A5
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Torrefaction plant could be operating by next June
$15.5 million
project and
15-18 jobs
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
A $15.5 million torrefac-
tion plant could be in opera-
tion at the Malheur Lumber
Co. mill in John Day as soon
as June.
As the plant ramps up
toward full capacity by the
end of 2019, Restoration
Fuels LLC could hire 15-18
employees, including local
management, Matt Krume-
nauer told the Grant County
Court on Dec. 12.
Krumenauer represents
the
U.S.
Endowment
for Forestry
and Com-
munities,
which devel-
oped
the
Matt
local proj-
Krumenauer
ect. Resto-
ration Fuels
is a subsidi-
ary of the endowment.
Joe Koerner will be the
plant’s operations manager.
The plan is to rely on Mal-
heur Lumber for mainte-
nance staff and Iron Triangle
for trucking. Krumenauer
said the endowment has
a strong relationship with
the Forest Service, which
could consider the torrefac-
tion plant as a tool for for-
est manage-
ment.
The U.S.
spends bil-
lions fi ght-
ing
wild-
fi res,
but
Joe
spending
Koerner
millions to
manage for-
ests to prevent wildfi res is
not sustainable without a
revenue stream. The ques-
tion has been what to do
with low-value biomass and
non-saw wood material from
stewardship projects on the
Malheur National Forest.
One solution is to chip
and roast this biomass to
produce a torrefi ed wood
product to burn in coal-
fi red plants. Up to now, the
endowment’s focus has been
on refi ning a torrefaction
process for the John Day
area and developing mar-
kets, Krumenauer said.
Japan — which has
imposed tariffs on power
produced by nuclear and
coal, making torrefi ed wood
competitive — has shown
interest in torrefi ed wood
mass, he said.
The endowment is will-
ing to take on the initial
investment risk with hopes
the private sector will even-
tually take over the enter-
prise. The torrefaction pro-
cess has been successfully
tested at a large scale in
Mississippi, Canada and the
Boardman plant, Krume-
nauer said.
The endowment had con-
sidered locating the new
plant at the Prairie Wood
Products property and other
sites in Grant County but
chose Malheur Lumber
because of its existing infra-
structure, wood handling
and processing facilities,
state air quality permit and
experienced on-site staff,
Krumenauer said.
The plan calls for replac-
ing the existing boilers with
a larger and more effi cient
one, replacing the exist-
ing belt dryer and rotary
kiln used for making pel-
lets with larger units, and
adding a briquetting system
while keeping the existing
pelletizer.
The replacement equip-
ment is commonly found
in timber plants around the
world, Krumenauer said.
The plan is to avoid dis-
rupting ongoing mill oper-
ations, but the pellet plant
will shut down temporar-
ily while key equipment is
replaced.
Krumenauer said the
plant will start operations
using log chips and not slash
from stewardship projects.
As the plant proves itself
and ramps up production,
it will turn to slash material
and even trucking in chips
produced off-site.
A town hall meeting to
present the project will
take place at the Canyon
City Community Hall on
Jan. 10.
John Day.
Dec. 13: Dispatched with
Dayville fi re to Franklin Street
in Dayville for a man with dif-
fi culty breathing.
Dec. 14: Responded to a
mobile home park on West
Main Street in John Day
for a woman with diffi culty
breathing.
Dec. 14: Dispatched with
Long Creek ambulance to the
post offi ce in Long Creek for a
90-year-old woman.
Dec. 15: Responded with
John Day police to Screech
Alley in John Day for a
70-year-old woman who had
fallen.
Dec. 15: Dispatched with
Monument fi re and ambulance
and sheriff’s deputies to Cot-
tonwood Road in Monument
for a 40-year-old man with
chest pains.
Dec. 16: Dispatched to
South Humbolt Street in Can-
yon City for a 28-year-old man
with diffi culty breathing.
• Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife
Dec. 11: Advised of a cou-
gar sighting at Highway 26 and
La Costa Road west of John
Day.
• John Day fi re
Dec. 12: Responded to a
fl ue fi re on Southeast Franke
Lane in John Day.
Dec. 14: Received a report
of smoke inside a business on
East Main Street in John Day.
C OPS AND C OURTS
Arrests and citations in the
Blue Mountain Eagle are taken
from the logs of law enforce-
ment agencies. Every effort is
made to report the court dispo-
sition of arrest cases.
Grant County
Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff’s
Offi ce reported the following
for the week of Dec. 12:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 0
Average inmates: 16
Bookings: 10
Releases: 10
Arrests: 1
Citations: 0
Fingerprints: 6
Civil papers: 17
Warrants processed: 1
Asst./welfare check: 1
Search and rescue: 0
Oregon State
Police
Dec. 10: Responded to a
noninjury crash on Highway
395 near Starr Ridge summit.
