BY SARAH ROSS

SALEM- Local leaders from Umatilla and Morrow counties presented their concerns on the early closure of Portland General Electric’s Coal Power Plant to the House Committee on Business and Labor Wednesday morning.

The hearing was scheduled to discuss the economic impacts of that closure.

Rep. Bob Jenson, R-Pendleton, called himself a “big fan” of coal plants and said he didn’t understand the desire to close the state’s only coal plant near Boardman, Oregon.

“It seems a bit odd to me that with the little that we use of this particular resource, coal, for energy, that we would be the one closing down a plant, when the eastern part of the country is just saturated with coal fired plants,” said Jenson.

Jenson expressed his desire to put resources into research and development for cleaner coal production so that the source can be “viable” for the future.

Sen. David Nelson, R-Pendleton, said he never once has had complaints about the coal plant from his constituents, saying that they, in fact, love having the coal plant there.

“The closing of this facility will have an economic hit on Morrow County that we can’t comprehend,” testified Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner. “It’s the equivalent of closing Nike. It’s the equivalent of closing OHSU. It’s the equivalent of closing Columbia Sportswear.”

Smith stated that the Boardman facility represents 20 percent of Morrow County’s economic tax base, which is used to fund roads, schools, libraries, and county employees.

A number of committee members stated their support for the leaders and for keeping the plant open.

“It’s a vocal minority of elitists that want us to jump off this cliff, who are not thinking long-term because their bellies are full,” said Rep. Mike Schaufler, D-Happy Valley, Chair of the committee. “They don’t understand how to use a shovel. They’ve never built anything in their life. They’ve never ran a business, and they don’t care about the people that live out in that part of the state and quite frankly, in this part of the state.”

“I know about your community and those people that are going to lose their jobs, but this is about the whole state and the long-term growth and health of this state and our kids and our future,” Rep. Kevin Cameron, R-Salem, told those who testified, adding his concerns for the increase in energy rates after the closure of Boardman.

In her testimony to the Committee, Marcy Putnam, Political Affairs Director for Oregon’s Chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, emphasized the need to keep the plant open.

“Let’s not gamble on Oregon’s future,” said Putnam. “Closure of Boardman will increase energy costs and make economic recovery increasingly difficult, especially for those in rural Oregon.”

A current employee at the coal plant, Gene Crowell, said that a loss of employment from the facility would result in a 30 percent reduction in pay if the employees, about half of whom are over the age of fifty, were to stay in the area.

“We can barely afford to fund our social service departments and our law enforcement departments. These will all have domino effects if we start cutting jobs,” said Umatilla County Commissioner Larry Givens, noting that about 60 percent of those employed at the Boardman facility are residents in Umatilla County.

No advocates in favor of the closure of the Boardman facility testified during the committee meeting, but Rep. Schaufler said he would like to give those people a chance to testify next year if a bill is brought through his committee.