YAKIMA – A property owner in the community of Outlook has received a $28,000 penalty for an oil spill from an above-ground storage tank in March of 2015.
Approximately 2,700 gallons of oil was lost from the tank, 1,900 gallons of which damaged seven miles of Sulphur Creek and 12 miles of the Yakima River, from Mabton to Prosser, over four days.
The oil travelled from the property through underground piping that spilled into the creek, and from there reached the Yakima River. Dozens of ducks and geese were harmed by the spill and several died despite bird-rehabilitation efforts. The spill also impacted important wetlands, Yakama Nation reservation lands, and threatened a fish hatchery.
A unified command comprised of the Department of Ecology, the local irrigation district, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Yakama Nation, responded to the immediate spill to clean up the oil reaching water. Soil and groundwater at the property remains contaminated and needs a long-term clean-up plan.
“Old above-ground storage tanks that contain oil pose a threat to the environment and are common in rural areas,” said Sam Hunn, with Ecology’s Spills Program. “When one fails, it can be an expensive and avoidable mistake.”
“We regret this incident occurred and we’re working closely with Ecology on next steps to get our land cleaned up,” said Ward Deaton of Deaton Land LLC, owner of the property.
Besides the penalty, and under state law, the owner also faces a Resource Damage Assessment for harm caused to public resources. In Washington, an oil spiller is responsible for adequately compensating the public for injuries to their resources. Compensation could include a restoration and enhancement project or study, or the spiller may be assessed damages, which are paid into a restoration fund managed by the state.
The penalty took more time than usual to finalize because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted its own investigation of the incident and later deferred the action to the state.
The property owner has 30 days to pay the penalty or file an appeal with the state’s Pollution Control Hearings Board.
Local meetings agenda highlights
COUNTY COMMISSION MEETINGSWork session meeting agenda highlights
1) Contract with Kitsap Public Health District for Marijuana and Tobacco Prevention Programs
2) Agreement with State of Washington State Department of Ecology for renewal of the Litter Cleanup Program
3) Contract with Peninsula Community Health Services for .50 FTE and supplies for Health and Human Services to provide referrals for clients using the Syringe Exchange Program to Medication Assisted Treatment (2c)*
(See full agenda)
Regular session agenda highlights of Clallam County
1) Agreement Amendment 5 with Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office for the North Olympic Peninsula Lead Entity 2015-2017 project
2) Ordinance amending Title 33, Zoning, Chapter 33.52, Recreational Marijuana
3) Request for proposal(s) to be received no later than 3 p.m., October 18; proposals will be opened publicly October 24 at 10 a.m. for:
* Chemical Dependency, Mental Health and related services – CD/MH Proposal 2018
( see full agenda)
PORT OF PORT ANGELES COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM HIGHLIGHTS
2018 Community Partner Program
( see full agenda for details)
CITY OF PORT ANGELES MEETING AGENDA ITEM HIGHLIGHTS
Budget Amendment #2 / Conduct Second Reading / Adopt Ordinance
The 2017 Budget is being amended for the second time to reflect changes in revenues and expenditures that have occurred during the second quarter of 2017. This budget amendment primarily includes changes resulting from the 2017 Budget savings process; as well as capital adjustments to ensure consistency with the Capital Facilities Plan (CFP). This is the second reading of the ordinance. There have been no changes since the first reading.
(see full agenda)
Other local and regional meetings...
CLALLAM COUNTY PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 1
COMMISSION MEETING NOTICE FOR SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
Special Meeting
There will be no regular business meeting of the PUD Commissioners on Monday, September 18, 2017. A special meeting of the Board of Commissioners will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the
District’s Main Office in the Salt Creek conference room, located at 104 Hooker Road in Carlsborg. The purpose of the meeting is to hold an executive session to evaluate the qualifications of an applicant(s) for public employment, pursuant to RCW 42.30.110(1)(g). No final action is anticipated and no other business will be transacted. The executive session portion of the meeting is not open to the public.
