Funding for depot impact aid stalls

This story was published Sat, Jun 12, 1999

By Theresa Goffredo
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON - Communities in Umatilla and Morrow counties can forget about getting $50 million in federal aid anytime soon to cope with effects that construction of a chemical weapons incinerator will have on schools, roads and other services.

The bill for impact aid for the Umatilla Chemical Depot incinerator was presented last week by U.S. Sens. Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Their bill met resistance from the Army, and the Oregon senators withdrew it.

"It was never voted on. If it had been voted on, it would have been defeated," David Seldin, Wyden's public affairs officer in Washington, D.C., said Friday.

But Seldin and backers of the impact aid legislation say the issue, although stalled, isn't dead.

Umatilla County Commissioner Dennis Doherty said his hopes "weren't totally dashed." Doherty said he remained optimistic because the Armed Services Committee chairman agreed to discuss the matter again, though no date had been set.

Morrow County Judge Terry Tallman, head of that county's commissioners, also held out hope.

"I still think we'll be able to talk to them in a reasonable fashion to get aid to the counties that I really believe we should rightfully receive," Tallman said.

Construction on the $604 million incinerator has been under way for two years.

Current estimates are that 1,300 workers are employed at the incinerator site. Backers of impact aid say the influx of workers strains county services, such as schools, roads and sewer systems, and federal money is needed to assist.

Following months of study and with the help of volunteers from both counties, estimates were made on the amount of federal money each county should receive in impact aid. Those estimates totaled $30 million for Umatilla County and $20 million for Morrow County.

But Doherty said Friday that there were a number of reasons why members of the Armed Services Committee aren't exactly in a check-writing mood these days.

One reason is that the entire chemical demilitarization process, which involves nine depots across the United States, is beginning to look a lot more expensive, Doherty said. Original estimates totaled $15Êbillion but now are closer to $25Êbillion, he said.

On top of that, committee members aren't looking to spend any more money now that they must spend $3.5 billion on ground forces in Bosnia, Doherty said.

 

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