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Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 29, 2020 -- FIVE UEC starts condemnation proceedings against N. Morrow property owners Planned transmission line needs easements, but several landowners object By David Sykes In preparation for a new electrical transmission line into the Boardman area, Umatilla Electric Co-op (UEC) recently filed pa- perwork with the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) which would clear the way for condemnation of private lands and give the necessary right of ways for the new power line. UEC says it is still negotiating with the affected landown- ers and the PUC still needs to approve the request. The new 230kV line would run from a Hwy 730 electric switchyard near the I-84 freeway, 4.3 miles east to Olson Rd at Boardman. The electric co-op says the new line is needed to service future customer growth in the area, but critics say condemnation would be the result of poor planning for construction of a new Amazon data facility in the area. The new facility reportedly needs additional power for operation and some are saying adequate routes for a power line were not taken into consideration during planning. Many large Amazon server farms are being constructed in the Boardman and Hermis- ton area. The facilities use large amounts of electricity and Amazon is attracted to low prices offered here by UEC, which in turn buys most of its power from the Bonneville Power Admin- istration’s hydroelectric electric dams. The dams have historically been an inexpensive source of elec- tricity for the region. In a recent discussion with the Heppner Ga- zette-Times, however, UEC Chief Executive Officer Robert Echenrode would not pin construction of the new power line solely on the needs of Amazon’s new facility, but said instead the co-op’s Boardman and the Port of Morrow service area has shown tremendous customer growth, and the co-op needs larger power lines to take care of future electrical needs in the whole area. “At of the end of 2019, (UEC) energy sales were up approximately 20 percent over the prior year, and approximately 125 percent over the last five years,” Echenrode told the PUC in a report requesting the new power line. He estimated the new line would cost the co-op about $12.4 million which would be offset by future electricity sales in the Boardman - Port of Morrow area. There is a smaller 115kV power line currently servicing the area, howev- er, a larger line and a new substation are required to handle the increased capac- ity, Echenrode pointed out. Even though the power is needed, several landown- ers along the new route are not happy. Gary Frederick- son, whose family owns property along Root Lane in Boardman along which the power line would run, said in a comment to the Morrow County Planning Commission, “We are very opposed to the proposal.” Frederickson said there are several residences close to the proposed line that “will be negatively impacted.” He said there are other routes better suited for the new power line, including one north of the I-84 free- way. The Fredericksons have hired Pendleton attor- neys The Blanc Firm to rep- resent them. Property own- ers Casey and Nikki Huxoll are also opposed and they said putting the power line on Root Lane “would be a horrible thing to have in our neighborhood. We feel this will lower our property values as well as being added traffic to an already inadequate county road.” The Huxolls said there would be health and noise concerns from being that close to the high-power lines. “These high-powered lines always crackle and pop in the wintertime and seems to create much static underneath them,” the cou- ple said in comments to the Morrow County Planning Department. The Huxolls also said there is no reason to bring the line that close to residential properties when a better route would be through an industrial zone on the north side of the I-84 freeway. They asked the planning commission to deny any request for the power line. Another landowner whose property is actually needed for an easement, but so far has not consented, are former county judge Terry Tallman and his wife Cheryl. The Tallmans are critical of the project and the condemnation proceed- ings, saying the power line is being sold as a transmis- sion line when it is “clearly a power distribution line coming from a switch yard directly to an end user (Am- azon). This is not accepted under utility facility (in county codes) and does not serve the public good,” the Tallmans said in a state- ment. The Tallmans also said when it comes time to redistribute power from the end of the new line, there will be more negative impacts which must be ad- dressed. They suggest all distribution lines be placed underground to lessen the impacts on the city and surrounding commercial, residential and farmlands. Tallmans say there may be damage to humans and plant life when exposed to strong electrical fields like those produced by the overhead power lines. The Tallmans operate a fam- ily farm on land needed for the new line, so their property would be subject to condemnation if unable to come to agreement with UEC. They also sited lack of planning as a reason condemnation proceedings are even being considered. Morrow County Com- missioner Jim Doherty is also a critic of the project, and on several occasions pointed to the lack of plan- ning he says went into siting of the new Amazon data facility. He says that lack of planning is the big rea- son condemnation is being pursued. “You can’t build three fourths of a facility