HERALD
OPINION
and
reader’s
forum
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
A4
OUR VIEW
Volunteers
make fair
a success
A
big shout out to the volunteers who made the
Umatilla County Fair such a success this year.
More than 400 people converged on the fair to
lend a hand, and Fair Manager Angie McNalley summed
up their influence when she said the fair could not
happen without them.
The volunteers run the gamut in terms of professions,
and they are active throughout the year to help make the
county event a success.
We’ve often used this space to call for more volunteerism
in the community because we know how big a difference one
or two or even a dozen people can make in their community.
The fair is a great example of what occurs when like-
minded people get together and help out — not for mon-
etary gain but to just set a positive example.
In this world we live in, we need more positive actions
rather than fewer, so it is always heartening to see what
occurs when volunteers arrive.
Volunteering to help your community — in such ven-
ues as the fair — is the best way to make a positive im-
pact. But the fair isn’t the only place where local residents
can help out. There are an array of causes and agencies
and nonprofit organizations that could use assistance
from volunteers.
The best thing about becoming a volunteer is how easy
it is. That ease means someone can step into a volunteer
spot and begin to make a difference immediately.
We frankly need more volunteers in our commu-
nity. The need for assistance for a plethora of issues only
grows with each passing month.
The Umatilla County Fair by almost any measure
proved to be a rousing success. We think that is excellent
because we believe in county fairs. They are a great gath-
ering place every summer where children and adults can
find entertainment and see the excellent work of those
who are in FFA and 4H.
The volunteers make a difference, but without the
great work of McNalley and her staff throughout the year
the fair wouldn’t be what it is every year. McNalley and
her group remain dedicated servants to the fair and that
pays real dividends for the residents of Umatilla County.
Without a successful fair our county would lose some-
thing essential and timeless.
Congratulations to all who made this year’s Umatilla
County Fair an excellent success.
COLUMN
Community should care how Port of Morrow
fulfills its role as an environmental steward
BRIAN
MAAG
OTHER VIEWS
“Those who are in charge at the Port of
Morrow need to stand up and publicly re-
spond to what was an apparent decade-long
plan to ignore state rules.”
— East Oregonian editorial July 12, 2022
ince 1986, when the Port of Morrow
began using industrial wastewater for
farm irrigation, there has been con-
stant and consistent improvement. The
port hasn’t ignored state rules, which inci-
dentally promote wastewater reuse. Instead,
the port has sought to follow science in
support of responsible farming practices.
To comply with environmental and health
regulations, the port installed networks of
monitoring wells at the three farms irrigated
with wastewater, including municipal waste-
water from the city of Boardman. In coordi-
nation with ag experts and partner farmers,
port-supplied irrigation water has been used
in innovative ways to cultivate higher-value
crops and avoid use of commercial fertilizers.
Since 2007, the port has invested more
than $45 million in capital improvements
to maintain compliance with state rules.
In 1994, the port constructed a 196-mil-
lion-gallon pond to store water during the
winter.
In 2007, East beach wastewater line ex-
tensions.
In 2010-2013, the port upgraded piping
so all industrial wastewater would be pro-
cessed through the storage pond, allowing
for greater consistency in water applied as
irrigation.
In 2011, the pond was reconfigured into
S
large and small sections. The smaller sec-
tion is used as a surge basin to aerate waste-
water. The larger section enables water stor-
age for critical times in the growing season.
In 2012, the storage pond was further ex-
panded.
In 2015, ConAgra Wastewater Pretreat-
ment.
In 2014 and 2015, more than 1,000 acres of
additional farmland was piped to receive pro-
cessed wastewater from the port, with an eye
toward reaching cropland that could absorb
processed wastewater without contaminating
groundwater.
In 2017, expansion at the Madison Ranch
added a new 350-million-gallon winter stor-
age pond and 2,822 acres for land application.
In 2018 to current, digester in construction.
In 2021, land application was added at the
Mader-Rust farms with an additional 1,600
acres.
In 2021, wastewater piping extension and
replacement.
The Department of Environmental Qual-
ity’s decision in 2017 to modify the port’s
permit to apply industrial wastewater for ir-
rigation changed a fundamental dynamic of
the program — distributing wastewater year-
round to support crop rotation. Suddenly, the
port needed to find a way to store 1.3 billion
gallons of winter wastewater in a pond with a
256 million-gallon capacity.
With port support, Oregon State Univer-
sity has undertaken an independent five-year
study to determine the sustainable use of ir-
rigation in the Lower Umatilla Basin, which
includes Morrow, Umatilla and Gilliam coun-
ties. This is in the context of a water quality
problem caused by the drawdown of ground-
water for public drinking supplies and farm-
land irrigation dating back decades. The study
is looking at farmland irrigation generally and
specifically examining how to make the port’s
wastewater reuse program for irrigation more
sustainable.
