17 March 2015
Herbicide applications pose little risk say officials
A planned second annual round of herbicide application on private forest land east of Collard Lake poses little or no threat to drinking water in the Florence area. Public Works Director Mike Miller presented a written report to the City Council last night addressing concerns of residents north of Florence worried about the application of Crossbow and Roundup.
Mike Miller – “There’s a very very low risk to any of the city wells and because of the transport mechanisms and going through water bodies, it’s a low risk to the Heceta Water People’s Utility District also.”
Scientific studies show the chemicals… trioclopyr and glyphosate… break down quickly in water. Miller agreed it is a concern, but complicated.
Mike Miller – “It is a complex issue because you have private property rights. You have federal regulations regarding the use of the chemicals plus you have state forestry practices that establish the need for vegetation control.”
Miller also said the Eugene Water and Electric Board, which supplies drinking water to Eugene, draws water from the McKenzie River watershed. There have been decades of logging, reforestation and herbicide applications there, with no traces of the chemicals being found in the water supply.
Purchase to settle city lawsuit
The City of Florence will purchase two tax lots from a private party in order to settle a lawsuit filed 3 ½ years ago.
Michael and Colleen Ohran (oh-RANN) contend construction of Spruce Street, north of Munsel Lake Road, disrupted surface drainage and groundwater flows. That, in turn, caused their property, fronting Highway 101, to be inundated during prolonged rainfall events.
The Ohrans first filed notice of a tort claim in October 2011. The city, along with its insurance company, has been in negotiations with the property owners to avoid a trial.
The proposed settlement does not assign fault to either party, but the city does still dispute any part in the flooding.
The Ohrans will receive $350-thousand. The city will pay $262,500 of that with the balance coming from its insurance carrier. The two parties will split closing cost.
Governor advises lawmakers to involve school administrators
Oregon’s new governor hit the ground running last month. Former secretary of state Kate Brown wasn’t expecting to be thrust into the role when former governor John Kitzhaber resigned amid scandal. State Senator Arnie Roblan says while Brown may not be familiar to many coastal residents, she is a seasoned pro.
Arnie Roblan – “Very very intelligent woman. Very quick with respect to picking up things and everybody that has talked to her has said ‘wow, she has a grasp of all these issues’.”
Roblan says Brown is definitely taking charge; providing input to legislators about a variety of issues. One of those is the discussion over school funding.
Arnie Roblan – “She’s called me to say, you know, I really think that people in the industry, superintendents, teachers, need to have more of a say in how this is going because they are the experts and we have kind of taken them out a little bit in the way it’s been formed now and so, how do we do that? I’m leaving that up to you. I just want you to know I care about the right voices being in the room talking about this kind of stuff.”
Roblan took that advice to heart. He was in Florence last week speaking to officials at Siuslaw School District about their concerns related to the current school budget proposal. Siuslaw Superintendent Ethel Angal says while lawmakers appear to be setting more money aside for K-12 education, there has been an increase in student populations.
Snowy plover nesting protections
Restrictions on several stretches of Oregon beaches, and upland areas near them, quietly went into place Sunday. Ropes and signs went up around nesting areas of the endangered Western Snowy Plover.
The protections are aimed at preventing unintentional damage to the plover nests and eggs. The bird makes nests in open sand; their eggs are difficult to see. Parents can also be driven away from the nests if humans venture too near.
Complete closures apply to dry sand sections in the Baker Beach and Sutton Creek areas; Siltcoos Outlet;as well as the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area dunes overlook just south of the Lane-Douglas county line and the Tahkenitch Creek estuary.
Dogs and kites are not allowed on wet sand areas of the beach adjacent. Neither are bicycles; that’s a proscription that’s drawn fire from several “fat tire” bicycle enthusiasts who claim their slow-moving activities are no worse that horseback riders… who are still allowed to pass through the areas.
The restrictions will remain in place until September 15th.
Several local races have no takers
The deadline for candidates to file for the May 19th special districts election is just two days away. But, there are still several open spots. Three positions on the Siuslaw School Board have failed to draw candidates. They’re currently held by Chad Clement, Deena Mitchell and Michelle Rose. Mitchell and Rose have said they’re not seeking reelection. Clement has not responded to a request for comment.
Nobody has filed for the Port of Siuslaw Commission spot currently held by Bill Fleenor. He has announced he will not run.
And there is one open spot on the Heceta Water District Board. Chuck Gesik and Debby Todd have filed for reelection, but so far there are no takers for the spot currently held by Bob Hursh. Voters in the Heceta Water District approved creation of the new Heceta Water PUD last year… that means the district will go out of business, but not for another one to two years.
Tsunami debris persisting
Four years after a deadly earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, debris is still washing ashore in Oregon and southwest Washington. Scientists predict it will continue to arrive for at least the next three years.
An estimated one-million tons of tsunami debris is still floating in the Pacific.
The first pieces of debris to float across the Pacific landed quickly… within a year. They were lighter and more subject to being propelled by winds. Heavier items followed soon after.