(see link)
PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA HIGHLIGHT ITEM
Ordinance 3182 Related to the Security of Publicly-Owned Property; Adopting a Process for Excluding Individuals whose Behavior is Unreasonably Disruptive, Establishing an Appeal Process to Protect Excluded Individuals’ Rights, Adopting a New Chapter 9.50 “Trespass Warnings On City And Other Publicly-Owned Property,” and Amending Chapter 11.01 of the Port Townsend Municipal Code
Action: Move to approve first reading of Ordinance 3182 Related to the Security of Publicly-Owned Property; Adopting a Process for Excluding Individuals whose Behavior is Unreasonably Disruptive, Establishing an Appeal Process to Protect Excluded Individuals’ Rights, Adopting a New Chapter 9.50 “Trespass Warnings On City And Other Publicly-Owned Property,” and Amending Chapter 11.01 of the Port Townsend Municipal Code.
(See agenda for more details)
JEFFEERSON COUNTY COMMISSION AGENDA HIGHLIGHT ITEMS
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION re: 1) Resolution: Intention to
Sell Surplus Property, Gallagher House (House Only) Located in Quilcene; 2) Hearing Notice: Intention to Sell Surplus County Property; Hearing Scheduled for Monday, October 16, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Chambers
( see full agenda for details)
AGRICULTURAL REPORT
USDA BLOG POST: Manufacturing is Relatively More Important to the Rural Economy than the Urban Economy
Posted on 9/ 12/ 17 (link source)
Compared to urban areas, in 2015, manufacturing represented a greater share of both private nonfarm rural jobs (14 percent vs. 7 percent) and rural earnings (21 percent vs. 11 percent). A new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service, Rural Manufacturing at a Glance, examines the manufacturing sector in rural America.
Manufacturing jobs in rural areas totaled about 2.5 million jobs in 2015 and pay relatively well; among all rural sectors, only mining had higher median earnings.
The manufacturing sector’s share of employment and earnings in rural areas began to exceed its share in urban areas in the 1980s, when import competition forced domestic manufacturers to lower costs. Rural areas generally have lower wages, property taxes, and land prices, making these areas relatively attractive to manufacturing firms.
Overall, manufacturing is no longer the driver of job growth that it once was. Between 2001 and 2015, a period that included two recessions (in 2001 and 2007-09), manufacturing employment fell close to 30 percent. In addition, 71 percent of U.S. counties experienced a decline in manufacturing employment. Counties with the largest relative declines were concentrated in the eastern United States, the traditional hub of U.S. manufacturing.
Despite the relative importance of manufacturing to the rural economy, economic restructuring is altering job opportunities for rural areas of the country. Rural manufacturing employment was smaller both in relative and absolute terms in 2015 than in 2001. There were 21 percent fewer manufacturing jobs while total employment grew almost 7 percent. That is, manufacturing employment became a smaller piece of a larger pie.
When a manufacturing plant closes in a community, there is a reduction in local employment, earnings, and government tax revenue. To better understand factors affecting manufacturing plant survival, another ERS study, released in May, followed the plants quarterly from 1996 until the end of 2011, if they survived that long. It found that rural plants have a higher survival rate than urban plants. All else being equal, plants in urban counties were 23 percent less likely to survive than plants in rural counties.
Survival rates were significantly lower for textile and apparel manufacturing industries than other industries. In rural America, textile and apparel manufacturing plants had a 26-percent survival rate between 1996 and 2011. During the same period, rural plants as a whole had a 57-percent survival rate. Trade-related policy changes and automation were two of the reasons for textiles and apparel manufacturing declines during the study period.
USDA BLOG: How the Forest Service Helped Shape our Nation’s Disaster Preparedness Framework
POSTED ON 9/ 11/ 17 (link source)
In 2001, Forest Service Incident Management Teams and crews responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11th with a well-coordinated response of multiple local, state, and federal emergency personnel. Our response to this national crisis highlighted the critical role of incident management systems when responding to an unforeseen national emergency.
