Clatsop County Hosts Hazardous Household Waste Day!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

COUNTY HOSTS HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY

Are hidden dangers lurking in your home?
Cleansers, pesticides and other chemicals make our lives more convenient, but they can also pose health risks.
To help local residents get rid of unused or unneeded hazardous waste products in their homes, Clatsop County is hosting a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, Saturday, June 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2320 SE 12th Place, Warrenton, at Western Oregon Waste’s administrative office near the Astoria Airport.
County residents can bring in a variety of toxic, flammable and other materials for disposal at no charge at what organizers say will become an annual event.
The following items are examples of what will be accepted:
Bug, weed, pest killers
Poisons, cleaners, batteries,
Paints, stains, thinners, solvents, wood preservatives
Car and boat fluids, gas, antifreeze
Mercury-containing thermometers, fluorescent light tubes, compact fluorescent bulbs
Home arts, photography, hobby supplies and more

Items NOT accepted:
Medical waste, including syringes and other “sharps”
Medications
Explosives
Radioactive waste
Business waste*
*A collection time for businesses that generate less than 220 pounds of hazardous waste a year, designated as Conditionally Exempt Generators, will be held June 10 by appointment only, no drop-ins will be accepted. For CEG registration call Clean Harbors Environmental Services at (503) 305-2158 or email ranf.alan@cleanharbors.com
The Collection Event is the product of the Clatsop County Household Hazardous Waste Program, a collaborative project between the county, cities, Western Oregon Waste and other stakeholders to develop a comprehensive strategy for reducing and properly disposing of residential hazardous waste.
Initial plans envisioned the construction of a permanent local facility dedicated to handling hazardous materials. The program’s short term goals are to hold regular collection events alternating between north and south county locations. The longer-term vision of a hazardous waste collection center will be assessed at a later time.
The program is funded by a small surcharge on all the solid waste going through WOW’s Transfer Station in Astoria.
According to Maureen Taylor, Household Hazardous Waste Program Coordinator, “our mission is to provide a safe, easy way for residents to dispose of toxic dangerous products accumulating around their home. We know this will decrease accidental poisoning and injuries to our children and pets, prevent unnecessary exposure to our waste haulers and fire fighter that come into contact with hazardous chemicals on the job, and decrease environmental damages that occur when people improperly discard hazardous wastes into the sewer, storm drains or on the ground.”
“I encourage residents to use the next couple of weeks to do a spring clean out of hazardous products they have not used in the last year,” she said. “Keep them in their original containers, secure with lids, place them in boxes out of reach of children and pets in readiness for the collection day. Bring them to the event any time from 9 a.m. to 3 pm. We can all start the summer with a new focus on using less hazardous, green products for our collective health and safety.
Suggestions to keep the amount of hazardous materials in your home to a minimum:
Buy non-toxic alternatives whenever possible
Buy only what you need
Store products in a safe place and keep in original containers, closed securely
Use up entire product or give away unused product to someone who will use it

Clean Harbors, a large national Hazardous Waste Management Company, is contracted by the county to safely collect, transport and legally dispose of all materials collected at the Clatsop County event. Disposal methods vary depending on the item: oil, fuel and oil-based paints are burned as fuel; car batteries, latex paint and antifreeze are recycled; and pesticides and poisons are destroyed by incineration.
For more information, call Clatsop County Public Health at (503) 325-8500.

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000

Legal Counsel Advises Clatsop County Board Of Commissioners To Await Outcome Of LUBA Appeal On Oregon LNG/Pipeline Petition Of Mandamus Dismissal

