and in-direct attack strategies as the fire develops.” Fire danger is extreme in the Umatilla National Forest, and public restrictions on campfires and chainsaw use are in effect. For more information, contact any forest office or call the forest information hotline at 1-877- 958-9663. 4 6 6 4 1 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. ©2017 -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: Localized flooding will continue in the Deep South today. Locally heavy storms are in store from Kansas to the Dakotas and Minnesota. As storms dot the Rockies, the heat wave will linger in the Northwest. Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 111° in Needles, Calif. Low 33° in Bodie State Park, Calif. 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 92 80 80 82 79 80 93 83 84 83 83 84 92 79 85 95 81 76 90 90 82 88 80 107 86 86 Lo 69 70 64 61 53 71 67 66 72 64 64 62 76 56 63 74 58 57 76 77 62 75 65 83 71 67 W s c s s pc t pc s t pc pc s pc t pc s pc t sh t s t pc s pc pc Thur. Hi 94 83 80 83 83 84 92 82 87 77 83 86 96 78 86 96 69 75 89 91 84 88 82 107 88 86 Lo 69 71 66 65 56 72 67 64 73 65 67 66 79 56 66 75 51 53 76 77 67 74 65 83 73 66 W pc t pc pc pc t pc pc t pc pc pc pc t pc pc c pc pc pc pc t pc s t pc Today Hi Louisville 86 Memphis 87 Miami 92 Milwaukee 81 Minneapolis 79 Nashville 86 New Orleans 89 New York City 82 Oklahoma City 87 Omaha 82 Philadelphia 84 Phoenix 111 Portland, ME 82 Providence 82 Raleigh 85 Rapid City 81 Reno 90 Sacramento 91 St. Louis 86 Salt Lake City 90 San Diego 79 San Francisco 71 Seattle 90 Tucson 105 Washington, DC 85 Wichita 80 Lo 67 72 79 65 65 70 77 67 70 65 65 88 60 62 66 51 61 62 68 68 69 60 62 78 67 67 W pc pc t pc t pc t s pc t s s s s pc pc pc s pc pc pc pc pc s s t Thur. Hi 87 89 90 81 77 87 89 82 93 82 85 108 82 83 84 78 93 94 87 92 79 71 90 101 85 89 Lo 70 73 79 65 61 71 76 67 70 60 67 87 61 61 69 53 66 61 71 70 70 59 61 78 70 69 Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. W pc t t pc sh pc t pc t pc pc pc pc pc t pc pc s pc t pc pc pc pc pc pc