The Forest Service has a long history of responding to emergencies. In 1970, southern California was under a siege of wildfires, most notably the Clampitt and Laguna Fires. These were the largest wildfires in California’s history at the time, in which 700 structures were destroyed and sixteen people lost their lives. Although national, state, county, and local responding agencies cooperated to the best of their ability, problems with communication and coordination often compromised their effectiveness. After this incident, Congress tasked the Forest Service with designing a system to effectively coordinate interagency actions. In partnership with other emergency response agencies, we helped develop and field test the Incident Command System, or ICS. This personnel management structure was designed to help responders from multiple agencies command, control, and coordinate emergency response within a common hierarchy.
By 1980, the ICS had been used to successfully respond to numerous wildland fire incidents and was recognized as a system that could also help public safety responders with floods, hazardous materials accidents, earthquakes, and aircraft crashes. In 1982, the ICS was folded into the National Interagency Incident Management System, or NIIMS, along with supporting standards and qualifications. After the terror attacks of September 11th, a presidential directive mandated the development of a national incident management system to “enhance the ability of the United States to manage domestic incidents by establishing a single, comprehensive national incident management system.” The following year, NIIMS began its conversion to NIMS – the National Incident Management System in use now.
ICS is a key part of NIMS, as it is the national standardized incident organizational structure for emergency responders. More than 20 countries have already adopted the ICS, and other countries are also considering doing so. For instance, this past July, French Fire Commander Christophe Frerson participated in the initial mobilization of a Forest Service Incident Management Team and observed the mobilization, in-briefing, and decision-making on an incident as France considered the adoption of ICS.
Today the NIMS is used by U.S. government agencies to respond to emergencies and disasters, from wildfires raging in the West to hurricanes battering the Southeast. Its use is mandated for federal emergency agencies and is a condition for certain preparedness funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies. By providing a standardized framework, the NIMS enables federal, state, tribal, and local governments to work together to prepare for, mitigate, prevent, respond, and recover from the effects of incidents.
USDA: Farmers and Ranchers Affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma Granted Extra Time, Procedures, to Document and Claim Disaster Losses
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 13/ 17 (source link)
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2017 – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced special procedures to assist producers who lost crops or livestock or had other damage to their farms or ranches as a result of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Also, because of the severe and widespread damage caused by the hurricanes, USDA will provide additional flexibility to assist farm loan borrowers.
“The impact is shocking and will be felt for many months,” said Secretary Perdue. “In addition to efforts being made on the ground to assist producers, we have taken a hard look at our regular reporting requirements and adjusted them so producers can take care of pressing needs first and mostly deal with documentation and claims later. President Trump’s directive is to help people first and deal with paperwork second. And that’s what USDA is doing.”
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), is authorizing emergency procedures on a case-by-case basis to assist impacted borrowers, livestock owners, contract growers, and other producers. The measures announced today apply only to counties impacted by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-determined tropical storm, typhoon, or hurricane, including Harvey and Irma that have received a primary Presidential Disaster Declaration and those counties contiguous to such designated counties.
Financially stressed FSA farm loan borrowers affected by the hurricanes who have received primary loan servicing applications may be eligible for 60 day extensions. Full details are available at https://go.usa.gov/xRe8V.
A more complete listing of all of the special farm program provisions is posted at https://go.usa.gov/xRe8p.
Among the actions announced today are lengthened deadlines for certain provisions under the Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) program, the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL), and the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). Emergency grazing may also be authorized under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for up to 60 days.
In addition, the deadlines to file a loss for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP) are extended, and special provisions are provided for “acceptable proof of livestock death and inventory for livestock losses.”
Farmers and ranchers affected by the hurricanes are urged to keep thorough records of all losses, including livestock death losses, as well as expenses for such things as feed purchases and other extraordinary costs because of lost supplies and or increased transportation costs.
