Oregon Grass Seed Industry

Oregon's Grass Seed Industry never fails to surprise me. It thrives as organism to survive in optimal conditions, feeding on the life source that has consumed it with overwhelming arrogance....money. As portrayed here in a recent anonymous commenter on the field burning issue in Oregon, the industry is angry. This man, who is obviously involved in the grass seed industry is protecting and defending himself as would any organism being threatened from outside sources. They feel the necessity to protect the best interest of the industry to prosper despite their year over year growth. It's like a cancer that will continue to grow unless a more powerful entity steps in to regulate it.

The thing that I don't understand is how the people who don't like field burning have any say in what we as farmers do at all. You folks have a hard time making your lawns look nice without the help of a lawn care service. What makes you think you should be able to tell the farmers what to do with their land. The other misconception is the straw is NOT TRASH!!!!! There is a very large amount of nutrients in that straw that we want back out of it and put back in the soil. Burning the straw is the only way to make the nutrients that are tied up in the straw, completely readily available for the new crop you just planted. ANY other way either removes the nutrients completely, or is at least a two to three year turn around for the straw to rot down in the soil and unlock the nutrients it had tied up. One more point is a black burnt field almost always means way less chemicals applied. Fire is and always will be the most naturally effective herbicide/pesticide a farmer can use, man made chemicals don't really come close.

While their argument is valid, Oregon's population has now increased to a level where it no longer will tolerate this traditional method of releasing nutrients back to the soil.

According to the Oregon Seed Council, there are about 1400 grass seed farmers in the state of Oregon. Of those 1400 farmers are about 55 grass seed companies that market and sell the seeds. According to SeedQuest, "Oregon is the world's No. 1 grass seed producer, supplying nearly 60 percent of all commercial grass seed, according to William Young, an OSU Extension agronomist." The grass seed industry continues to grow every year as well. In 2006, the seed industry grew 789 million pounds of grass seed worth $454 million, according to William Young. Compare that to 720 million pounds worth $348 million in 2005.

Their is an obvious relationship between the Oregon Grass Seed Industry and Oregon State University in Corvallis. OSU tests the purity of Oregon's grass seeds which should be between 95% and 98% pure of weed seeds, stems, and debris depending on what type seed is being tested. The higher the purity, the more the seeds are worth on the market. The Seed Laboratory in OSU is self-funded mostly through the fees it charges for seed testing, however, it receives funds of $100,000 a year on average in the past 5 years from private industries. Can you guess which industries those might be?

About three weeks ago, $94,000 have been allotted to OSU to study the health effects of field burning on Oregon residents. Many say that the relationship that the grass seed industry has with OSU will foster a biased study. Even as this concerned Oregon resident comments:

My concern is that this will end up being a biased study given OSU's close ties with the Grass Seed Industry. It's rather silly to be doing another study given there has already been ample studies that prove the health hazards of this archaic practice. However, as you said, the push to ban the practice will not stop until the mission is accomplished. The arrogance of the grass seed farmers who still engage in this practice is sad. If they don't come around, I fully support a class action lawsuit as I am one of the those people who suffer unnecessarily every year.

Oregon's grass seed industry is no doubt a resilient industry that continues to grow every year. If field burning were to be banned, I am sure that they would survive and continue to grow. Their strong relationship with OSU would likely provoke innovative alternatives never before thought of. We are living in age of advanced technology and information and it's time the government step in and ban field burning so that next year's summer will be one of fresh clean air.

Oregon Power Generation

The recent green movement the country has been experiencing the last few years has created an exigent call to reduce our dependence on dirty sources of energy including coal and natural gas, which contribute to greenhouse gases.

According to the Oregon Department of Energy, in 2003, the state's use of 'green' energy is quite high. The graph to the right shows that hydro electric power supplies the majority of Oregon's electricity needs. Combining all renewable sources of energy totals to 47%, a very high number. Although renewable energy such as wind and geothermal supply a very small amount of energy to the state.

