The longest journey, it has been said, begins with a single step. So while we applaud Portland General Electric for preparing to take a step, the journey remains frustratingly long in both distance and time.
PGE officials have put forth a plan that would shutter the coal-fired Boardman Power Plant in 2020, about 20 years ahead of the plant’s previously expected closing. Boardman, Ore., is a town of about 3,300 people, located along the Columbia River, 167 miles from Vancouver, and it might seem as though the happenings more than two hours away would have little impact on the people of Clark County. But if you have ever had your view of Mount Hood muted by the haze of pollution, then you can understand why PGE’s proposal is far-reaching.
The Boardman facility is Oregon’s only coal-fired power plant, and it is considered the state’s largest single source of air pollution. Emissions from the plant react in the air to create a haze that can be seen far and wide, typically funneling west down the Columbia River Gorge.
Previous studies have noted that the plant adversely affects visibility in the Gorge 77 days a year. It contributes to a haze that affects visibility at Mount Hood 57 days a year, and at Mount Rainier an estimated 28 days a year.
As the crow flies, Mount Rainier is 120 miles from Boardman, which is an abject lesson in the impact of air pollution. The Boardman plant contributes mightily to the economy of Morrow County, and it provides a great deal of power to customers in Oregon. But the cost, aesthetically and environmentally, is shared by millions of Northwest residents, like a giant cigarette spewing smoke.
The plant’s emissions affect the whole of the Columbia River Gorge. And to underscore the importance of just such a situation, we’ll share a quote that has been attributed to Chief Sealth. Evidence suggests the leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes might not have said this, but somebody thought of the words, and they are applicable today:
“All things share the same breath — the beast, the tree, the man. … The air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.”
Which brings us back to the single, initial step proposed by PGE officials. The company has requested changes to Oregon’s Regional Haze Plan that will allow it to close the plant in 10 years. It has planned measures that will reduce the emissions at Boardman in the intervening years. And it is exploring the development of alternative fuels that could keep the plant in operation while lessening the damaging pollution.
Any of these would be a step in the right direction, but it must be noted that alternative fuels such as pellets or biomass are in their infancy and carry their own environmental concerns. Biomass, created by the high-temperature roasting of plant material, could have an adverse impact on the world’s food supply if enacted on a mass scale. Because of that, there are no easy solutions. The creation of energy is vital to our way of life and to a productive economy and must continue unfettered. But it is perfectly reasonable to begin exploring and developing clean alternative energy sources now so they are available for future generations.
The next step in the process is for the Department of Environmental Quality to review PGE’s proposal. “In addition to the environmental and cost benefits of the 2020 plan, this option will give PGE a reasonable amount of time to find a cost-effective, reliable and environmentally sound replacement power source,” said Jim Piro, the company’s president and CEO.
Considering that the damaging impact of the Boardman facility has been documented for decades, this plan would appear to be a small step in the right direction. But at least it’s a step.
