KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter
THURSDAy, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
When the
state faces
its own
mandates
W
e have from the start advised
those old enough and medically
able to be vaccinated against the
COVID-19 virus. We have also pressed
employers to take reasonable steps to
protect their employees, and that everyone
take whatever steps they believe necessary
to protect themselves.
We are firmly in the anti-COVID-19
camp.
We have been critical of many govern-
ment regulatory actions related to the
pandemic, particularly those borne of
sweeping emergency executive orders that
have escaped legislative review.
Almost from the start, the state gover-
nors imposed strict rules on businesses and
employers, and sent out regulators to force
compliance.
The state of Oregon found out recently
how hard it is to enforce its own mandates.
After a one-year hiatus, the Oregon State
Fair returned this year with the theme “Fun
makes a comeback.” Maybe a little too
much fun, at least for some patrons.
Late last month, Gov. Kate Brown
mandated that masks be worn in public
settings, indoors and outdoors, at large
gatherings such as the fair and the Pendle-
ton Round-Up. The fair, a public corpora-
tion, is a government entity that operates
under the authority of state statute. The
state owns the fairgrounds and the facilities
on the grounds. Oregon State Police patrol
the fair.
Several news outlets reported Oregon
OSHA received at least a dozen complaints
that mask rules were not enforced on the
fairgrounds. Photos posted on social media
indicate widespread flouting of the gover-
nor’s rules.
“We are adding steps. Over the week-
end, we talked with Oregon OSHA, and
they will be visiting the fair on their time
frame,” Oregon State Fair spokesper-
son Dave Thompson told KOIN. “They
will be looking specifically at the vendors
and staff and the people we do have some
control over and make sure they’re wearing
masks. Vendors could be fined thousands of
dollars.”
OSHA was sent to hold vendors to the
rules, but not to make the fair enforce the
rules on its patrons. Ejecting noncompliant
fairgoers would have been hard, unpopular
and not much fun.
Ag employers can empathize. They have,
in effect, been turned into agents of the
state. If they fail to comply with the rules,
or are thwarted by uncooperative employ-
ees or customers, they can be heavily fined
by the state.
In an ideal world, the experiences of an
actual agent of the state with enforcing state
diktats would inform regulators to the prac-
tical problems of compliance and amelio-
rate their attitudes toward good faith efforts
put forth by the regulated.
Alas, the world is far from ideal.
EDITORIALS
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East
Oregonian editorial board. Other columns,
letters and cartoons on this page express the
opinions of the authors and not necessarily
that of the East Oregonian.
LETTERS
The East Oregonian welcomes original letters
of 400 words or less on public issues and public
policies for publication in the newspaper and on
our website. The newspaper reserves the right
to withhold letters that address concerns about
individual services and products or letters that
infringe on the rights of private citizens. Letters
must be signed by the author and include the
city of residence and a daytime phone number.
The phone number will not be published.
Unsigned letters will not be published.
SEND LETTERS TO:
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801
The dangers of blowing dust
MARC
AUSTIN
EYE IN THE SKY
s of Sept. 1, we’ve officially
entered meteorological fall.
After a brutally hot and dry
summer, we’re gradually starting to
enter a more mild and pleasant time of
year across the Pacific Northwest.
Chilly mornings and mild afternoons
with occasionally breezy to windy days
are a common occurrence this time of
year, making it one of the best seasons
for heading out to enjoy some fresh
air. But there is one thing that can be a
downright nuisance this time of year,
in fact, it can be deadly depending on
its severity. It’s blowing dust and it’s
as common to the Columbia Basin as
tumbleweeds.
After a long hot summer with
months of dry conditions, many of the
fields across the basin lie barren with
thousands of possible acres of flat land
with light fine soils. As the frequency of
frontal passages increases this time of
year, we can get pretty windy from time
to time, and as these winds interact with
the dry fine soils, they are often lofted
A
into the air with expansive areas of
blowing dust. If the dust is sufficiently
dense, dust storms can occur, resulting
in rapid reductions in visibility and air
quality.
One of the most tragic dust storms
occurred on Sept. 25, 1999, when
significant blowing dust moved across
Interstate 84 between Pendleton and
Hermiston. The rapid onset of near zero
visibility led to a fatal multi-car pileup
along the interstate, killing eight people.
Less severe incidents occur on a nearly
annual basis somewhere in the Colum-
bia Basin with major traffic slowdowns
and fender benders.
So while this time of year is nice, it’s
important to pay attention to weather
conditions especially if you plan to
travel. If it’s going to be windy and we
haven’t had a recent rain event, you can
bet there’s going to be some blowing
dust, even if only locally from a handful
of fields.