This is not the port’s study. But port of-
ficials are paying close attention to its in-
formed findings to shape their further ac-
tions. Meanwhile, the port’s strategic plan
calls for expansion of its anaerobic digester,
larger storage capacity, capture and reuse
of methane from processing wastewater
and other innovative strategies. The port is
self-financing these investments while seek-
ing federal and state funding to cover their
full cost.
It’s worth remembering what else the port
does in our community. The port continues
to expand its role as a regional trade hub
that supports and benefits local farming, in-
dustry and workers. Port and port-related
businesses have brought in more than 8,000
jobs to our area. It is the second-largest port
in Oregon behind the Port of Portland with
an annual economic output of more than
$2.5 billion.
Finally, the port continues to join with
community partners to address housing
needs, commercial development, local ser-
vices and other improvements that enhance
the region’s quality of life.
The community should care how the port
fulfills its role as environmental steward. Ask-
ing questions and getting answers is construc-
tive. Solving the region’s serious, decades-old
water contamination problem is imperative.
Cooperation and collective action is the
path to the solution. Science should be its
guide. The port will be its willing partner.
█
Brian Maag is the president and co-founder of
Boardman Foods, a tenant and member of the
Port of Morrow business community since 1992.
Boardman Foods processes ingredients for some of
the largest food companies and relies heavily on the
production of the agricultural community in the
Columbia Basin.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Write in Rick Pullen for Umatilla
County commissioner
Community Counseling Solutions director and
Umatilla County commissioners didn’t get the
memo. In February 2022, out of 36 Oregon coun-
ties, Eastern Oregon has the five top overdose
counties: Umatilla, Gilliam, Union, Wallowa and
Malheur.
Under current commissioners’ leadership, our
county has grown in drug deaths and incarcer-
ation as our county commissioners enjoy more
salary individually than several governors. Hav-
ing newly remodeled buildings and pretty signs at
CCS’s many locations demonstrates the commis-
sioners are motivated to look good, but the drug
death count is the truth teller.
Community Counseling Solutions has been
transitioning since January 2017 from Lifeways.
The wait time is now five months for an assess-
ment. Commissioner John Shafer defended this
failure for addressing the current drug issues in
our county by stating the situation is nothing new
and the demand has risen for mental health ser-
vices. Of course, demand is up when none of the
programs are successful. He added the problem
is not unique to CCS. Citizens were sold the idea
CCS would be great communicators and effec-
tive. After four years of transitioning, families are
asked to understand as their loved ones die.
Commissioners have shot down any Blue
Mountain Community College drug counseling
program ideas since 2015 yet Shafer complained
of staff shortages.
Struggling families could start a write-in cam-
paign for Rick Pullen for Umatilla County com-
missioner. He will honestly address the drug crisis
without shying away. Rumors and mistruths were
spread that he was not eligible. Rick Pullen is a
worker with follow through. He cares more.
Sally Sundin
Pendleton
HERMISTON
HERALD
Volume 115 • Number 33
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Someone was missing from
Oregon governor’s debate
I am writing to thank the Oregon News-
paper Publishers Association for hosting the
first gubernatorial debate of 2022.
I was watching the debate you hosted, and
noticed someone was missing. Of the multi-
ple candidates running for governor of Or-
egon, only three of them were invited to at-
tend. A duly elected Libertarian candidate,
R. Leon Noble, had been excluded, and I
would like to know why.
Noble earned the nomination of the Lib-
ertarian Party of Oregon during the primary
election held in June. Unlike other “minor”
parties, Libertarians do not need to spend
millions of dollars on a primary campaign in
order to ensure ballot access.
Could it be that Noble was excluded be-
cause, in this day of “pay-to-play” politics,
Corrections
Printed on
recycled
newsprint
It is the policy of the Hermiston Herald to correct
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SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Letters Policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for
the Hermiston Herald readers to express themselves
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No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the
person. The Hermiston Herald reserves the right
he has yet to raise the millions of dollars?
Betsy Johnson is still collecting signatures to
appear on the November ballot. Noble has
no such hurdle to overcome, yet he was ex-
cluded from the debate.
Are you trying to silence candidates who
haven’t “paid their way” into the governor’s
race? Or are you concerned that the people
of Oregon might hear a message that dis-
turbs the status quo?
Most Oregonians can agree that neither
Tina Kotek, Christine Drazan, nor Johnson
represent them. Why can’t those disenfran-
chised voters hear from a candidate who
will?
For more information on the Libertarian
candidate for governor, please visit his web-
site, SetOregonFree.com.
Sharlyn Cox
Legacy media director, Set Oregon Free
Roseburg
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