Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1979)
KOl'RTEEN The Gazette-Times. Heppner. Oregon. Thursday March 29. 197it Energy may iirpa taxes in legislative priority Salem Scene By Jack Zimmerman The name of the legislative game in Salem this year is supposed to be taxes specifi cally relief from property taxes. But on the basis of news emanating from the Capitol, there may be another name for this session of the Oregon Legislature. That name may be energy epitomized by Trojan the $460 million nuc lear power plant 42 miles north of Portland on the banks of the Columbia River. While members of the House Revenue Committee spent the first two months of this session agonizing over a tax relief package, the Senate grabbed headlines by refusing to con firm Gov. Victor Atiyeh's appointment of a temporary Energy Department director. The Governor's candidate, according to prevailing Sena tors, was too philosophically in tunc with utilizing nuclear fission (o generate electrical energy. Trojan was in the spol light. The Governor proposed a candidate to serve on the Energy Facility Siting Coun cilthe body that grants certificates to permit con struction of energy producing . facilities. It was revealed that , candidate and his wife owned. , stock in Portland General Electric Company, principal owner-developer of Trojan. The glare of publicity again focused on the electrical generating plant with a capa city greater than two Bonne ville Dams. Even before the session, began. Trojan became - 'a household word when a con trol room design error forced its closure for . nearly nine months while the flaw was ' corrected to meet earthquake resistance standards. These events served to intensify earlier Trojan illu mination during two attempts by anti-nuclear protestors' to occupy the plant, electrical rate hearings before the ' Public Utility Commissioner and the necessity to increase storage of spent fuel rods at the generating facility site. And if those weren't enough. PGE also was involved in problems relating to starting construction of another Tro jan type generator near Arling ton. In retrospect, events in the recent past and controversies over gubernatorial appoint ments merely served as curtain-raisers for subsequent legislative developments that are bound to keep Trojan on stage as long as the 60th Assembly continues to meet. Anti-nuclear forces stymied in attempts to forci bly achieve a shutdown of Trojan through occupation of the plant have launched a determined effort to legislate the facility out of business. A spate of bills introduced in both houses would not only close Trojan but prevent construction of other nuclear generating facilities. The Trojan shutdown effort in Salem even includes ele ments of overkill. For in stance, one bill would prohibit storage of spent fuel at nuclear plants while another would effectively prohibit its transportation to off-site stor age areas. There is a bill requiring owners of nuclear generators to provide front money for eventual decommissioning. Another would require ade quate disposal of high-level radioactive waste prior to site certification a responsibility already assumed by the fed eral government. Another proposal deals with site security following decom missioning and yet another would require bonding to indemnify the state from liability for events occuring during construction, operation and dismantling of nuclear plants. The immediate foregoing along with still another requir ing counties within 50 air miles of a nuclear plant to prepare and implement ovauioiioii plans appear lo be scare tactics designed solely create fear and distrust "! nuclear generators among the public at large. Meanwhile. Trojan since janii.n v has set a record for continuous operation. All by itscll Trojan kept thousands of customers from severe discomfort during this year's record cold spell. And the lai-L'csl single generator of energy in Oregon consistently continues to attract an aver age of more than 12.000 curious and fearless visitors monthly lo its on-site inform ation center. (losing Trojan would only increase Oregon's dependence on foreign and out-of-state energy sources. The ability of those sources to provide energy lor Oregonians depends on factors as common as local demand and as complicated as international milium- And while anti-nuclear for ces assail lawmakers with plans to shut down Trojan and prevent construction of more nuclear generators, still an other group has descended on the Capitol demanding fixed rates for residential users made possible by higher rates for commerce and industry. Pity the poor lawmaker who recognizes Trojan's energy is cheaper and more reliable than energy purchased from outsiders. If he votes to close Trojan, the cost of juice goes up while folks are clamoring for lower utility bills. And if he grants reduced rates for some, others must rise. And if commercial and industrial users are forced to subsidize residential users, those additional costs are passed on to consumers of other goods and services or businesses close and jobs disappear. Energy may well be a better name for the game in Salem this session. Because without it there really won't be much to tax. W4V "nil I J s JMT 11 f&7m& r "7 Jffi v 5n mm 1 HEY KIDS, ENTER THRIFTWA Y EASTER COLORING CONTEST Enter Thriftway's Easter Coloring Contest. Get all the details at your nearby Thriftway. PRICES EFFECTIVE MARCH 28 THRU APRIL 3, 1979 We Reserve the Right to Limit Quantities we welcome FOOD STAMP SHOPPERS .3 WESTERN family: WHOLE TOMATOES WHOLE PEELED TOMATOES 16-OZ. SIZE o (O) for SHI Western fawvl is WESTERN FAMILY CHUNK LIGHT TUNA OIL OR WATER PACK 6.5-OZ. SIZE WESTERN FAMILY. MEAT PIES BEEF, CHICKEN OR TURKEY 8-OZ. SIZE FOR WESTERN FAMILY ICE CREAM $' ASSORTED FLAVORS HALF GALLON DARIG0LD YOGURT LOW FAT, ASSORTED FRUIT FLAVORS 8-OZ. SIZE, YOUR CHOICE 1 LB. SIZE DARIG0LD BUTTER, QUARTERS WESTERN FAMILY CHEESE SLICES tzJ FOR U M.39 1.19 American, 12-o Individual Wrap WHITE OR WHEAT BREAD 7 fl i I ( a i I J LJ PLAIN WRAP IZVz-OZ. LOAF FOR L4 CRACKED WHEAT BREADS. 55c nniMI ITC Shurfresh. Plain. Powdered. Crunch "IOC UUIlUIOOrHalfandHalf, 8-ct. pkg J 1 1 i I ;l I ruVM i a i Mil iiifliiy(7rara s FRESH PORK RIB CHOPS CUT FROM ARMOURS VERI-BEST 17-20 LOINS L LB. SLICED BACON EA. WESTERN FAMILY 1 LB PKG. BEEF RIB STEAK Bonelesi - USDA Choice lb 3.39 PORK LOIN ROAST34,bavg ,b1.49' Wl ENERS Reg or AM Beef! 19b pkg $1 .49' ROUND STEAK Boneless Full Cut, USDA Choice 2.69 WASHINGTON GROWN WHOLE FRYERS Y 1 Grown in I H WASHINGTON 1 DAYS FRESHER s ir7 BEEF RIB STEAK St USDA CHOICE SOLE FILLETS HIGH IN PROTEIN, LOW IN CALORIES lb L-IIo i-i d ) LBUJO KIPPERED COD ,2.19 HALIBUT STEAKS 3.98 'wr ,j K.'flP-v. . :u-';-:-"::- ::!'::(.." jJJIiEi- r"-:.;, 1 1 ' "1 J 1ST JL JF" f I A LZIlb. 0 FRESH FRYER W HALF WASHINGTON GROWN DAYS FRESHER TURKEY FRANKS Rich's, 12-oz pkg . . . 7.89 RUMP ROAST Boneless USDA Choice lb 2.49 VARIETY PACKStt: $2.19 HORM EL WR ANG LERS weaT l,bl!BbTk.,V., $1 .99 NEW STORE HOURS: Open Every Day 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. 305 S.W. 11th Ave. (Buttercreek Hwv.). Hermistnn In The All New Sagebrush Plaza
