http://argusobserver.com/articles/2010/04/27/news/doc4bd71b671abbd799313482.txt
By Brandi Stromberg 4/27/2010
PAYETTE — The Payette County Commissioners approved a comprehensive plan map amendment Monday morning for Alternate Energy Holdings Inc., allowing the company to pursue the construction of a proposed nuclear power-generating plant near Big Willow and Stone Quarry Road in rural Payette County.
“Decisions like these are ones that weigh on our minds for weeks, as I am sure it has for everyone else,” Commissioner Larry Church said. “I think we did a pretty good job on the Comp plan, but some thought we needed textual changes in it.”
Church, along with commissioners Marc Shigeta and Rudy Endrikat, approved the text changes to the county’s Comprehensive plan. Church continued with the decision about the Comprehensive plan amendment for the proposed nuclear plant, saying this was a tough decision for the commission.
“This was supposed to be a land-use issue, we thought about it all the time. This isn’t specifically about the business, although it’s been difficult to get out of our heads,” Church said. “We had to ask ourselves some questions, is this the best place for this industry, is this good for the county, is this going to be the proper and adequate use of the land?”
Church continued, saying the plant was proposed to be in the middle of, basically, nowhere in the dry hills, which is ideal for this kind of plant.
“The negative affects, can and will be fixed,” Church said. “The positive affects are it’s in a very secluded area that is large enough for this type of industry.”
. . . The commissioners unanimously approved the comprehensive plan amendment for the nuclear power plant, the next step will be for the county to consider a rezone, which will be brought to commissioners by the company.
