FROM PAGE ONE
A7 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022
DEQ
Continued from Page A1
Oregon State Police/Contributed Photo
Oregon State Police is looking
for information on this vehicle,
according to a press release on
June 15, 2022.
Reward
offered
for info on
poaching
case
Hermiston Herald
Oregon State Police Fish
& Wildlife is looking for help
in finding the owner of a
light-colored SUV last seen
around October 2021 near
Hermiston.
A camera caught a picture
of the vehicle, but the license
plate is unreadable, accord-
ing to OSP.
According to the depart-
ment, “it is believed the vehi-
cle may reside in the Benton
County area of southeast
Washington and is con-
nected with a poaching inci-
dent nearby.”
In a press release, the de-
partment states it “has ex-
hausted all other leads in this
case and is now urging any-
one with information regard-
ing this case to call the Ore-
gon State Police Tip-line at
800-452-7888, *677 or email
at TIP@osp.oregon.gov.
The reference case No.
SP21-290284.
Meanwhile, Fish & Wild-
life is publicizing the Turn
In Poachers program, which
offers preference points or
cash rewards for information
leading to an arrest or cita-
tion for the unlawful killing
of wildlife and or waste of big
game.
“Cash rewards can also
be awarded for turning in
people who destroy habi-
tat, illegally obtain licenses/
tags, and for the unlawful
lending/borrowing of big
game tags,” according to the
press release, which adds that
rewards can be as high as
$1,000.
More information is at or-
egon.gov/osp/programs/fw/
Pages/tip.aspx.
The Port of Morrow collects
wastewater from food proces-
sors, storage facilities and data
centers in its industrial park
outside Boardman. The port
has a DEQ water quality permit
that allows it to use the nitro-
gen-rich wastewater for irriga-
tion on nearby farms, but the
permit includes limits on how
much nitrogen the port can ap-
ply to the farmland and how
much nitrate and moisture can
be present in soil prior to appli-
cations.
“The amended notice cites
the port for additional occur-
rences of applying wastewater
containing nitrogen to fields
that already had too much ex-
isting nitrate or moisture in
the soil,” according to the state-
ment. “Having too much nitrate
or moisture in the soil when
applying wastewater increases
the likelihood of nitrates flow-
ing down into the groundwater
rather than remaining in the
soil for crops to use.”
DEQ also reported the port
documented additional viola-
tions to DEQ in its annual re-
port and in email and phone
reports of noncompliance. The
additional violations occurred
between November 2020 to
February 2021 and November
2021 to February 2022.
The revised fine totals
$2,100,351.
DEQ in its amended notice
stated it “acknowledges that
the port is committed to find-
ing a long-term solution to the
management of its wastewater
that both promotes beneficial
reuse and is protective of public
health and the environment.”
Even so, according to the
notice, since DEQ issued the
notice, the Port of Morrow has
not submitted a plan to achieve
compliance with the nitrogen
loading limits in the permit.
The new notice requires the
port to “develop and implement
an approval plan to achieve
compliance with both the nitro-
gen loading and moisture con-
tent limits in the permit.”
Because the port already has
an appeal going with the initial
fine, the DEQ explained it does
not need to submit a new ap-
peal, although it can submit an
amended request for a hearing.
The state environmental de-
partment also encouraged the
port to collaborate with local
partners to complete a “Supple-
mental Environmental Project”
that addresses high nitrate con-
centrations in the drinking water
in the groundwater management
area. DEQ stated the port could
resolve as much as 80% of the
penalty through such a project.
Hermiston Herald, File
Industrial facilities operate Jan. 11, 2022, at the Port of Morrow near Boardman. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality announced Friday,
June 17, 2022, it increased the penalty against the port for nitrate pollution from $1.3 million to a little more than $2.1 million.
“The amended notice cites the port for additional
occurrences of applying wastewater containing
nitrogen to fields that already had too much existing
nitrate or moisture in the soil. Having too much
nitrate or moisture in the soil when applying
wastewater increases the likelihood of nitrates
flowing down into the groundwater rather than
remaining in the soil for crops to use.”
— Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Oregon Rural Action, an
Eastern Oregon community
organizing and advocacy or-
ganization, in a press release
before the DEQ announced
the larger penalty issued a
notice that Morrow County
Commissioner Jim Doherty
was meeting Friday at 6 p.m.
with Boardman residents in
the West Glen neighborhood
where most of the 60 wells
tested had above the maximum
contamination levels for ni-
trates, with dozens up to five
times the level. Kristin Ostrom,
executive director of Oregon
Rural Action, said the DEQ
penalties emphasize that peo-
ple in the Boardman area have
been in harm’s way for a long
time.
