By Larry Meyer 3/10/2010
ONTARIO — Malheur County and other valley residents heard Tuesday what they have been wanting to hear: The recommended routes for a major power transmission line from Idaho Power, from northeast Oregon to southwest Idaho, skirts the Malheur and Snake River valleys and takes in more public lands.
However, the siting process is far from complete. . .
The proposed westerly route crosses into Malheur County south of Adrian and crosses the hills over to the northwest corner of Harney County, to Grant County, and then up to Morrow County and on up to Boardman. “This is the shortest route,” Perry said.
Other alternatives stay in the Malheur, Baker, Union and Umatilla counties before ending up in Boardman, in Morrow County. . .
In response to the recommended routes, Roger Findley, co-chair of Stop Idaho Power, which has pressured the company to move its proposed routing out of the valley areas in Malheur County, said SIP is “guardedly optimistic” about the decision to put the B2H route on BLM land.
“SIP has suggested for over a year this is where it should go,” Findley said.
Noting the community advisory process has ended, Findley said, in a statement released at the CAP meeting, “There are two general outcomes from NEPA. First, the route will be accepted by all parties, and that is where the route will go. Or, second, the route will be contested by one of the parties involved through lawsuits, and the routes may end back up on private agricultural land.”
While SIP is hoping for the best case, Findley said the worst case could happen, and he urged Stop Idaho Power members to be diligent and be prepared to participate in the process to make sure the transmission line does not cross exclusive farm use land in Malheur County. . .
