Pulp Mill Faces Planning Hurdles

DAYTON - When Co- lumbia Pulp announced plans in December to construct a multi-million dollar straw pulp plant near Starbuck, the company said it would take about a year to complete the permitting process before construction could begin. The Times spoke with Co- lumbia County Planner Kim Lyonnais this week to learn more about the hurdles the company must overcome this year.

"From what I've seen so far, there haven't been any red flags," Lyonnais said. "But that doesn't mean there might not be some."

According to Lyonnais, the project is being proposed in a conforming zone, but will require a conditional use permit. "It's an industrial zone," he said. "It's the right spot for it."

Columbia Pulp has secured an option for about 450 acres of land along Highway 261, near Lyons Ferry Mari- na. When completed in 2015, the mill would employ about 130 workers and produce ap- proximately 400 tons of pulp per day. The pulp would be sold to other manufacturers who would use it to make pa- per and packaging products. The plant is expected to con- sume 240,000 tons of wheat and alfalfa straw per year.

Lyonnais said he is re- quired to conduct a SEPA (state environmental policy act) analysis, as part of the permitting process for the new plant. From this analy- sis, his office will determine whether a full-blown envi- ronmental impact statement will be required.

According to Lyonnais, an EIS is required if his office determines that the project will have a "significant im- pact" on the environment. At this time, he said he feels that determination is unlikely.

"We held a preliminary SEPA meeting with all the players," Lyonnais said. "They all seemed positive about the project."

The meeting, held in early December, included repre- sentatives from the state's Department of Ecology, Department of Transporta- tion, Department of Fish and Wildlife and the governor's Spokane office.

Lyonnais said that the big- gest concern coming from the meeting regarded transporta- tion issues. Columbia Pulp expects dozens of truckloads of straw will be delivered to the plant each day, once it's in full operation. Many more trucks will transport the fin- ished product. Wear and tear on the state highways is one concern. Another is traffic on the Lyons Ferry Bridge, which is very narrow and is less than a mile north of the plant.

"We had a discussion about possibly flagging traf- fic on the bridge," Lyonnais said, so that trucks wouldn't pass on the bridge in opposite directions.

Columbia Pulp has told local officials that it will use more than 600,000 gal- lons of water per day for its operations. The company is in the process of obtaining water rights and expects to complete that process soon. Because they plan to draw the water from deep wells, impact on the Snake River is not expected be an issue, ac- cording to Lyonnais.

The company plans to ap- ply the gray water discharged from the plant onto much of the adjacent land it is pur- chasing. Of the 450 acres it is purchasing, the entire manufacturing facility will sit on a parcel of approximately 40 acres. The remainder will be irrigated with the gray water.

Lyonnais also said that storm water runoff will be an issue addressed in the per- mitting process. "How much pavement will there be?" he said will be one question asked. "With the river and habitat nearby, they'll have to address that."

The Confederated Umatilla Tribes have also said they will participate in the review process for the new plant. "A cultural study will be part of the process," Lyonnais said.

Working with the Co- lumbia County Planning Commission, Lyonnais said a schedule will be established for reviewing Columbia Pulp's CUP application and gaining public comment. He said he expects the com- pany to submit its application in March and that public meetings will be held in the spring.

Lyonnais said that a num- ber of permits would be required from state agencies prior to final approval of the CUP. These include air and water quality permits from the Department of Ecology and a traffic analysis from the Department of Transpor- tation.

Based on a recommendation from the planning commission, the application will be submitted to a county hearings examiner, who will make a final determination on granting the CUP. "The process could be completed as early as October," Lynnais said.

The planning process for the Columbia Pulp plant comes at a busy time for the county planning office. Portland General Electric will spend most of this year constructing its Tucannon River Wind Project, which will require a building permit for each of 116 wind towers from Lyonnais office. As- sistant Planner Melissa Shumake was hired last year to help with increased workload from that project.

While his office will be very busy, Lyonnais says it's an exciting time. "I'm a big believer that each job created creates two more," he said, referring to the increased need for support businesses and other services. "That means we'll have a lot of need for new housing and other development."

Lyonnais said he is look- ing for as many as three new members of the county planning commission. "It's very interesting, and it's a great way to help the community," he said.

Anyone interested in serv- ing on the Columbia County Planning Commission should call Lyonnais at the planning office at (509) 382- 4676.