She said it was past time to
get residents immediate help,
emergency water, crucial in-
formation and conduct water
testing to ensure access to safe
drinking water.
LOCAL BUSINESSES TO THE
RESCUE
The Boardman Chamber
of Commerce issued a press
release Friday, June 17, that
should come as good news for
many people.
It states that a group of local
businesses are helping. These
businesses, that are working in
“close cooperation with Mor-
row County Health Depart-
ment officials, are Amazon Web
Services, Boardman Foods,
Lamb Weston, Calbee North
America, Threemile Canyon
Farms and Tillamook County
Creamery Association.
These businesses are taking
steps that include “helping the
County Health Department to
distribute safe drinking water,
assisting well-owners and resi-
dents in the process of ordering
and paying for testing kits/ fil-
tration systems and providing
information on wells from the
Oregon Health Authority, ac-
cording to the press release.
The press release directs peo-
ple to co.morrow.or.us and the
Morrow County Health De-
partment’s Facebook page for
the most up-to-date informa-
tion about available help during
the current emergency.
It also states that Boardman
Foods will have a person on-
site (71320 E. Columbia Blvd.,
Boardman, OR 97818) to assist
in both English and Spanish
and to provide testing bottles
and a collection site for well wa-
ter testing, information from
Oregon Health Authority on
wells, as well as support and in-
formation on certified reverse
osmosis filters.
Water must be collected on
the same day it is brought in
for testing, according to the
press release. Testing is avail-
able Mondays, Tuesdays and
Wednesdays. Those interested
in the onsite services provided
at Boardman Foods can reach
out to contact@boardman-
foods.com.
Beginning Thursday,
June 23, the Boardman Cham-
ber of Commerce (101 Olson
Road) will also support the
community offering the same
services as available onsite at
Boardman Foods.
For information regarding
services located at the Cham-
ber, contact info@boardman
chamber.org.
Coffee Break!
CLUES ACROSS
1. Half-conscious
states
8. Unnatural
13. Deep regret
14. Rogue
15. Took without
permission
19. An alternative
20. After B
21. Partner to
“flowed”
22. The best day
of the week
(abbr.)
23. Helps you hear
24. Egyptian river
25. Lake __, one
of the Great
26. Make free from
bacteria
30. Indigenous
peoples of
central Canada
31. Sanctuaries in
Greek temples
32. Most unclothed
33. NJ senator
Booker
34. Tibetan lake
35. Desecrate
something
sacred
38. John __, En-
glish educator
l467-l5l9
39. Obtains in
return for labor
40. Views
44. Rugged cliff
45. Not quiet
46. Body part
47. Newt
48. German city
49. A way to save
money
50. NBC’s Roker
51. Dire Straits
frontman
55. Actress Lathan 28. Ones to look
up to
57. Most meager
29. Stringed
58. Poems
instrument
59. Companions
30. Gives whip-
pings
CLUES DOWN
32. Type of tie
1. Draws over
34. Make more
2. Recur
concentrated
3. Current unit
35. Die
4. Neither
36. Part of a winter
5. Certified
Radio Operator
hat
(abbr.)
37. Young men’s
6. Power of
club
perception
38. Bathrooms
7. Peace
need it
8. Supplemented
40. U.S. president
with difficulty
9. The last section 41. American
novelist
or part of
anything
42. Take into
custody
10. Dorm worker
43. Hurts
11. Bones
12. Most unnatural 45. Type of gibbon
16. Spanish island 48. American actor
17. The skill to do
Lukas
something
51. Partner to
18. Where golf
cheese
games begin
52. Some are
22. Untethered
covert
25. Print errors
53. Political action
27. The sport of
committee
engaging in
54. To and __
contests of
56. Atomic #28
speed
Be our exclusive Coffee
WORDS
ALBA
ANTIQUE
BLOOMS
BOURBON
CENTIFOLIA
CLIMBING
DAMASK
FLORIBUNDA
GALLICA
GRANDIFLORA
GROUNDCOVER
HISTORIC
HYBRID TEA
LANDSCAPE
MINIATURE
MODERN
OLD
PETITE
POLYANTHA
RAMBLING
ROSES
SHOWY
SHRUB
WILD
Break
Reach over 7,000 print and
digital readers each week in the
all new Hermiston Herald
sponsor!
Call
Angel Aguilar
today at
541-564-4531
for more
information
on this
new weekly
feature!