Producers with coverage through USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) administered federal crop insurance program should contact their crop insurance agent for issues regarding filing claims. Those who purchased crop insurance will be paid for covered losses. Producers should report crop damage within 72 hours of damage discovery and follow up in writing within 15 days. The Approved Insurance Providers (AIP), loss adjusters and agents are experienced and well trained in handling these types of events. For more information see https://www.rma.usda.gov/news/stormdisaster.html.
As part of its commitment to delivering excellent customer service, RMA is working closely with AIPs that sell and service crop insurance policies to ensure enough loss adjusters will be available to process claims in the affected areas as quickly as possible.
In anticipation of flooding due to Hurricane Harvey, RMA took several proactive steps to ensure the efficient and reliable delivery of the crop insurance program. RMA authorized the use of emergency loss adjustment procedures to streamline certain loss determinations on specific crops and accelerated the adjustment of losses and issuance of indemnity payments to policyholders in all Texas and Louisiana counties impacted by Hurricane Harvey. RMA is reviewing the need for additional measures in response to Hurricane Irma.
USDA encourages all farmers and ranchers to contact their crop insurance agents and their local FSA office, as applicable, to report damages to crops or livestock loss. To find the FSA office nearest you, please visit https://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app. Additional resources to help farmers and ranchers deal with flooding and other damage may be found at www.usda.gov/disaster.
Secretary Perdue: Japan Expands Market Access for U.S. Chipping Potatoes
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 15/ 17 (link source)
WASHINGTON, September 15, 2017 – Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that Japan is expanding market access for U.S. chipping potatoes, resuming imports from Idaho for the first time in 11 years.
“The United States has a reputation around the globe for growing high-quality potatoes,” said Secretary Perdue. “We are committed to opening up new market opportunities for U.S. producers, and I am gratified that farmers in Idaho, our largest potato-producing state, will prosper while helping Japan with their supply of fresh chipping potatoes.”
The United States enjoys a 98-percent share of the Japanese potato market, with exports of fresh and chilled potatoes growing from $1 million in 2010 to $19 million in 2016. Beginning with the 2018 season, Idaho will again be among the U.S. states eligible to ship chipping potatoes to Japan.
Japan halted imports of chipping potatoes from Idaho after detection of pale cyst nematode (PCN) in the southeastern part of the state in 2006. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has worked closely with the U.S. potato industry and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to demonstrate the effectiveness of the PCN eradication program. As a result, Japan has reopened the market to chipping potatoes from all Idaho counties except Bingham and Bonneville, which remain under quarantine for PCN.
Japan has also clarified that all U.S. seed-producing states that are free from PCN and golden nematode are eligible to supply seed potatoes to produce chipping potatoes for export to Japan.
WORLD AND NATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS....
From the UN NEWS CENTER
On International Day, UN highlights importance of collective action to protect ozone layer
16 September 2017 – Commemorating the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, senior United Nations officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the contributions of the Montreal Protocol – an international environment agreement on the elimination of ozone depleting substances.
Global hunger rising again, driven by conflict and climate change – UN report
15 September 2017 – The number of people hungry around the world is up for the first time in more than a decade, says a new United Nations report issued today, pointing to violent conflicts and climate change as the major drivers.
At annual event, UN invites Member States to join multilateral treaty framework
15 September 2017 – The United Nations will be hosting the annual Treaty Event next week at its Headquarters in New York, inviting Member States to sign multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary-General or to become parties to them by depositing instruments of ratification or accession.
NATIONAL
WP: Fla. nursing home where eight died after Irma defends actions, says it called governor for helpThe night before Hurricane Irma began roaring over Florida, staffers at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills locked the doors, shuttered the windows and turned the temperature down to about 67 degrees — a buffer, administrators thought, to keep the building cool in case the power went out.
WP: Melania Trump slowly finds her first lady persona: More Bess Truman than Jackie Kennedy
In the early days of the Trump White House, the question frequently lobbed about by Washington’s chattering class was, “Where is Melania?”
Daily Bible Verse: [ Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom ] Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
James 3:13 NKJV
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