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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2017)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian Page 2A Saturday, October 7, 2017 OSU ag chemist studies Harvey’s impact Senators pitch bill Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences is working on a project that will help some Houston residents determine if they’ve been exposed to chemicals stirred up by Hurricane Harvey. An OSU team traveled to Houston in mid-September and distributed three dozen silicone wristbands that absorb chemical molecules. Project volunteers were to wear them for seven days and then mail them back to OSU for analysis. They’ll receive back an individualized chemical exposure report plus an aggregated report of the Houston results. Kim Anderson, an OSU professor in the College of Ag’s Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Department, cautioned against reading too much into the analysis. “It’s not a health report,” she said. “It’s a report of chemicals in the wristband.” The porous wristbands can sample more than 1,500 organic chemicals, including pesticides and hydrocarbon from wood or fossil fuel combustion, and benzene and toluene found in industrial solvents. They don’t pick up inorganic material such as carbon monoxide, lead or Oregon State University Kim Anderson, an environmental chemist at OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences, wears a chemical- detecting silicone wristband in this 2014 photo. chromium, however. In recent years, the wrist- bands have been used to study pesticide exposure among farmworkers and producers in the Southeast, California and Peru, Anderson said. Those studies are continuing. Hurricane Harvey, for wildfire recovery storm. Residents may have been exposed to chemicals washed out by flooding or in the air, especially as people were involved in cleanup work. But the impact of that is unclear. “We hear it’s a toxic soup, but we don’t have data to say it’s a toxic soup,” Anderson said. “What are the expo- sures?” The public believes chemicals are all tested for toxicity, but most have never been tested, she said. Beyond pesticides, most chemicals don’t have regulatory expo- sure limits assigned to them. OSU’s department of environmental and molecular toxicology is collaborating with Baylor College of Medi- cine, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas on the project. “Community members were asking for some way to measure their chemical exposure after the flooding from Harvey,” Anderson said in an OSU news release. “We were all geared up and ready to go, so we offered to come down, and they said, ‘Yes, please.’” Anderson and OSU colleagues Peter Hoffman, Lane Tidwell and Holly Dixon flew to Houston Sept. 19 and distributed wristbands after explaining the project at a community meeting held near some of the Superfund sites. By ERIC MORTENSON EO Media Group however, provided a unique opportunity to measure chemical exposure. Houston has 13 “Superfund” cleanup sites, plus oil refineries and other industries that may have been swamped to some degree by the massive amount of rain dumped during the East Oregonian A bipartisan group of Western senators has introduced a bill that would allow states affected by wildfire to tap into federal hazard recovery dollars, providing immediate assis- tance to help reduce the risk of flooding, erosion and future blazes. As it stands, states can receive hazard mitigation funding only after the president declares a major disaster. However, unlike destructive hurricanes, floods or tornadoes, most fires do not typically receive a major disaster declaration. The Wildfire Mitigation Assistance Act would treat fires the same as other disasters, allowing states access to the Hazard Miti- gation Grant Program. The proposal comes after nearly 8 million acres of forest were consumed by fire this summer, including 678,000 acres in Oregon. The bill was announced Friday by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Michal Bennet (D-Colorado), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jon Tester (D-Montana) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho). “This is urgent business that requires an equally urgent and comprehensive response,” Wyden said. “This bill marks a key piece of that response to help people recover from the devastation of wildfires by providing funding to local governments to reduce flooding and erosion after fires, monitor stream and habitat health and assist residents in clearing brush from around their homes and businesses.” Wyden and fellow Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley are also behind a separate bill to permanently fix the way federal agencies Public meeting set for Tollgate forest project there is a lot of interest