State Rep. Greg Smith (R-Heppner) had a busy day on Wednesday. After briefing the Port of Morrow Commissioners on the latest news out of Salem, Smith met with a group of Hermiston residents seeking information on the Morrow Pacific Project proposed for the Port of Morrow in Boardman.
The project involves constructing a $240 million coal transfer and loading facility at the port. The facility will receive coal from Wyoming and Montana by train. From there, the coal will be moved from the facility by enclosed conveyors and placed in covered barges that will carry the coal along the Columbia River to the Port of St. Helens. At that point, the coal will be transferred to oceangoing vessels and transported to South Korea.
The project is not without its detractors. Coal export opponents fear the project will harm air quality and fish habitat. Proponents, however, say the Ambre Energy, the company behind the project, is taking every precaution to ensure there will be no harmful effects to the environment.
The project expects to create as many as 2,000 construction jobs and up to 30 permanent jobs paying between $50,000 and $90,000 a year, and Smith the long-range economic impact throughout the state could be as high as $2 billion.
During Wednesday’s tour, Smith was asked about potential environmental impacts of the Morrow Pacific Project.
“This company wants to do this the Oregon way – creating jobs in an environmentally-friendly manner,” he said. Smith said Ambre Energy will take steps to keep coal dust and spillage to a minimum.
“It is not in Ambre’s interest to lose its commodity,” Smith said. At the point of origin – meaning Wyoming and Montana – rail cars filled with coal will be vibrated, said Smith, to settle the coal and dust. Then a special coating will be sprayed over the coal to further minimize any loss of coal or dust emissions during transport. Once it reaches the Port of Morrow, it will be unloaded into an enclosed facility equipped with a vacuum to further remove dust.
Initially, Ambre Energy anticipates shipping approximately 3.5 million metric tons of coal per year. At full capacity, however, it could ship as much as 8 million metric tons.
Smith said Ambre Energy has not sought any tax breaks for locating at the Port of Morrow.
“They want to be a good neighbor,” he said. The company has also committed to contributing 10 cents per ton of coal to Morrow County schools and expects to donate up to $800,000 a year to the Morrow County School District.
In the meantime, however, the project cannot move forward until the permitting process is complete. There are three major permits Ambre Energy must get before it receives the green light. Those include an air quality permit, a water control permit and a Corps of Engineers permit to build a receiving dock in Boardman. Smith said he did not know how long the permitting process would take.
“We could begin the construction process immediately,” he said. “The only thing holding us back is the permitting process.”
