East Oregonian
Nov. 30, 2001

DEQ public hearing gets almost no participation

By HEIDI SODERSTROM

HERMISTON " Only one person took advantage of the public hearing held by the Department of Environmental Quality Thursday night at Good Shepherd Medical Center to speak about proposed changes to the Umatilla Chemical Disposal Facility's Hazardous Waste Permit. Karen Jones of GASP, an anti-incinerator group, spoke on behalf of her organization, the Oregon Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club in support of the changes that came at the direction of the Environmental Quality Commission.

Wayne Thomas, administrator for the Chemical Demilitarization Program at DEQ, said the modification is proposing two things.The first has to do with a change to a section of the 300-page permit called module six, which would add a "start-up checklist for test periods. Thomas said the 31-point checklist is one of the tools the DEQ is proposing to evaluate the readiness of the incinerator complex to begin test operations. The "shakedown period" is the time to make sure all the elements of the project work together, Thomas said.

The second change to the permit is that the state is making changes instead of the permittees, Thomas said. The proposed change will add a hazardous waste permit condition requiring Umatilla Chemical Disposal Facility permittees to obtain written DEQ approval before testing operations beginning Feb. 28, 2003. The DEQ also is proposing the addition of a hazardous waste permit condition requiring the Army to obtain written approval from the Environmental Quality Council before the start of chemical agent treatment operations.

"We have authority under the law, so we can modify the permit to address new circumstances," Thomas said. "This is not the same plant as in Utah, this is a better plant. Everything learned is being brought forward, so what we end up with here, from the public's perspective, we have the latest and the greatest facility and we'll continue to learn."

Jones said she isn't worried about delays the changes to the permit could cause because they are necessary for the safety of the public and environment."We'd like to see the department go beyond what they are proposing," she added.

A second meeting by the EQC is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 7 at DEQ headquarters in Portland, where public testimony also will be heard. Thomas said comments are welcome. "If people like what they see, they should come and comment too," he said. Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Dec. 10.

Anyone interested can review the documents related to the proposed permit modification and the incineration complex at the Hermiston DEQ office by appointment or at local libraries.When the public comment period is over, DEQ staff will prepare a report with a recommendation to the Environmental Quality Council on whether to adopt the proposed changes, which will include the DEQ's response to all significant comments received during the comment period.

A final decision on the proposed modification by the EQC should be in by January 2002, at its regularly scheduled meeting Jan. 24-25 in Pendleton. Oral comments will be accepted by the DEQ at the Portland meeting listed above, or by e-mail to: markham.trisha@deg.state.or.us. Written comments must be in by 5 p.m. on Dec. 10. Or mail comments to: DEQ Chemical Demilitarization Program, 256 E. Hurlburt, Suite 105, Hermiston, 97838.
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Reporter Heidi Soderstrom can be reached at 1-800-522-0255 (ext. 1-303 after hours) or e-mail hsoderstrom@eastoregonian.com.