HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2024
Vol. 145 No. 7
$1.00
FERC recommends energy project with conditions LOU MARZELES EDITOR In a 420-page Environmental Impact Study (EIS) issued last Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recommended the proposed Goldendale Energy Storage Project proceed as planned, contingent on certain conditions to mitigate potential harm. The agency is the licensing authority for the construction and operation of hydroelectric development not under federal jurisdiction. The Goldendale Energy Storage Project aims to provide electrical energy by drawing water from the Columbia River at the site of the former aluminum plant eight miles southeast of Goldendale, pumping it up to a massive storage unit atop the adjacent plateau on Juniper Point, then releasing the water back down on demand, essentially creating a vertical hydroelectric dam. The project has been inching along off and on since 2015 and has drawn strong support from some as an efficient and clean energy source—and fierce opposition from Native American tribes and conservation groups. Such opposition notwithstanding, FERC proclaims in its open-
GOOGLE EARTH
CONTROVERSY CONTINUES: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Thursday said the Goldendale energy project should proceed with conditions. The project would build two huge water reservoirs, on at the site of the old aluminum plant (right of lower center) and one atop the plateau above it. Native American tribes fiercely oppose the plan, saying the land, part of ceded Yakama Nation territory, is invaluable to their heritage. ing paragraphs, “This final EIS documents the view of governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, affected Native American tribes, the public, the
license applicant, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff. It contains staff evaluations of the applicant’s proposal and the alternatives for licensing the Gol-
dendale Energy Storage Project.” The EIS describes the land for the project and how it would operate: “The project would occupy 18.1 acres of federal land owned
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and administered by the Bonneville Power Administration and 663.5 acres of private and state land. The project would be capable of generating 3,561,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually. The project would operate as a closed-loop pumped storage system, meaning that once it is filled, it would not be connected to an existing surface body of water. Water to initially fill the reservoirs and replace water lost to evaporation would be purchased from the Klickitat Public Utility District (Klickitat PUD) via a new water fill line that would connect to an existing water supply pumping station operated by Klickitat PUD. Klickitat PUD draws water from a pool behind a railroad berm that is hydrologically connected to Lake Umatilla, the impoundment formed by the Corps’ John Day Dam on the Columbia River… The project would involve the construction of new upper and lower reservoirs, an underground conveyance system leading from the upper reservoir to an underground powerhouse with generating/pumping facilities, an underground conveyance system from the powerhouse to the lower reservoir, an access
See FERC page A8
‘Ivan’s Law’ passes House
LOU MARZELES
NEW VENTURE: Jonathan Lewis of KVH breaks ground at Klickitat Valley Health Monday morning for the hospital’s new chiller building and cooler tower as KVH CEO Jonathan Hatfield, right of Lewis, and KVH staff and guests watch.
LOU MARZELES
COMING DOWN: The tree that lived in front of The Sentinel office on Main Street was cut down Tuesday morning. Its roots had pushed cracks in the sidewalk so pronounced yellow paint had to be sprayed around the edges (bottom left of center in picture) to warn passersby.
Clergy could become mandatory reporters of child abuse MARY MURPHY WASHINGTON STATE JOURNAL
When Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, learned how Jehovah’s Witness elders in Spokane had covered up child sexual abuse for years, she looked to the law for answers. Frame found that, under Washington State law, clergy members
have no responsibility to report what they suspect to be child abuse. Washington is one of five states that has yet to change this rule. Frame says she experienced abuse as a child, and it was only once after her teacher, a mandatory reporter, said something to her guardians that the abuse
stopped. If SB 6298 passes, clergy members will be required to report their suspicions to either the Department of Children, Youth or Families (DCYF) or law enforcement. Teachers, law enforcement, medical professionals, therapists, and more are already
See Clergy page A8
A bill that would seek to educate and protect the public from fentanyl passed the state House of Representatives with unanimous approval Thursday. House Bill 2396, also known as “Ivan’s Law,” was written by Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale, after she held community meetings last year in Goldendale, Toppenish, and Yakima on the deadly and addictive drug and its impacts. “I talked to hundreds of people, some in a tent, some on a reservation, some in my hometown, and learned a lot about fentanyl. I heard hours and hours of heartbreaking stories,” Mosbrucker told lawmakers on the House floor Thursday. The latest numbers recorded 96 confirmed drug overdose deaths in Yakima County in 2023, with fentanyl use mostly responsible. King County had more than 1,000 fentanyl overdoses in 2023. Mosbrucker says the measure addresses three things she learned from the community meetings about fentanyl. “When people smoke fentanyl in a vehicle, we don’t know the extent of the contamination and the damage it could be do-
ing. Many people shared that the fentanyl user in their family had taken the vehicle, smoked fentanyl inside, and brought it back the next morning. The parent put the baby in the car, not knowing the contamination, and then they became deathly ill,” said Mosbrucker. “We also need to know what to do when a stolen car is recovered that may also be contaminated.” The bill would have the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, in consultation with the state Department of Health (DOH) and the Washington Poison Center, compile resources on how to decontaminate fentanyl residue and that of other synthetic opioids from motor vehicles. “Many families also said their child told them, ‘I didn’t know I couldn’t do it just once.’ Fentanyl is not like other drugs where you can use it many times to get high and not necessarily overdose. Fentanyl is fatal,” noted Mosbrucker. “Fentanyl is one pill—one kill. Over and over, we are seeing people of all ages dying from this toxic drug.” The bill would direct DOH to ensure when conducting a public outreach campaign on the dan-
See Law page A8
14th District lawmakers to hold virtual town hall As the Legislature nears the midpoint of the short 60-day 2024 session, 14th District lawmakers are inviting residents to join them for an upcoming virtual town hall. Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale, and Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, will provide a legislative update during the virtual town hall and provide constituents the opportunity to ask questions or share their concerns and ideas. “As I say every session, getting the opportunity to have these conversations with our communities is incredibly important to the work we do in Olympia on their
behalf,” said King. “I look forward to hearing their thoughts on our progress and learning what more we can do. I encourage people to hear our update and learn how they can get involved to help us pass bills that will improve their lives and stop bad ones that will hurt the district and the state.” “I am grateful for the honor to serve our citizens across the 14th District. For us to do the job well, it’s important we hear from the people back home and get their input during and after the legislative session,” said Mosbrucker. “I hope everyone can join us so we can work to fix the crises facing
See Hall page A8