in the success of implementing this project, and we hope Tollgate residents, as well as the weekend recreational land and cabin owners, will join us.” A representative from the Oregon Department of Forestry will also be on hand to discuss how the Tollgate project ties into treatment of private forestland, and provide information about the state’s Cohesive Wildfire Strategy to strengthen the resiliency of communities surrounded by public land from wildfire. In 2005, the Umatilla County Community Wildfire Protection Plan identified the Tollgate wildland-urban interface as a priority for fuels reduction to lessen East Oregonian The Umatilla National Forest will host a public meeting Friday, Oct. 13 to update residents on the status of the ongoing Tollgate Fuels Reduction Project, which was approved in 2014 to treat about 4,300 acres of forest through thinning and prescribed burns. Walla Walla District Ranger Mike Rassbach said the meeting will run from 1-3 p.m. at the Tollgate Trail Finders Club House, 62369 Highway 204, to discuss progress of fuels treatments and planned activities for 2018. “The Tollgate area is one of the most utilized recre- ation areas on the forest,” Rassbach said. “We know the impact of large fires on lives, property and the environment. The Tollgate Fuels Reduction Project was developed collaboratively out of that assessment. For more information about the project, contact Joseph Sciarrino, Walla Walla District fuels management officer, at 509-522-6283. The project’s environmental impact statement can also be found online at www.fs.usda. gov/umatilla. As of Wednesday, all public use restrictions pertaining to recreational chainsaw use, smoking and motorized vehicle travel have been lifted on the Wallowa- Whitman National Forest. Restrictions were also previously lifted last month on the Umatilla National Forest. Seasonal campfire restrictions, however, remain in effect on all public lands through Oct. 31. Campfires are allowed only in fire pits surrounded by dirt, rock or commercial rings, with all flammable material cleared within a 3-foot radius. Fires must be attended at all times, and put dead out prior to leaving. For more information, call the forest office 541-523- 6391. Corrections Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann was appointed to League of Oregon Cities board earlier this year and his term will expire in 2019. Incorrect information appeared in the article “Chalmers named to board for League of Oregon Cities” (Oct. 6, Page 3A) that only two members of the board — Paul Chalmers and Tessa Winebarger — represent cities from east of the Cascades. 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. 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 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. 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Classified & Legal Advertising 1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678 classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com ADVERTISING Advertising Director: Marissa Williams 541-278-2669 • addirector@eastoregonian.com Advertising Services: Laura Jensen 541-966-0806 • ljensen@eastoregonian.com Multimedia Consultants: • Kimberly Macias 541-278-2683 • kmacias@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 — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — Single copy price: $1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday 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 SUNDAY Partly sunny, breezy and cooler Mostly sunny and cool 64° 44° 61° 36° MONDAY Partly sunny TUESDAY Partly sunny PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 65° 45° 66° 42° 60° 40° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 66° 35° 67° 46° PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW 76° 68° 89° (1933) 43° 43° 24° (1916) 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" 0.05" 0.19" 12.34" 8.14" 9.13" HERMISTON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH Yesterday Normals Records LOW 78° 70° 88° (2014) 35° 41° 23° (2012) 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" 0.03" 0.10" 7.04" 5.45" 6.66" SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today Last New Oct 12 Oct 19 67° 43° 64° 39° Seattle 61/47 ALMANAC Yesterday Normals Records 68° 41° First 7:01 a.m. 6:24 p.m. 7:59 p.m. 9:04 a.m. Full Oct 27 Nov 3 Today WEDNESDAY Sunny to partly cloudy Spokane Wenatchee 59/40 63/42 Tacoma Moses 60/42 Lake Pullman Aberdeen Olympia Yakima 66/41 58/40 59/49 60/42 67/37 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 61/48 65/46 Lewiston 69/46 Astoria 65/45 61/48 Portland Enterprise Hermiston 63/48 Pendleton 55/37 The Dalles 67/46 64/44 66/49 La Grande Salem 57/39 65/46 Albany Corvallis 65/46 64/43 John Day 58/40 Ontario Eugene Bend 67/42 64/43 58/34 Caldwell