Free Desk Audit & Columbia River Treaty Hearing

Free Desk Audit & Columbia River Treaty Hearing

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Registered attendees at the Far West Agribusiness Association’s Winter Conference being held next week at the Pasco Red Lion will be offered a no cost “desk audit” of their company’s Risk Management Plan as part of the conference in cooperation with Risk Management and Engineering Ltd. Those companies wishing to take advantage of the review will need to bring their Risk Management Plan or their RMP plus PSM documents to the meeting. For conference and registration information visit fwaa.org.

The House Natural Resources Committee will be in Pasco on Monday conducting an oversight field hearing on the Columbia River Treaty. Representatives from the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with local and regional stakeholders will be testifying on the upcoming renegotiation of the Columbia River Treaty with Canada. During a media conference call yesterday House natural Resources Committee Chairman, Doc Hastings, expressed his concerns with the U.S. Entity’s draft recommendations regarding potential modification.

HASTINGS: The main purpose that I think is very valid of that treaty between the U.S. and Canada was to provide for power production and flood control. What prompted all this ironically was a flood in the late forties that did do big harm down in the Portland area. We haven’t seen that of late and it’s because of this treaty and building dams. The treaty in the future should keep the same two principles - reliable power and flood control. Unfortunately there are those that want to bring in environmental concerns in an international treaty. I don’t think that is something that needs to be a part of this. And we’ll be hearing testimony I’m sure at our hearing regarding that aspect of it.

The hearing will be held at the Pasco City Council Chambers Monday, and is open to the public.

That’s Washington Ag Today.

I’m Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.