and then go to the constit- Honesty • Integrity • Independent VOTE Cody High MORROW COUNTY TREASURER WORKING FOR YOU uents and put it on their backs,” Doherty said at a recent county commission meeting where the topic came up. He also pointed to poor planning in putting the new data farm, which is now under construction. in a location without ade- quate electricity. “This was not pre-planned and now it is causing havoc with our constituents,” he says of the landowners facing possible property condemnation. Echenrode on the other hand says the last thing he wants to do is condemn and take away anyone’s proper- ty for an easement, saying the co-op is still talking and working with landowners to avoid it. “Over thirty years I have been in this business I have dealt with thousands of property owners and I can count on two hands the number that have been condemned,” he says. He adds that in the past seven years he has been with UEC they have not done any condemnations. But he points out, it is the electric co-op’s mandate to provide electricity where needed. “That’s our job,” he says. UEC has already obtained consent from about 64 per- cent of the landowners along the transmission line route, which covers about 80 percent of the property needed for construction of the new line. The UEC engineering firm working on the project estimates an unapprised value of approximately $112,959 to obtain ease- ments from four different unsigned property owners. Many other property own- ers have already signed up to allow the new power line. The co-op must get all the necessary easements in place before it then comes to the Morrow County Plan- ning Commission for ap- proval of the final power line route. As far as different routes, the engineers looked at two others and found them unacceptable because of a combination of costs, safety issues, environmen- tal impacts, impacting new properties or adverse effects on agricultural land. The engineers also looked at in- creasing the size of existing 115kV lines in the area to the larger 230kV but found that economically unfeasi- ble because of a cost of over $30 million. As far as the timeline for the project, the PUC has not yet set a public hearing date for UEC’s request for Petition for Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which is the prelude needed to begin condemnation of proper- ties. If the certificate is granted UEC would then then come to the Morrow County Planning Commis- sion for approval of the final new power line route. Then if planning approves the route their decision is still subject to final approval by the three-member Morrow County Commission. Fire Department offers drive-by birthdays The Heppner Fire Department is offering fire truck drive-by birthday wishes for area kids. Contact Eric Chick for more information. Local students named to dean’s list Hunter Nichols of Heppner and Daisy Victorio of Lexington have been named to the Eastern Oregon Uni- versity dean’s list for winter term 2020. Eastern Oregon University named 581 students to the dean’s list for the 2020 winter term. Qualifying students achieve and maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale while completing a minimum of 12 hours of graded EOU coursework. CALLING ALL HEPPNER & IONE 2020 GRADUATES! (Or parents of graduates) We need your Senior photos! Please send us your photo to be included in the 2020 Graduate pages of the Heppner Gazette-Times on May 20. Please include your full name and which school you are graduating from. Email to graphics@rapidserve.net County Commissioner, Morrow County, Position 1 Jim Doherty Nonpartisan Occupation: Commissioner, Cattle Rancher Occupational Background: Ranch Manager, Crops Manager, Ranch Owner Educational Background: Associates Degree in Production Agriculture, Bachelor of Arts in Business and History Prior Governmental Experience: President of the Association of Oregon Counties; Morrow County Commissioner; Governors Alcohol & Drug Policy Commission; Jefferson County SWCD chair; Morrow County SWCD; NACo Representative Re Elect: Jim Doherty - A voice for today, A vision for tomorrow I have a deep love and appreciation for the people of Morrow County. I don't want to be the candidate that professes, "I will work for the people," I want to be known for working with the people. I urge you to engage in your communities. I invite you to become part of the process. People are only voiceless when no one listens. I hear you! I have carried your message at home, in Salem and all the way to Washington D.C. A quote I admire from Theodore Roosevelt, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Family: I am a fourth-generation Irish immigrant. My great grandfather saw shades of Ireland in the rolling Morrow County hills. My mother raised along the banks of the Columbia River, in Boardman. I celebrate 34 years of marriage with my wife Kelly. My son and daughter-in-law have also made Morrow County their home. County: I built my cattle operation from the ground up, with sweat, blisters, honesty and personal relationships. I do the business of the County in the same fashion. I chair the N.E. Area Commission on Transportation, ensuring Morrow County receives funding for road and bridge infrastructure. I strive to make communities whole and craft healthy individuals by securing dollars to provide Arts and Culture to our youth. The Loop program, Wolf committee, Federal forest, Farm, Fair and Health continue as my priorities. Endorsement: "Commissioner Doherty has been great to work with. I am happy to lend him my support" - Senator Bill Hansell