During a search of the driver
and the vehicle, the trooper
found cocaine, LSD, meth-
amphetamine, Valium, nitrous
oxide charges and a dispenser.
Daniel J. Heuston, 39, Rich-
land, Washington, was arrested
and charged with driving under
the infl uence of intoxicants,
reckless driving and possession
of cocaine, LSD, methamphet-
amine and a Schedule IV con-
trolled substance.
Dec. 10: Responded to a
crash on Highway 395 south of
Canyon City. The northbound
vehicle slid on black ice across
the southbound lane and rolled
onto its top in Canyon Creek.
The 28-year-old female driver
from Burns pulled her 3-year-
old son from the vehicle and
called 911. They were trans-
ported to the hospital in John
Day and released.
Dec. 14: Investigated a fi re-
arms denial complaint at a
store in John Day.
Dec. 15: Assisted the Grant
County Sheriff’s Offi ce and
Forest Service in the search
and rescue of a bird hunter in
a remote part of the South Fork
area 16 miles south of Day-
ville. The hunter had dislodged
a large boulder in steep rocky
terrain and was injured when
the boulder rolled over him. A
helicopter was used to trans-
port rescue personnel to the site
and to transport the hunter to a
hospital in Bend.
Justice Court
• Violation of basic rule:
David W. Aimone, 58, Wash-
ougal, Washington, Nov. 17,
69/55 zone, fi ned $165; Sydnee
R. Bybee, 21, Bend, Nov. 17,
75/55 zone, fi ned $100; Kevin
L. Clemens, 44, Portland, Nov.
10, 73/55 zone, fi ned $140.
• Exceeding speed limit:
Trevor M. Widder, 21, La
Grande, Nov. 30, 79/65 zone,
fi ned $265; Beau J. Car-
lon, 19, Hines, Nov. 30,
75/65 zone, fi ned $165; San-
tos Cortes Valle, 31, Medford,
Oct. 1, 76/65 zone, fi ned $265;
Michael R. Lighter, 71, Sen-
eca, Nov. 28, 48/35 zone, fi ned
$165.
• Violation speed limit:
Audrey R. Johnson, 40, John
Day, July 20, 59/35 zone, fi ned
$225; Angela J. Smith, 36, John
Day, Nov. 26, 73/65 zone, fi ned
$115.
• Driving uninsured: Serena
O. Pace, 18, John Day, April 27,
fi ned $265, May 1, fi ned $265;
Steven M. Warrington, 29, John
Day, Nov. 17, fi ned $300.
• Driving while suspended:
Steven M. Warrington, 29, John
Day, Nov. 17, fi ned $500.
• No Oregon operator’s
license: Scott L. Drinnon, 51,
John Day, Nov. 14, fi ned $135.
• Expired registration sticker:
Steven M. Warrington, 29, John
Day, Oct. 16, fi ned $115, Nov.
17, fi ned $150; Audrey R. John-
son, 40, Clackamas, July 20,
fi ned $115.
• Open container of alco-
hol: Lars A. Johnson, 45, Eagle,
Idaho, Oct. 13, fi ned $225.
• Hunting outside a con-
trolled hunting area: Austin B.
Collins, 25, Molalla, Oct. 24,
fi ned $115.
• Katie Watt, 32, John Day,
was convicted Dec. 5 of keep-
ing a dog as a public nuisance.
She was sentenced to $5,609 in
fi nes, fees and restitution.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
152 calls during the week of
Dec. 10-16, including:
• John Day Police
Department
Dec. 10: John W. Grant,
40, John Day, was arrested at
a mobile home park on West
Main Street in John Day and
charged with domestic assault.
Dec. 13: Received a call
about a possible burglary at an
apartment on Southwest Brent
Drive in John Day.
Dec. 13: Responded with
state police to a report of
domestic menacing on North-
west Bridge Street in John Day.
Dec. 14: Following a traf-
fi c stop at South Canyon Boule-
vard and Fifth Street, Tiffany N.
Davis was cited for speeding,
38/20, in a school zone.
Dec. 16: Advised of a hit-
and-run crash on West Main
Street in John Day.
Dec. 16: Following a traf-
fi c stop on Highway 26 in east
John Day, Paul Roark, 22, Mt.
Vernon, was cited for speeding,
46/35 zone.
Dec. 16: Following a traf-
fi c stop on North Canyon Bou-
levard in John Day, Tylor J.