Oregon is a leading state in implementing projects that utilize sea wave power off Oregon's coastal region. Several projects have been submitted for approval to pilot the new methods of generating endless amounts of energy from the ocean's waves.

It is my opinion that Oregon has the potential to be the leading state in renewable energy. If it it's pilot programs with sea wave energy are successful, they could serve as a model for other coastal states on both the west coast and east coast. Furthermore, Oregon is known as an environmentally aware state which could be put to better use by promoting incentives for private and commercial use of renewable energy, including more wind and solar projects.

Read about the current Sea Wave Power Projects in Oregon

Ocean Power Technologies and Oceanlinx Limited

Finavera Renewables

Lane County Adopts Benzene Reduction Policy

Press Release:

Lane County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt policies that urge county employees and residents to reduce motor idling time to ten seconds and to not top off gas tanks. The vote took place during their regular Wednesday board meeting. The new policy helps government employees, businesses and residents to learn about using simple strategies to improve health and air quality in our community.

The policy adoption comes just as Gov. Ted Kulongoski proclaimed the week of Sept. 17-23 “Pollution Prevention Week” in Oregon, stating that preventing pollution “protect the health and safety of workers, strengthen our community, and provide an assurance for our future.”

“Lane County’s Health Advisory Committee recommended this policy because parts of Lane County has benzene levels in the air that are ten times over the state’s health standards,” said Lisa Arkin, Executive Director of the Oregon Toxics Alliance who presented information about the presence of harmful toxics such as benzene in local air to county officials. “Breathing or absorbing benzene increases a person’s risk of leukemia and contributes to the gases that cause climate change.”

With encouragement from the Alliance, Lane County government and 4-J school district have adopted recommendations to reduce emissions of benzene, a known carcinogen. The Board of Commissioners in Multnomah County already adopted the recommended benzene reduction policy in July.



A fact sheet published by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality states that Oregon has some of the highest reported levels of benzene in the United States and gasoline is the major source of the problem. People are exposed to benzene emissions from breathing automobile exhaust and the fumes from the transfer of gasoline at gas stations.

The County resolution encourages employees and residents take two simple actions that can cut down on the amount of benzene inadvertently release into the air. The first action, “Turn Your Key – Be Idle Free” reminds car owners to turn off the motor after 20 seconds of idling. Not topping off the gas tank at gas stations is another way to eliminate benzene emissions.

Due to fuel injection and other computerized advances in engine technology, cars no longer need to be “warmed up” to get started on a cold day. Also, according to the Ford Motor Company and the American Automobile Association, frequently restarting the engine does not cause wear and tear on the starter and ignition.

Topping off the gas tank can harm the valve inside the gas tank and allow gas to leak out as the vehicle drives away. This leaves a trail of benzene fumes in the car’s wake.

“We recommended these simple actions to the Board of Commissioners to highlight the problem and have a positive effect on public health,” said Jim Goes, chair of the Lane County Health Advisory Committee. “I’m pleased that they are considering enacting policies and raising awareness that lead towards healthier air.”

credit: Lisa Arkin, executive director for Oregon Toxics Alliance

Gordon Smith backs Wilderness Plan

To my surprise, the Oregon republican senator Gordon Smith backs a democratic wilderness plan to protect nearly 14,000 acres of national forest land along Oregon's southern coast.

The wilderness plan drafted by democratic Senator Ron Wyden and Rep. Peter DeFazio, would protect 13,700 acres of coastal forests and salmon streams. The plan will prevent development of logging, mining and road building in these areas. However, people will still be able to fish and hunt in the area.

The proposed land sits near the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and is considered one of the best habitats on the West Coast for chinook salmon, winter steelhead, coho salmon, cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. Could Senator Gordon Smith be endorsing these wilderness plans as part of a strategic plan to keep his seat in the senate? There are plenty of other candidates including an independent runner that are eager to take his seat come election time. While the backing of this wilderness plan is a nice gesture, I personally don't think it will win the hearts of borderline voters.

Union Pacific Railyard Cleanup, Eugene Oregon

Railroad operations, according to the Department of Environmental Quality in Oregon, have been going on for over 100 years. The activities conducted at the Eugene Railyard over the past century have resulted in environmental contamination from the various hazardous substances used there.