Burns 67/42 62/30 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 61 58 58 63 62 55 64 62 67 58 66 57 54 71 60 64 67 68 64 63 58 65 59 53 62 65 67 Lo 48 32 34 49 30 37 43 43 46 40 29 39 37 42 47 47 42 43 44 48 30 46 40 36 49 46 37 W sh pc pc s s pc pc s s pc s pc r s pc s s s pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc s NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Sun. Hi 63 56 54 66 54 51 65 58 66 52 58 54 51 66 60 64 61 68 61 65 58 67 58 49 64 63 68 Lo 42 22 27 51 19 28 36 34 35 30 30 28 27 38 44 44 32 35 36 42 23 39 36 25 40 41 32 Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. W pc s s s s pc pc s s s s pc pc s pc s pc s s pc s pc s s pc s s WORLD CITIES Today Beijing Hong Kong Jerusalem London Mexico City Moscow Paris Rome Seoul Sydney Tokyo Hi 67 92 77 64 75 50 60 72 78 69 72 Lo 56 82 64 50 54 39 51 48 62 56 66 W sh t s r pc c pc s pc c r Sun. Hi 65 92 78 63 75 53 63 72 77 73 76 Lo 57 82 62 51 54 45 48 58 61 63 66 W pc pc s pc pc s c pc pc sh pc WINDS Medford 71/42 (in mph) Klamath Falls 66/29 Boardman Pendleton REGIONAL FORECAST Coastal Oregon: A brief shower or two today; in the morning in central parts, any time across the north. Eastern and Central Oregon: Partly sunny today. Cooler; a morning shower in spots across the north. Western Washington: Some sun today with a shower in places. Partly cloudy tonight with spotty showers. Eastern Washington: A shower today, ex- cept a shower near the Idaho border; sunny in central sections. Cascades: Cooler today; a shower or two, except a couple of rain or snow showers in the south. Northern California: Areas of low clouds early today; otherwise, sunny at the coast. Sunny elsewhere. Today Sunday WSW 10-20 W 10-20 NW 4-8 WNW 6-12 UV INDEX TODAY Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. 0 pay for fighting increas- ingly large fires. Chiefly, the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2017 would put an end to the practice of “fire borrowing,” where the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are forced to take money from fire prevention programs to pay for firefighting. Meanwhile, the Trump administration asked Congress for $29 billion in disaster aid on Wednesday, which included $577 million to help replenish the agencies’ firefighting accounts. Oregon’s lone Republican congressman, Greg Walden, applauded the move, adding that it is past time to fix how the country pays for fires. The Wildfire Mitigation Assistance Act drew support Friday from Roy Charles Brooks, president of the National Association of Counties, as well as Thomas Jenkins, presi- dent and chairman of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Robie Robinson, former president of the U.S. Council of the International Association of Emergency Managers. “As mitigation is the linchpin of emergency management, expanding hazard mitigation grant funding following a fire management assistance grant declaration will enable jurisdictions to implement programs that will effectively reduce risks and return benefits many fold,” Robinson said. The Forest Service estimates it has spent more than $2 billion on wildfires in 2017, setting a new record for the agency. Fire managers and researchers warn that fire seasons are getting longer and hotter across the West, increasing the odds for more mega- fires into the future. 2 3 3 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. ©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: Rain, wind and seas will increase along the central Gulf coast as Nate approaches later today. Rain and storms will affect the Midwest. Showers will accompany a push of chilly air in the Northwest. Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 99° in Chino, Calif. Low 9° 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 71 81 79 84 65 86 67 75 85 90 79 84 85 77 83 84 47 72 86 89 84 88 70 88 87 92 Lo 48 73 69 68 40 73 41 65 73 67 56 62 60 46 61 55 36 46 73 71 57 78 53 64 66 63 W s c pc pc pc t s pc sh pc t pc pc s c s r s pc pc t pc s s pc s Sun. Hi 77 78 77 82 52 78 58 77 87 77 78 79 89 72 77 90 46 65 87 91 79 87 80 91 85 80 Lo 49 72 70 68 31 73 33 65 75 66 55 63 67 31 59 63 34 40 74 70 62 76 53 60 66 61 Today W s r r r r r pc c c r s s pc pc s s r pc pc pc pc t s s sh pc 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 86 87 89 76 66 86 84 80 78 70 85 96 71 78 84 75 83 87 81 76 82 73 61 96 85 77 Lo 66 73 81 56 50 71 76 68 53 51 70 65 60 64 69 43 44 52 56 49 64 54 47 59 73 51 W sh t t r r sh r pc pc r pc s c pc t pc s s t s s s pc s pc s Sun. Hi 77 84 90 76 68 79 88 80 81 75 81 96 75 74 84 54 63 82 83 57 74 73 62 95 82 81 Lo 67 70 78 56 45 70 75 70 58 50 71 68 56 67 70 34 35 54 60 39 63 60 43 62 71 54 Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. W r sh c s pc r r sh s s r s sh c sh sh s s s pc pc s pc s r s