So what should you do if you encoun-
ter a dust storm? Well if you can see it in
the distance and can avoid driving into
it, either stop until conditions improve
or find an alternate route that isn’t
affected. If you can’t avoid it and wind
up in a dust storm, pull your vehicle off
the pavement as far as possible. Stop
the car, turn off the lights, set the emer-
gency brake and take your foot off of the
brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are
not illuminated.
Tail lights can lure other vehicles
toward you, making it more likely they
may run into yours. If you can’t pull off
the roadway, proceed at a speed suit-
able for visibility. Turn on your lights
and sound the horn occasionally. Use
the painted centerline to help guide you
until you can find a safe place to pull
off the road. Never stop on the traveled
portion of the roadway as this is what
often leads to multi-vehicle accidents.
Of course, the best solution is to
remain aware of your surroundings,
especially on very windy days while
traveling in areas that are prone to blow-
ing dust.
So go about enjoying your fall. It’s a
remarkable time of year to get outside.
Just remember these safety tips if and/or
when you encounter blowing dust while
traveling.
———
Marc Austin is a warning coordi-
nation meteorologist for the National
Weather Service in Pendleton. Austin
leads outreach and weather prepared-
ness programs, and engages the media,
emergency management and public safety
communities in building a weather ready
nation.
(through 2016), they kill between 1,600
and 3,200 beaver per year (and this
during the breeding/nurturing season),
and that is enough to suppress popu-
lation growth and slow down their
spread. ODFW has repeatedly resisted
any significant restrictions on beaver
trapping and hunting on federal public
lands, most recently this year.
It’s obvious the climate changes in
the West are dire. It’s time to wise up
and take drastic action — or else.
Wally Sykes
Joseph
viewsheds, parks, forests, soils, fish
and unchecked weed growth from road
construction. Besides enforcing noise
standards that Idaho Power and the state
want to eliminate, and keeping large
construction equipment and traffic away
from our neighborhoods, there is the
biggest one of all — preventing devasta-
tion from forest fires.
Idaho Power wants to ring the
Grande Ronde Valley with large trans-
mission towers that will be visible from
the entire valley. They will be seen as
one drives on Interstate 84. They will
go through Morgan Lake and the Ladd
Marsh Wildlife areas and they will be
placed directly in front of the National
Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive
Center in Baker County.
Meanwhile, Idaho Power is rich with
renewable energy at home in Idaho,
with more coming online in the coming
years. They have all the energy they
need in Idaho regardless of the season.
Instead, they would rather pillage
Oregon’s resources and land to maxi-
mize their profits for their shareholders.
Because they are a regulated monopoly
they’ll make 7.6% profit for every penny
spent. The $1.2 billion transmission line
(2016 dollars) is more expensive than
building renewables and your energy
bills (whether Idaho Power or Oregon
Trail Electric Cooperative) will ulti-
mately reflect this.
We need to, and will, stop this
unnecessary transmission line.
Jim Kreider
co-chair, Stop B2H Coalition
YOUR VIEWS
Time to wise up and take
drastic climate action
Mary Edward’s letter (Urgent
action required to save Pacific North-
west salmon, Sept. 9) urging immedi-
ate action to protect Oregon’s failing
salmon populations from the ravages of
global warming is spot on. She calls for
federal infrastructure appropriations
to support investments in the Colum-
bia Basin benefiting salmon and other
wildlife.
Another helpful solution is to encour-
age the repopulation of our public-land
watersheds by beaver — and it wouldn’t
need any federal appropriations. It
would cost nothing.
Halting commercial and recreational
beaver hunting and trapping on federal
public lands would free these indus-
trious hydraulic engineers to increase
their numbers and reoccupy former
habitat throughout vital watersheds,
thus cooling water, reducing sediment,
alleviating rapid run-off, storing water
and raising water-levels, providing shel-
ter and refuges for immature salmon,
steelhead and other aquatic species.
The positive changes in riparian habi-
tats would increase biodiversity and the
food base for birds, fish and other wild-
life and would be fire resistant.
And all these benefits would come at
no cost to the taxpayer.
The number of beaver trappers and
hunters in Oregon averages less than
200 each year, but according to Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife figures
Stop B2H still alive and
fighting against power line
The East Oregonian’s recent report-
ing (“Boardman Coal Plant decommis-
sioning moves along,” Thursday, Sept.
2) gave the impression that the STOP
B2H Coalition has met its demise.
This is incorrect.
We are alive and well and fight-
ing for all Eastern Oregonians’ rights
and quality of life. What was reported
was a skirmish on issues regarding an
appeal of summary determinations
and questioning the administrative law
judge’s competency. Neither were issues
brought up by the Stop B2H Coalition.
There are still 57 issues and 24
people that will be presenting their
written arguments on Sept. 17 to the
administrative law judge for the Energy
Facility Siting Council in the Oregon
Department of Energy contested case.
These issues include protecting our