The Goldendale Sentinel is the official newspaper of Goldendale, Washington and surrounding communities in Klickitat County.

EOZ hearing draws a diverse crowd

Lou Marzeles
News Editor

     More than 50 people crowded the County Planning Commission chambers Tuesday, Feb. 16, to attend a public hearing to reevaluate the County Energy Overlay Zone (EOZ) and consider revisions to the regulations.
     By the end of the meeting, the Commission passed a motion to end further oral testimony on the proposal but to allow written comments up to 5 p.m. Monday, March 1. A subsequent public hearing before the county commissioners will follow, though a date for that hearing has not yet been set.
     Twenty-one people from around the county addressed the Planning Commission at the hearing, with comments ranging from whole-hearted support for the EOZ to serious concerns over its impact on people, land, and wildlife.
     At the beginning of the meeting, three Planning Commission members acknowledged that they had wind company leases signed for their properties. Each said they did not consider that to be a problem; in further audience discussion, it was added that there was no likely conflict of interest for those commission members because the proposed changes were regarding new wind company activity, not existing leases. Nonetheless, audience member Tim Young did go on record as observing that some commission members had financial interests in wind companies.
     Commission Chairman James Dean stated that the purpose of the hearing was twofold. "First, it's to reevaluate the Energy Overlay Zone," he said, "and second, it's to clarify proposed amendments and revisions." That sparked considerable public comment on the public notice given about the hearing, with many saying that the notice specified that the public would have the opportunity to comment but did not say that it would include a reevaluation of the EOZ. As well, mention was made that the commission's plans for future public notification did not include newspapers, and Dean acknowledged that to be an oversight which would be corrected.
     Dawn Stover spoke to the issue of raptor birds killed by wind turbines in the Big Horn Wind project. "The number of raptors killed is more than double that of other areas," she said. "Perhaps we need to reevaluate the geographic boundaries of the EOZ, and it may be time to do a new EIS [environmental impact study]."
     An archeologist for the Yakama nation, Jessica Lally, stated that wind turbines have created a number of problems for protecting the tribe's heritage. "Ten archeological sites are damaged," she said.
     Speaking in support of renewable energy companies were people from Bickleton, Centerville, Goldendale, and the wind companies themselves. Almost universal among supporters were comments about the increased number of jobs for the area, enhanced revenues for area businesses, and a positive impact on the county tax base.
     Overall, public comment was generally more supportive of wind farms, with criticism directed primarily at fine-tuning development to be more attentive to environmental and historical concerns. Some criticisms were also directed at what some considered to be negative aesthetic and psychological impacts.
     The EOZ issue is highly sensitive to both supporters and detractors insofar as it directly impacts continuing development of renewable energy chiefly in the form of wind farms. Klickitat County Planning Director Curt Dreyer points out that the EOZ is unique: "This is the only county in the state that has an EOZ," he says.
     "It's important to remember that a reevaluation of the EOZ doesn't mean considering rescinding it," Dreyer says. "It means, let's see how it's working, how can it be improved."
     The EOZ came into being in 2004, when Klickitat County sought an expeditious and effective way to assess the environmental impact of siting wind farms in the county. Demand for wind energy was ramping up significantly, and rather than do studies on a one-by-one basis for each wind project, the EOZ was established as a way to do cumulative studies for county regions where turbine siting was likely. To that end, an EIS was conducted for the EOZ. That EIS was appealed in 2004. To settle the appeal, the county revised its public notice provisions, limited the EOZ to only clean energy development, and agreed not to extend the EOZ into the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. It also agreed to provide an opportunity for public comment after 1,000 megawatts of wind energy had been constructed. Currently there are building permits for 1,060 megawatts of development.
     Dreyer points out that the county has paid for a cumulative impact study, conducted by West, Inc., based on 6,700 megawatts. That figure errs on overcompensation, since that capacity exceeds what is possible for the region based on Bonneville Power Administration constraints.
     "Some people might be looking for a new EIS to be done," Dreyer says, "but that's not warranted.”
Critical concerns about the proposed EOZ revisions are focused on setbacks for the turbines. Presently turbines must be 200 feet from residential buildings. Some say that figure must be increased, citing incidents of ice fall-off from blades hitting trucks and homes and the rare possibility of a turbine collapse. A setback of 2,500 feet has been proposed, but that poses concerns for people who want as many turbines on their property as they can get.
     In Goldendale, some speak with dismay about the apparent departure of wind turbines workers and wonder if the proposed changes to the EOZ mean further economic problems for the area.      "There is no current construction on turbines around Goldendale," Dreyer acknowledges. "But work in the east end of the county is continuing, and we know there will be more projects coming up here."
Dreyer emphasizes that public comment is welcome and can be submitted in written form up to the deadline at 5 p.m. this Monday. “People can come to the office, ask questions, and visit our web site for more information,” he says. The Planning Department web site is: www.klickitatcounty.org/Planning.

Police calm distraught gunman in copy case

     The circumstances of a police call last Sunday were perhaps not just coincidental with the recent shooting of Aaron Campbell by Portland Police, but the results in Goldendale were much different.
     A man called Goldendale police threatening to kill people and telling them that “the streets would be filled with bodies,” according to police. Officer Kevin Dyment responded to the residence, where a man was outside a home and threatening violence. The man was said to be distraught by the recent death of his brother, which was also the stated reason for the behavior of Campbell in Portland.
     Dyment had a taser at the ready as he attempted to defuse the situation. The man told Officer Dyment that Dyment would have to shoot him and reached behind his back, as if going for a weapon, causing Dyment to pull his revolver. After a few minutes of conversation, however, Dyment convinced the man to surrender peacefully. The man was unarmed and taken into custody without further incident.
     According to Goldendale Police Chief Rick Johnson, police were attempting to help the man receive treatment for alcohol and drugs and mental health.

Chandler, Taylor hold telephone town meeting