FCC denies request to boost depot radio power

Published Nov. 2, 2001

Karen Zacharias
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON - The Federal Communications Commission denied Umatilla County's request to boost power to parts of a radio system that's critical to protecting the public during an accident at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, a county official said Thursday.

With an existing communication system that sometimes can't even reach workers across the street from one another, the county wants to complete major upgrades before the Army starts burning weapons at the depot.

The current schedule calls for the new incinerator to begin burning the 3,717 tons of chemical weapons stored at the depot in February 2003.

Improvements to the emergency radio system include putting new 450 megahertz radios into the hands of emergency crews in Umatilla and Morrow counties and in Benton County.

Officials expect a change of heart, but for now the FCC said the county's request for 400 watts for two of the towers required by the system calls for "excessive power."

One of the sites is at Coombs Canyon, south of Pendleton, and the second is at Gleason Canyon south of Hermiston.

Meg Capps, program manager for the county's emergency response team, told a group of emergency workers Thursday that the county had identified "public safety" as the reason for the FCC request.

The commission did approve an increase of power for five other transmission sites in the system, two in Washington and others in Pendleton, Stanfield and Heppner.

Capps said the commission's decision to deny requests for the other two wasn't a surprise.

"Coombs Canyon and Gleason Canyon are the two sites highest in elevation. They just want to make sure we're not trying to talk from Oregon to Florida," Capps said.

The sites are crucial for transmission into the Heppner area, she said. "We need those sites for the safety of Morrow County residents."

Umatilla County Commissioner Dennis Doherty said he expects the county's appeal to the FCC will be granted. He just doesn't know when. "The FCC is obviously not going to expedite things for us," he said.

The 450 megahertz radios will replace the outdated VHF radio system emergency crews have been using.

That system proved so inadequate that when the wind blew up dust, crews across the road from each other were unable to communicate.

New radios have been delivered to the county and will be stored at the depot until the system is up and running. Capps said she expects that to take 18 months.

 

Copyright 2002 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.