Idaho Power meeting draws a crowd
Residents turn out to give input at mapping session
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
LarryM@argusobserver.com
Friday, October 2, 2009 10:30 AM PDT
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| Ken and Carol Knothe (standing) look at a map while writing their choices for the route of a proposed Idaho Power transmission line Thursday during the mapping session at the Four Rivers Cultural Center. Evelyn Sayers (at right), a member of Stop Idaho Power, was there providing information and helping people through the process. |
ONTARIO — Thursday was a long day for those people involved in the Idaho Power transmission line mapping session at the Four Rivers Cultural Center.
And people came to Ontario from as far away as Harney County to attend the session.
Roje Gootee arrived in Ontario from Grant County to learn about the process and the issues surrounding the Idaho Power blueprint to construct a power line from Boardman to southwest Idaho.
Thursday’s meeting was the third session focused on securing public feedback on the best route through Eastern Oregon — and Malheur County — for the Idaho Power project.
Gootee complained there has not been a lot of public information or public meetings in her part of Eastern Oregon about the project, noting that two or three of the routes proposed for the transmission go through Grant County.
“I don’t think very many people in Grant County are aware that these (routes) are proposed,” Gootee said, who ranches with her husband north of Long Creek along U.S. Highway 395, said.
Closer to home, Donna Kemble, Ontario, voted to support routes suggested by Stop Idaho Power, the citizens organization in Malheur County working to keep the transmission line out of the valley and away from farming areas.
“I been involved since the first meeting,” Kemble said, adding she has bought signs and is a financial supporter.
Kemble said certain areas in the valley should be protected.
“EFU (exclusive farm use zone) is there for a reason,” she said. “I can’t see destroying our valley income.”
The mapping session in Ontario was the third such event for the public to deliver feedback on the routes they prefer.
Two other sessions have been held earlier in Boardman and Baker City.
“We had a good crowd at 7 a.m.,” Stephanie McCurdy, Idaho Power spokesperson, said.
However, the community advisory teams set up by Idaho Power will get more opportunities to look at the routes and make comment.
“We’re not finished yet,” Kent McCarthy, manager of the community advisory process for Idaho Power, said. All the routes that have been identified by residents will be analyzed by the company and brought to the advisory teams with its analysis. The teams will be asked what routes they would like to see go forward. “I expect the advisory teams to do away with some of the routes and refine some of the other routes,” McCarthy said.
Everybody that mapped out their routes by Thursday afternoon used the computer system available, but people had the opportunity to draw them out on hard copies, he said.
“A lot of people are just signing that they agree with routes already drawn.”
McCarthy did say that some public meetings are being discussed for Grant and Harney counties to inform the residents there about the routes proposed to go through their areas.