Thursday, June 9, 2011

NO QUICK ACTION FROM BOARD PENDING ON PIPELINE APPLICATION

The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners will not move immediately to finalize its reconsideration decision rejecting the land-use application from Oregon Pipeline LLC, despite a recent legal ruling in its favor.
On the advice of legal counsel, the board will instead await the outcome of a challenge to that ruling, a process that will likely take several months.
The advice is based on a ruling from the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA), issued in April and re-confirmed last month, that effectively suspended the county’s review process.
On May 16 Circuit Court Judge Phil Nelson dismissed a request for a writ of mandamus from Oregon Pipeline, which argued that Clatsop County exceeded the mandated deadline to review and act on its consolidated application to build 41 miles of natural gas pipeline.
Following Judge Nelson’s ruling, on May 24 LUBA issued an order denying Oregon Pipeline’s motion to dismiss the LUBA proceeding concerning the county’s first decision approving the pipeline application in November 2010, and suspending the appeal process until the mandamus issue is fully resolved. This includes any appeals of Nelson’s ruling.
On June 6 Oregon Pipeline filed an appeal of Nelson’s decision with the Oregon Court of Appeals.
In a June 1 letter to the board of commissioners, one of the project opponents, Columbia Riverkeeper, argued that Nelson’s mandamus ruling confirms the county’s jurisdiction over the application, and urged the board to move forward and adopt the proposed findings rejecting the application.
According to attorney Jeff Bennett, Clatsop County’s legal counsel on the Oregon Pipeline issue, the county’s review process is frozen until the mandamus issue is settled, including any appeals.
The board of commissioners originally approved the Oregon Pipeline application in November 2010. That ruling was appealed by Columbia Riverkeeper and other project opponents, and in January the board, with three new members, voted to withdraw that approval in order to reconsider the application.
On March 9 the board of commissioners gave preliminary approval to findings rejecting the application. The board was scheduled to adopt the findings March 30, but on March 29 the Oregon Supreme Court, on a motion from Oregon Pipeline, issued a stay on the county blocking further action until the mandamus issue was resolved in the circuit court.
LUBA’s May 24 ruling reads “The Circuit Court’s May 16, 2011 letter opinion has no immediate effect on the reasoning that leads us to conclude that we should (1) deny Oregon Pipeline’s motion to dismiss this appeal and (2) continue the suspension that we ordered on April 8, 2011.”

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000

Highlights For June 8, 2011 Clatsop County Board Of Commisioners Regular Meeting

Listen To Audio Transcript Of June 8th Regular Meeting(LNG Dominates Public Comments)

(1 Hour 24 Minutes(approx.))

Official minutes available once approved by board

MUTUAL AID PACT APPROVED
The board approved Clatsop County entering a mutual-aid agreement with 11 other counties for disaster-related emergency assistance.
The omnibus intergovernmental agreement, originally developed in 2005 by several Willamette Valley counties, currently includes Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill counties.
The agreement provides a legal framework for county-to-county requests for aid during and after emergencies and puts in place the policies and procedures to provide for faster responses. The agreement does not obligate Clatsop County to provide aid, but does enable the county to seek reimbursement from the federal government for personnel time, equipment and other resources provided to other counties.

REDISTRICTING PLAN REVIEWED
The board held a public hearing on the proposed redistricting plan for the board of commissioner district boundaries. The board reviewed a proposed plan approved in May by the Redistricting Board, a citizen panel convened by the county to recommend new boundaries reflecting shifts in population revealed in the 2010 U.S. Census. The county’s five commissioner districts must contain roughly the same number of residents.
The public hearing will be continued to the board’s June 22 meeting

NEW DARIGOLD HAZARDS AGREEMENT APPROVED
Approved a contract with Rose City Contracting Inc. for hazardous materials abatement at the county-owned Darigold Building in downtown Astoria. In April the board approved a contract with the another bidder, but that agreement was cancelled when the vendor refused to perform the required work. Rose City Contracting had provided the second-lowest bid for the project at $105,900.
The Darigold Building is to be demolished to make way for a new office building for Coastal Family Health Center and local non-profit social service agencies. Hazardous materials such as asbestos must be removed prior to demolition.

OTHER BUSINESS
In other business the board:
-Held public hearings on the proposed 2011-12 Clatsop County budget and budgets for the 4-H and Extension Special Service District, Road District No. 1, Rural Law Enforcement District and Westport Sewer Service District. Final adoption of the budgets is scheduled for June 22.
-Held the first readings on four proposed zone map amendment ordinances for properties in the Westport area. Public hearings will be held June 22.
-Approved a lease agreement with Sunset Empire Parks and Recreation District for a cabin on Broadway near the parks district pool. The cabin had formerly been leased by the county to the Boy Scouts of America but had sat unused for several years.
-Approved an amendment to the county counsel services contract with Jordan Schrader Ramis PC increasing the not-to-exceed limit from $100,000 to $150,000 for legal services associated with the Oregon Pipeline application.
-Approved an amendment to the county counsel services contract with Heather Reynolds increasing the not-to-exceed limit from $75,000 to $110,000 for legal services associated with the Georgia-Pacific tax appeal case.
-Approved an amendment to the 2010-11 labor counsel services contract with Bullard, Smith, Jernstedt and Wilson increasing the not-to-exceed amount from $15,000 to $30,000.


Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000 Ext. 1312

The Clatsop County Planning Commission

Clatsop County Planning Commission Dismantle Controversy

So, what's this all about then?

Really.

The last vestige of the "County G.O.B.'s" in this remnant of the Lee Era(The Johnson led CCPC)at risk of being erased completely and not about to buckle to a law created by its own leadership?

A true sense, collectively, that tenure makes for common sense and wisdom when, in truth, County Planning staff vets and researches the Land Planning issues coming before "The County" and develops Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations on the issue and provides CCPC and CCBofC with clear data for them to make rational decisions on issues in the "Public Trust", "Interests" and "Input" of the Citizens of Clatsop County?

Politics being played-out in a non-partisan government committee within a non-partisan County Government?

Well, "The Law" is clearly behind the current sitting County Board of Commissioners and in truth thanks to Richard Lee, Sam Patrick, Tim Gannaway, Russ Earl and Bob Green for creating it to their own agenda and benefit and of course, we see where that has gotten us to this point.....right?

My guess would be "Politics" and it's always been "Politics" driving it all. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your own persuasion, we have a local Republican Party asleep at the wheel and distracted by the influence of a fringe political movement versus an active Democratic Party very active in and focussed on putting their candidates in local elected offices.

My comment to a couple of those new Commissioners was...."I know what got you there but you need to leave "Party Politcs" at the door of "The Boyington Building" and serve all of us as the problems we have here transcend any kind of politics."

Are they listening?

I think they are so far.

Northwest Oregon Housing Authority Board - Clatsop County Seeks Applicants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, June 7, 2011

HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD SEEKS APPLICANTS

Clatsop County is seeking applications for a vacancy on the Northwest Oregon Housing Authority.
The organization owns and manages housing for low- and moderate-income people and administers various federal housing assistance programs in Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties.
The vacancy is for a four-year term representing Clatsop County. The board meets once and month, alternating between Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. Applicants with a background in property management are encouraged to apply. The county Board of Commissioners will make the appointment.
To apply, obtain an application form and return it to the Clatsop County Manager’s Office at 800 Exchange St., Astoria OR 97103, (503) 325-1000. Forms are available from the County Manager’s Office or can be downloaded from the county website http://www.co.clatsop.or.us/ at “Citizen Involvement.”

Released by:Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000

Clatsop Community College Adopts New Mascot And Unveils New Identity

CCC Unveils New Identity
Clatsop Community College has unveiled a new logo, mascot, and slogan to reflect the College's dynamic present and inspired future.
The face of Clatsop Community College is changing. Since 1986, the Clatsop Community College logo has gone through only slight modifications. The most recent included a change to honor the College’s 50th anniversary. The existence of a College mascot was largely unknown.

Read Full Press Release

OPB-Ecotrope: The Next 10 Big Issues For Columbia River Salmon

(Photo: ODFW)

June 3, 2011 - 9:55 AM
By Cassandra Profita - OPB News/Ecotrope

On a tributary of the Columbia River, a coho salmon makes its way to the Sandy fish hatchery.

I spent some time at the Future of Our Salmon conference in Portland this week. The conference was the first ever hosted by tribal leaders with the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission, and there were fish biologists and salmon managers from all walks at the event.

It was a big deal. Event host Paul Lumley, director of CRTFC, summed up the importance of the occasion: “I believe this is the first time in a long time – maybe ever – that we’ve gotten together without some major crisis at hand: a judge’s decision, a major loss of funding or a major loss of fish. It’s the first time we’ve all gotten together to look at the full salmon life cycle.” ....Read Full Cassandra Profita, OPB-Ecotrope Report

Wauna Mill Ratifies New Contract!

(Photo: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

By Erik Olson / The Daily News
Posted: Friday, June 3, 2011 8:10 pm

Union members at Georgia-Pacific's Wauna mill this week ratified a new four-year contract that includes wage increases and requires workers to change health care plans, union officials said Friday.....Read Full TDN Article