LOCAL 

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Wednesday, March 24, 2004

County seeks dialogue with depot foes

By JEANNINE KORANDA of the East Oregonian
jkoranda@eastoregonian.com


PENDLETON — The Umatilla County Commissioners voiced displeasure recently with GASP, a group opposed to incineration at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

The group only speaks out when making a unilateral presentation, either at public meetings or in guest columns, said Umatilla County Commissioner Dennis Doherty.

“When speaking unilaterally, they are saying things that I and others would like to question them about, and we never had this opportunity,” he said.

GASP has become a highly visible player in the process by presenting itself as a voice of the people in opposition to incineration, Doherty said.

“The bottom line is that GASP is trying to make itself a shaper of public opinion and public policy and if they want to do that, they should do what everybody else does, answer questions, come out in the open, conduct business out in the open, be accountable,” he said. “If they don’t want to do that then I question whether they really have a legitimate role in shaping public opinion and making public policy.”

In September, the commissioners sent the group, whose name is not an acronym for anything, a letter inviting members to “discuss GASP’s position on incineration and the permit condition.”

The letter suggested five times for a meeting. The commissioners say there was never a response to the letter, which was later followed by similar letters in October and November, which also received no response.

Umatilla County Commissioner Bill Hansell said other groups involved in the process at the depot, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army, had all been willing to meet and speak with the board and the public.

“GASP has not done anything like that, that I’m aware of,” he said.

On the other side, GASP members say they responded to the invitations, both in a Sept. 10, 2003 letter and in a verbal message, founding member Karyn Jones said. She remembered saying they would not meet with the board unless their attorney agreed to it and was able to attend.

Public meetings and public hearings are the appropriate place to have that kind of dialogue, she said.

GASP has submitted comments — both oral and written — and has an ongoing dialogue with the agencies involved, such as the Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army, she said.

“I don’t see any benefit to sitting down and talking to them,” Jones said.

Richard Condit, a Washington, D.C.,-based environmental attorney who represents GASP, said a discussion would depend on where the county is coming from.

The county’s focus is on making whatever accommodations are needed for the incineration to proceed, he said.

“They’re concerned that participating in a forum is not going to be a dialogue, it will be all about attacking one side or the other,” Condit said.

The group has taken pains to provide comments when the county has requested it or provided comment in writing, he said.

Condit questions the value of sitting down and talking unless the county make clear its interests and how it will handle the process.

“Without that being on the table, what is the point of sitting down and talking?”

GASP, which began in the late 1980s, is a grassroots organization opposed to the incineration process at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. It works with national and international organizations with similar goals, Jones said.

The group is involved in three litigations against the depot, she said.

“We want to ensure that the chemical is destroyed in the safest possible manner,” she said. GASP opposes incineration.

The group also is pushing for a more stringent monitoring process, she said.

There are no fixed numbers on how many people belong to GASP and Jones does not have an estimate, adding she doesn’t think it’s relevant.

“Our concern is still valid even if it is only one person,” she said.

But that is a concern for Doherty, who said there are only two public spokespersons for GASP.

“If you won’t talk about who you represent and won’t explain yourself or won’t answer questions, why should we feel you are credible spokesmen?” he asked.