Union Pacific, no longer uses the railyard near Trainsong and River Road communities, however still links cars to trains and fuels them as well. The DEQ has determined that the soil and groundwater contamination within the railyard mainly consists of hydrocarbons, industrial solvents, and metals. And outside the railyard quote "low levels of solvents are found in groundwater underlying portions of the Trainsong and River Road neighborhoods."

Positive
"Union Pacific, DEQ, and the Oregon Public Health Division are continuing to study the human health significance of off-site contamination through additional sampling and data evaluation." -DEQ

Negative
"DEQ believes that well water in the River Road and Trainsong neighborhoods is safe for outdoor uses, including irrigation, washing, and filling of outdoor swimming pools. All homes in these neighborhoods are connected to the municipal water supply, making indoor tap water safe to drink." -DEQ

I have one big problem with this statement due to the fact that in June 2006 the DEQ had a different stance on the subject: "Data generated for the Risk Assessment suggests that off-site groundwater contamination could exceed DEQ cleanup levels for a few nearby Trainsong and River Road residents using well water for outdoor use." Or in other words the groundwater was not safe. This was the previous conclusion under Kennedy/Jenks Consultants from Portland hired by Union Pacific. In my opinion, since the results were not in favor of UP, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants were dropped, and a new consultant group based in Houston, Texas was hired by the name of CH2M Hill. There motto is "Solutions without Boundaries". In other words, we'll get the results you want no matter what! And thats exactly what happened. The new results from CH2M Hill are in favor of UP, and the DEQ and DHS are backing it up.

Union Pacific is nothing more than a greedy corporation that is unwilling to take responsibility for its environmental impacts. These impacts have been literally poisoning the air and water of nearby residents for years. Why can't money be raised to hire a group to conduct independent studies not paid for by Union Pacific? Why should the communities of Trainsong and River Road suffer the blight from the Eugene Railyard? If nothing else, is it possible for the city or state to fund an urban renewable project that can help beautify the surrounding region?

Sea Wave Power Generation

As I have mentioned before, sea wave power generation has been a popular item of discussion in Oregon due to its prime oceanside real estate for the renewable energy source.

Yet another company, Finavera Renewables, has already received a preliminary permit to build a wave park near Coos County, Oregon. The projected size of the plant will eventually generate 100 MW of energy. Once all these projects off the Oregon Coast come to fruition, Oregon will surely be one the leading states implementing this clean technology.

Finavera has developed the AquaBuOYs to harness the vertical motion of waves. They are small modular devices placed several kilometers offshore where the resource of waves are optimal. The power is then transferred to the shore via a secure undersea transmission line.

It is truly exciting to be living in Oregon when this new environmental movement is coming alive. Projects like these are essential for the ever increasing demand for energy as the world continues to increase in its population.

Read my previous blog post on wave power.

7500 acres of brush fields burn near Sisters

According to KTVZ about 12 hours ago, as much as 7500 acres of brush fields have been burned and continue burning in central Oregon near Sisters. Thank goodness the fire is about 85% contained. The fire was caused by a lightning strike but is being controlled with constructed firelines.



The Evacuation Notice for the Black Butte Ranch area remains at a Level One, whatever that means. Nonetheless, fire officials say the public needs to refrain from entering the fire area as many dangers still exist, as in refrain from getting close and taking pictures of the vast fire landscape.

Oregon Poison Center wants help in tracking biting spiders

Oregon Poison Center is trying to get a better understanding of spiders in the Northwest that are dangerous. They are asking Oregon residents who actually see a spider bite them to send in the spiders for analysis. To contact the Oregon Poison Control center call 800-222-1222, of course medical advice will be available as well. Within a few days of a report, an investigator may call back and ask for if the reporter to be involved in the study.


