Hearing could affect Idaho Power Co. line
Rep. Cliff Bentz will have lots of company from the 60th District at a Capitol hearing room beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday.
That’s when Bentz’s Sustainability and Economic Development Committee will hear testimony on House Bill 3153, which could affect Idaho Power Co.’s plan to build a transmission line through Baker County. . .
A citizens group from Malheur County, Stop Idaho Power, plans to bus members to the Capitol Thursday to voice their support . . .
After speaking with the Malheur County group Monday, Bentz said he plans to offer an amendment (to ORS 215.283) Thursday that would limit the height of transmission towers to 50 feet on EFU, timber and mixed-use ground. He said his proposal would allow local jurisdictions — planning commissions and county commissioners — to decide which areas to protect.
“County courts can decide if the land would be damaged by the inability to use aerial application,” Bentz said, a reference to agricultural producers’ fears that the 180-foot-tall transmission towers Idaho Power wants to install would interfere with their ability to spray from the air to protect their crops. “Local communities can decide which land should be protected.”
Bentz said he believes a strong showing from concerned citizens during Thursday’s hearing can influence his colleagues on the Sustainability and Economic Development Committee, which includes five Democrats and three Republicans. Bentz serves as vice chair.
“I believe legislators are always trying to determine how important these proposed laws are to people across the state,” he said. “One measure is how many people are there encouraging the Legislature to act.
“To somebody new like me, it sure seems more serious when all of a community arrives and says this is a very challenging situation, but it will all depend on how people behave themselves. You’ve got to deliver your message in an effective manner. . . ”
We intend to be as effective as we can, Representative Bentz.
http://www.bakercityherald.com/Letters/Letters-to-the-Editor-for-April-6-2009
To the editor:
The Oregon Department of Energy appreciates the Baker City Herald’s coverage of the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line project.
Department staff attended the public hearing held by the Oregon Public Utility Commission in Baker City on March 27, and followed the news media coverage.
We want to correct one statement in the article about the hearing.
According to the article: “If the PUC approves the application, Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Committee (EFSC) will determine where the line will traverse five counties in Oregon as it runs from Hemingway, near Murphy, Idaho, to Boardman.”
The Energy Facility Siting Council does not determine where the line will go. The project proponent is Idaho Power, and it is their responsibility to design the final route, and submit an application showing that their proposed route meets all of the applicable regulatory codes and standards. EFSC reviews the application for compliance with the standards, but does not choose the route.
This is a common misconception of the siting process. The article was otherwise accurate and informative.
We recognize that the siting and reviewing process is complex, involving several different agencies, each having a different role. We appreciate this opportunity to help explain this process to the public.
Adam Bless
Senior policy analyst
Oregon Department of Energy