Gifford, 24, John Day, was
cited for driving with a sus-
pended license, no insurance
and displaying license plates
improperly.
Dec. 16: Responded to
Main Street in John Day for a
report of an intoxicated person
falling into the street.
• Oregon State Police
Dec. 10: Dispatched to
Highway 395 near the Paulina
Road junction for a noninjury
vehicle crash.
Dec. 10: Advised of an
unauthorized use of a motor
vehicle on South Ingle Street in
John Day.
• Grant County Sheriff’s
Offi ce
Dec. 10: Advised of a non-
injury crash on Highway 395
near Magone Lake Road.
Dec. 10: Responded with
state police and John Day
ambulance to Highway 395
south of Canyon City for a
crash resulting in a vehicle in
Canyon Creek.
Dec. 11: Advised of a theft
on North Washington Street in
Prairie City.
Dec. 11: Advised of phone
harassment on Victorian Lane
in John Day.
Dec. 13: Advised of crimi-
nal mischief on Izee Highway.
Dec. 15: Received a theft
report from Mt. Vernon.
Dec. 15: Responded with
state police, Forest Service
law enforcement and John Day
ambulance to a search and res-
cue incident on Forest Road 26
near Bates.
• John Day ambulance
Dec. 10: Dispatched with
Long Creek ambulance to East
Main Street in Long Creek for
an elderly woman.
Dec. 10: Responded to
South Canyon Boulevard in
John Day for a woman who
had fallen.
Dec. 10: Dispatched to
Northwest Fourth Avenue in
John Day for a 76-year-old
woman with diabetic issues.
Dec. 11: Transported
a patient to the airport in
04893
The Grant County Chamber of Commerce
reminds you to shop these local chamber
members!
Restoration Fuels, LLC Open House
On Thursday, January 10, 2019 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm,
representatives from Restoration Fuels and Oregon Torrefaction invites
the community to an informal open house.
The opportunity will be held at the Canyon City Community Hall at
104 S. Humbolt St, Canyon City, OR 97820. The meeting will have
information stations on Restoration Fuels installation of a 12 ton/hour
torrefaction facility at the Malheur Lumber Company mill in John Day.
Please join us for some light refreshments and an informative evening
to answer any questions you may have about this first, U.S. large-scale,
commercial effort to help restore forests and create economic oportunity
in the region.
Advantage Dental
Airlink Critical Care Transport
America’s Best Motel
Bank of Eastern Oregon
Benchmark Land Surveying
Berry Creek Ranch
Bisnett Insurance
Blue Mountain Care Center
Blue Mountain Chiropractic
Blue Mountain Custom Homes
Blue Mountain Eagle
Blue Mountain Hospital
Canyon Mountain Center
Chester’s Thriftway
City of John Day
City of Long Creek
City of Mt. Vernon
City of Prairie City
City of Seneca
Claws & Paws Pet Sitting
Columbia Power Co-op
Community Counseling Solutions
Costco Wholesale of Bend
Country Preferred Realtors
Debbie Ausmus Insurance
Agency, Inc.
t
Torrefied Wood Pellets
96063
Doug’s Motor Vehicle Repair
Driskill Memorial Chapel
Duke Warner Realty
Eastern Oregon Realty
Ed Staub & Sons
ER Printing and Graphics
Families First of Grant County
Ferguson Surveying &
Engineering, Inc.
Field’s Tree Service
Fossil Shift Bike Shop
Grant County Farm Bureau
Grant County Geneological Society
Grant County Historical Museum
Grant County People Mover
Grant County Snowballers
Grant/Harney County CASA
Heart of Grant County
John Day Farmer’s Market
John and Linda Shelk Foundation
John Day Elks Lodge
John Day Golf Club
John Day Senior Center
Juniper Press
KJDY
Land Title of Grant County, Inc.
Madden Brothers
Malheur National Forest
Malheur Employees Association
MD Enterprizes
Mossy Oak/Cupper Creek Land
Company
Nomad Sign Art
North River Electric
Northfork John Day River
Watershed Council
Old West Federal Credit Union
Oregon Telephone Company
Oregon Trail Electric
Oregon Trial Well Service LLC
OSU Extension Service
Solutions, Inc.
Portrait Connection
Prairie Springs Fish Farm
Robert Bagett PLS, CWRE
Silvies Valley Ranch
State Farm Insuarance
Sunrise Construction Specialties
TEC Copier Systems
Town of Canyon City
Valley View Retirement Center
Virginia McMillan D.D.S.
Grant County Chamber of Commerce
301 W Main St. John Day, OR 97845
541.575.0547