More specifically, researchers are interested in the hobo spider. Researchers just aren't sure which spiders classified as dangerous actually live in this region and are determined to find out. The only dangerous spiders that are known to be in Oregon are the black widow and its cousin the brown spider. Either way the center wants the spiders dead, even if they are smooshed. So here's your chance to participate in a quite interesting study.

University of Oregon Gets Grant to Study Nano Safety

The University of Oregon, located in Eugene, was awarded with $1.6 million grant to study the effects of tiny engineered structures on animal tissue. Nano refers to a prefix, 10 to power of -9, which is 1/1 billionth. Usually the term nano is attached to a unit of measurement such as nanometer, which would refer to 1/billionth of a meter. In plain English, nano means: really small. Nanotechnology refers to the engineering of technological devices on the nano scale.

With all that technical jargon out of the way, the grant was given to members of The Safer Nanomaterials group, which is part of Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, an institute that includes both U of O and OSU.

The study will be using animals for scientific experiments, something I strongly oppose. The study will look for both toxic and therapeutic effects on the zebra fish. One important area of nanoscience is looking at how drugs and other therapeutics can be targeted to very specific areas of the body, leaving other areas unaffected. Success in this area could help improve cancer therapies that now have destructive effects on healthy tissue while destroying cancerous cells.

I attended a nanotechnology conference in Anaheim, California about two years ago, and the possibilities for the betterment of future technology is indescribably exciting. Advancements in military, space, health, and general consumer products are all possible through the capabilities of nano science and technology.

OSU to study Health Effects of Field Burning

Recently the field burning issue has been making the news lately with a grassroots campaign from Eugene's Oregon Toxics Alliance. Field burning, as talked about in my previous posts, was shot down by the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission citing the need for more studies to be conducted. Now a $94,000 study will be conducted by Oregon State University in Corvallis on the health effects of field burning. The money comes from the fees collected from grass seed farmers that have to pay for burning. The research will be analyzing existing data from smoke concentrations and health effects to assess if there is a risk from smoke inhalation.

View Field Burning Video Here, filmed by OregonEcology.com

Apparently the study will calculate the odds for cancer, lung irritation, and other illnesses such as asthma.

Field burning will not be an issue that stops until the field burning stops. Many residents that live in the Willamette Valley are against the burning. There are even petitions circulating the city of Eugene to support the banning of field burning. There are even rumors of legal options being explored to tackle the issue right into court. If enough people can rally against this issue, surly Oregon can follow suit as other states have to ban the nuisance and health risks of field burning once and for all.

New Permit allows More Air Pollution from Hynix Semiconductor

According to the Register Guard, Hynix Semiconductor has now acquired a new permit allowing the plant to release more air pollution in Oregon. The previous permit granted by the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (aka LRAPA) only allowed the company to emit 1.8 tons of hydrogen fluoride per year. In 2006, the company emitted 2.08 tons citing increased production as the reason. Hynix was then charged a minimal fine of $800 for the excess pollution. What kind of fine is that? Seriously, a huge corporation pollutes the air where a couple hundred thousand residents live, and the only fine they get is a petty $800. I work as a vendor at Hynix, and a common replacement for an optical lens can cost thousands of dollars; they are changed quite frequently too. Practically any replacement parts for equipment in the Fab are very expensive. This measly little fine is absolutely nothing, and also sends the wrong message towards corporations in the area that exceeding environmental pollution guidelines is okay.

The new permit allows Hynix to dump 5 tons of hydrogen fluoride per year. Along with the newly granted permit, Hynix is to test the air quality twice a year.

The EPA classifies Hydrogen Fluoride as a harmful pollutant, which in large doses can irritate the skin, eyes, respiratory tract, and can affect the health of plants and animals.

This can even turn out to produce harmful effects in the long run to Hynix employees, which is at about 1215 workers, not including contract workers.

So the company is required to do the testing during times of production that equate to 90% to 110% of production. Apparently, any falsification of these requirements can lead to hefty fines. Please define the term hefty fines.

While I am sure Hynix needs the permit in order to keep current with the competitive semi conductor industry, one must wonder if there are any sustainable alternative methods available rather than simply releasing hydrogen fluoride into the ambient air.