The U.S. Army’s former Umatilla Chemical Depot now has local owners: the Columbia Development Authority.
“The deed of trust to the Army depot is signed and it’s official,” CDA Project Manager Greg Smith said.
Port of Umatilla General Manager Kim Puzey is the chair of the CDA board. He said reaching this goal is an exciting moment.
“Some of us have been working for three decades for this,” he said.
Puzey also credited the five entities that make up the Columbia Development Authority: the port of Umatilla and Morrow, Umatilla and Morrow counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
“We’re just glad to see the finish line is coming up on us,” he said.
Smith and Puzey said while the CDA now has the deed, the Pentagon on March 20 is holding a ceremonial signing.
“I’ll be there for that,” Puzey said.
