WEDNESDAY
S I N C E
OCTOBER 9, 2013
1 8 9 5
Vol. 118, Issue 159
105
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INCLUDING G.S.T.
Colwell earns elite belt Page 11
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PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Americans seek changes to Columbia River Treaty
Montrose council hears meter concerns
DON’T FORGET BEHIND THE EARS
BY SHERI REGNIER
Town meeting suggested to educate residents
For almost 50 years the Columbia River Treaty has generated over $250 million annually with a notable portion of those funds being dispersed through the Basin communities. Now, the Americans are looking to significantly re-negotiate those benefits. The Columbia River Treaty (CRT) was signed between the countries in 1964 to develop and operate dams in the upper Columbia River basin for power and flood control benefits to both countries. The Treaty was signed for a minimum length of 60 years, although either country can terminate it by providing 10 years advance, written notice (2014). At stake is money, and a lot of it. Every year since the treaty was signed, the Canadian Entitlement, a term coined for the ongoing downstream power benefits (from $250 million to $350 million), has been deposited into the coffers of the provincial government. “There was an original calculation to what that entitlement should be,” said Mike Hanson, spokesperson for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). “That is the sticking point for us,” he said. “Canada is entitled to half of the downstream benefits on a yearly basis but we believe that the current value is worth significantly less than half of what we are currently paying.” In 2010, a partnership between the BPA and the Northwestern Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was formed, known as the U.S. Entity. The purpose of the Entity was to review the treaty and develop regional recommendations, “for what the northwest thinks we ought to do about the future of the CRT,” explained Hanson. After three years of consultation with 15 regional tribes, stakeholders and 11 federal agencies from Montana, Washington, Oregon and Idaho, the Entity will take its final recommendations to the U.S. State Dept. in Washington D.C. mid-December, confirmed Hanson. The first 60 years of the treaty made assumptions about the amount of thermal resources there would be in the northwest developed over time and there were assumptions made that Canada would build those facilities, he said. See RECOMMENDATIONS, Page 3
A Montrose resident dead-set against wireless smart meters found out that he's not just a “lone wolf,” a message further delivered by a delegation to council Monday night. Mario Como and his pack of seven concerned residents shared their views on FortisBC's Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project, asking council to get behind a town hall meeting that would educate Montrose residents from the perspective of a company representative but also an electro-magnetic radiation expert. “It's like betting on a horse race that's already run,” he told council. “Waiting is no option, we have to act now.” While all of council supported such a meeting, waiving the rental fee to boot, only Coun. Mary Gay thought that the invite should come from the elected officials. “I don't think this falls under our jurisdiction,” argued Montrose Mayor Joe Danchuk. “It's not our meeting, is what I'm trying to say.” Clearly flustered by the outcome, See SAFETY, Page 3
BY VALERIE ROSSI
Times Staff
Times Staff
GUY BERTRAND PHOTO
Peter Vogelaar was performing his bi-annual ritual of cleaning the Family Memorial Park statue, which he created for the City of Trail in 2001. The Winlaw artist polishes up the statue then heats it with a torch to aid the application of wax to prevent the statue from oxidizing and turning green.
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