HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER
POET LAUREATE IN TONASKET
HIGHLIGHTS
Kenn Nesbitt at Middle School fundraiser/dinner Friday, Sept. 27, 5:15 p.m.
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School board asked to give up $180K incentive Company said it overbuilt Oroville High School HVAC BY GARY A. DEVON MANAGING EDITOR
OROVILLE – Ameresco, the company contracted to built Oroville High School’s new geothermal heating and cooling system, said the project cost more than anticipated and asked the
school board to consider signing over better than designed. When asked they $180,000 in energy incentives the district said it was just “coincidence” that the may be receiving. amount of the cost overuns was equal to Representatives of the company said the incentives. they had built a “The project more robust system will save the dis“I’m not seeing how you and that the price trict $32,000 a missed by so far. “ of equipment, well year in energy savdrilling and trenchings and pays for Rocky DeVon, ing were partly to itself in just under Oroville School Board Chairman blame for a nearly a ten year period,” $180,000 higher said Ameresco’s than expected cost. They said Okanogan Randy McPhearson, who added that the County PUD had promised incentives of project, originally slated for completion $180,000 because the system was even over the summer, would be complete as
Oroville council conducts business in the dark
soon as the “shed” was complete. The $180,000 in PUD incentives were not part of the equation when the projects costs were originally considered and were available now only because what the district was getting was much more “robust,” a theme the Ameresco representatives repeated several times. “On the other hand bids came in at $180,000 above bid. However, Ameresco guaranteed the project cost,” said McPhearson. “We are asking for the acceptance of the PUD rebates be given to us to make us whole.” The company said that they based
their costs on the cost of the system at the Oroville Elementary School which was installed six years ago. They said that they added some money in to negate increases due to the passage of those six years, though. The board was shown some figures the company said represented why the project ended up being so much more than anticipated. However, several members of the school board, led by Chairman Rocky DeVon said they were not detailed enough to explain why there would be $180,000 more in costs.
SEE SCHOOL | PG A4
IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN
Power outage forces Sept. 17 meeting to be finished by flashlight BY GARY A. DEVON MANAGING EDITOR
OROVILLE – While they may never have been accused of it, at least to their faces, the Oroville City Council conducted business in the dark - literally - when the power went out about halfway through their meeting Tuesday, Sept. 17. After stopping to collect some flashlights, the council barely skipped a beat and continued with their agenda, including an update on the Similkameen Trailhead Grant. Chris Branch, director of Community Development, reminded the council that County Infrastructure Funds, often referred to as .09 funds, were used to buy the property for the trailhead. The property was then turned over to the county for further trail development as part of their Okanogan County Trail System. Branch said there is still money remaining from the $180,000 grant to further enhance the trailhead, especially for restrooms and parking development. However, according to Branch, the current Okanogan County Commissioners do not see the same value in tourism as their predecessors. “They’d like us to take it back over,” Branch said. “Some of the smaller items have been completed, but the bigger components are more costly like the restrooms, a shelter and excavation for parking.” Much of the matching funds required for grants that are being used for trail development have come from volunteers through
the Pacific Northwest Trails Association and through the Oroville High School wood shop and metal shop classes, as well as the Okanogan Borderlands Historical Society. Branch said he just wanted to make the council aware of the potential for the city to take back the trail and said he hoped the county would continue to allow the city to use its engineer for permitting purposes. The Similkameen Trail follows the old Great Northern Railroad line starting in Oroville on Kernan Road and moving parallel to the Similkameen River to a point near the old Enloe Dam Powerhouse. There is also a trailhead at Taber Vineyards near the old railroad bridge that is part of the trail.
VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK In a tourism related issue, Rod Noel, superintendent of Public Works, reported the project to bring electrical and water hookups to 18 additional camping spots at Osoyoos Lake Veterans Memorial Park, will begin in this fall. The electrical service will be upgraded from 400 amps to 800 amps, trenches will be dug to each site and Vassar Electric will do the electrical work, according to Noel. “It looks like the cultural study will be okay,” said Noel, who answered council’s question that the study was $6765 of the project’s $57,714 cost. Currently there is only one campsite with water and electrical hook ups. In the past it has
SEE COUNCIL | PG A4
Gary DeVon/staff photo
Green Okanogan held a metal drive last Thursday, Sept. 19 at their location off Western Ave. in Tonasket. The GO organization plans a similar event every third Thursday of the month. GO will be accepting all metals including tin, steel, aluminum and scrap. GO also accepts e-cycle materials including: computers, monitors, laptops, towers, and TVs. Doug “Free Store Doug” Bovard was manning the collection site on Thursday. He said it had been relatively busy with more e-cycle material coming in than metals that day. For more information on Green Okanogan and metal and e-cycling call (509) 486-2389.
Review of Buckhorn mine water quality permit begins All comments must be submitted by Oct. 21 THE GAZETTE-TRIBUNE
YAKIMA – A draft renewal to the wastewater discharge permit at the Buckhorn Mountain Mine near Chesaw is available for review and comment from the state Department of Ecology. Crown Resources, a division of Kinross Gold Company, operates the gold mine under a water quality permit known as a federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit
(NPDES). The permit acts in accordance with provisions of the state’s Clean Water Act and the state’s Metals, Mining and Milling Act, according to Ecology Crown was cited for failing to maintain its groundwater capture zone for a total of 94 days during during 2011 and 2012. Violations in 2011 include allowing water discharges causing slope instability and erosion, and for discharging water at an unauthorized point. The mine is required to capture contaminated groundwater from around mine excavations and tunnels and under surface stockpiles, and pump it to a treatment plant. “Crown Resources is required
to establish and maintain a groundwater capture zone at all times to protect water quality outside the capture zone,” explained Lorraine Powell, an Ecology hydro-geologist at the time of the penallty “Water has to be pumped out of the mine workings and surrounding capture zone areas and treated onsite so water quality is protected while mine operations continue.” According to Ecology’s investigation, the violations occurred primarily because the mine didn’t have adequate capacity to capture the contaminated water generated by the underground mine workings during the 2011 and 2012 spring seasons. Water gen-
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erated in the underground mine can carry high concentrations of heavy metals such as copper, lead and zinc that must be captured and processed before being discharged at approved outfalls. In addition to heavy metals, the mine must meet standards for sulfate, nitrate, and acidity and must manage stormwater. Ecology says the new permit will be more protective of water quality and the environment. As part of the five-year renewal, the mining company will have a year of interim pollution discharge limits to come into compliance with the more rigorous standards. The permit also authorizes new outfalls where the mine is allowed
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to discharge treated mine water from its wastewater treatment plant back to the environment. Under the permit, the mine must address failures to capture and contain contaminants from the mine that resulted in a penalty in 2012. The draft permit would allow the discharge of treated mine water to surface waters in Gold Bowl Creek, Nicholson Creek and Marias Creek. It would also allow the discharge of untreated non-industrial stormwater to the ground, in compliance with Ecology’s water quality standards. Ecology will make a final determination on the permit after it receives and evaluates all timely
comments. The draft permit and fact sheet may be viewed at the Ecology website. To obtain a copy of the draft permit and related documents or to arrange to view copies, call Roger Johnson at (509) 4547658, e-mail roger.johnson@ecy. wa.gov, or write to the address below. All comments must be submitted by Oct. 21, 2013, to be considered for the final determination. Comments should be sent to: Cindy Huwe, Department of Ecology, Central Regional Office, 15 W. Yakima Ave., Suite 200; Yakima, WA 98902. E-mail comments should be sent to cynthia. huwe@ecy.wa.gov.
INSIDE THIS EDITION Valley Life Cops & Courts Letters/Opinion
A2 A3 A5
Community A6-7 Classifieds/Legals A8-9 Real Estate A9
Sports Obituaries
A10-11 A12