Stories from this compilation are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region.
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MCCALL — It could be Christmas before a federal draft study of Midas Gold’s Stibnite Gold Project near Yellow Pine is released, the company announced Tuesday.
The release of the draft study had already been pushed back from May to August earlier this year to allow Midas Gold more time to submit studies on water quality at the mine site before, during and after the project.
But a 35-day federal government shutdown from late December to late January further slowed progress on the study by the Payette National Forest, according to a Midas Gold news release.
“The partial government shutdown unfortunately extended the schedule and the request for more modeling of alternatives has had additional impacts on the schedules,” Midas Gold Idaho President Laurel Sayer said in the release.
The delay in the release of the draft study means the soonest the Payette could approve the project would be late 2020, according to the news release.
So far, Midas Gold has fielded 116 requests for more information and alternatives for various aspects of the project, responding to all but two, the news release said.
“Some of these efforts were substantial and included additional field work,” said Mckinsey Lyon, vice president of external affairs for Midas Gold Idaho.
The requests consisted of clarifications on the proposed plan for the mine, additional data and alternatives for specific parts of the mine, Lyon said. Seven federal, state and local agencies are currently reviewing the plan of operation and restoration submitted by Midas Gold in December 2016.
— Drew Dodson, The Star-News (McCall), Thursday
Repowering planned for Marengo wind turbines
DAYTON — PacifiCorp is investing $3.5 billion to build four new wind projects and upgrade its Wyoming, Oregon and Washington wind fleet. The upgrade includes “repowering” the 78 wind turbines at Marengo I, and the 39 wind turbines at Marengo II, east of Dayton.
“Local communities may notice an increase in heavy equipment and vehicle traffic as early as May as work begins to widen leased access roads to allow for sufficient access to the sites,” said Pacific Power spokesman Tom Gauntt, Media Spokesman for Pacific Power.
Gauntt said the 1.8 MW wind turbines at the Marengo sites will be retrofitted with 2.0 MW units beginning in June.
“The last decade has seen tremendous improvement in the wind business,” he said. “The new wind turbines have many proprietary mechanical and control updates that improve efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.”
The turbine blades, which are manufactured in Brighton, Colo., are 20 meters larger in diameter than their predecessors, and about 20 percent more power will be produced using the same tower, Gauntt said.
He said the entire project is expected to last seven months, with new equipment arriving on site and existing equipment being transported away, between the months of June and October.
Approximately 60 full-time construction jobs will be created by the repowering project, Gauntt said. Applications for employment will be accepted when the construction team moves onsite in May.
The repowering project will help to continue providing affordable, reliable, renewable energy to Pacific Power customers, Gauntt said.
According to the PacifiCorp website, a new high-voltage transmission line in Wyoming will connect the new wind energy from PacifiCorp’s various wind projects, to the PacifiCorp grid, adding 1,150 MW of new wind resources.
— Michele Smith, The Times (Waitsburg), Thursday
Drainage problem revisited at city council
OROFINO — Dennis Fuller addressed the Orofino City Council at its regular meeting held March 26, concerning the drainage problem at the Clearwater County Fair Exhibit building.
This isn’t the first discussion about the problem. The fair board has dealt with the damages and clean-up of flooding issues year after year. They had previously asked about installing French drains, as rain gutters were predicted to become too heavy with water and function less effectively for the particular design of the exhibit building’s roof.
There was talk of trying to find another and less expensive solution to the water problem, but nothing happened.
A misunderstanding of who would pay for the project and how the city lines would accommodate the additional water at the site were reasons given that the project was never accomplished.
As treasurer of the fair board, Fuller said the fair board has the funds to install the french drains and asked for the city’s permission to do so.
Under those terms, the council approved his request.
— Elizabeth Morgan, Clearwater Tribune (Orofino), Wednesday
