Tri-City Herald from Pasco, Washington • 9

For breaking news throughout the day go to wwwtrlcltvheraldcom MD-COLUMBIA SECTION tr1cltyheraldcom Tuesday Feb 9 2010 CONTACT THE NEWSROOM: 582-1502 newstrlcltyheraldcom: fax 582-1510 RED MOUNTAIN INTERCHANGE CABLE BRIDGE WORK CONTINUES its earlier request for $24 million in federal transportation money and to replace it with a $55 million request Jim Beaver commission chairman said the mistake was brought to his attention by officials with the Benton Rural Electric Association He JNEft THINK? Comment an rift Mory etricRyhnraldoom or cS! 666-7280 scenes with Sen Fatty Murray IT-Wash on a $5 million application for federal binding Going for the larger amount most likely would our request kicked Beaver said The commissioners' resolution approved Feb 1 called for Murray to support a $24 million request from the 2011 transportation budget Thatfc the estimated amount needed to complete an interchange on Interstate 82 at milepost 100 which is approximately SeeRJNDIIIQRBgeB2 Commission finds request it sought was too much to ask JOHNTRUMBO HERALD STAFF WRITER Benton County commissioners had to scale back a multi-million dollar finding request to build the Red Mountain interchange after discovering they were too greedy in a resolution passed last week The board voted Monday to rescind BobBrawdy bbmwdyttridtyfwSitoom Washington Department of Transportation worker Matt Hanshsw sandblasts a crevice wMo working Monday mombig to replace an expansion Joint on the Pasco skis of the cable bridge The prefect wi dose one Isne on the bridge again today as the crew completes the maintenance said they and representatives of other public agencies interested in seeing the interchange built had been working behind the SCHOOL LEVIES ON THE BALLOT SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH Richland interviews candidates SARA SCHILLING HERALD STAFF WRITER The Richland School District is closer to a new superintendent after the first round of candidate interviews Monday night Two of the three finalists James Buaey superintendent of the Lake Chelan School District and Patricia 0 Evenson-Brady superintendent of Hood River County Schools were interviewed by the school board in separate one-hour sessions The third candidate Selah Superintendent Steve Chestnut will be interviewed today The position la up for grabs because BobBrawdy Mary Jane Seitz left and Maxine Lye Join about a dozen workers Monday opening and Inspecting baBott at the FrankHn County Annex for special election Roeidants statewide are being asked to vote for local school levlee Several Mld-Cokimbla schools have levies on the balot today The ballots wll bo tabulated tonight See CANDIDATES Page B2 i CONFERENCE CONTINUES TODAY PASCO CITY COUNCIL Biofuels hailed at clean energy event Majority support curbside recycling Group have committed by 2016 to making biofoels 1 percent about 600 million to 600 million gallons of their annual fuel consumption he said Worldwide foel comprises 25 percent of the operating coats for airliners Wynne gakL a daunting public challenge for he said The focua of the conference which concludes today la to promote economic development In the rural Northwest through dean energy development and production And one of the most promising of the biofuel products for aviation use is camelina an oil-seed and nonfood crop thatfc being grown in rotation with wheat in Eastern Washington Camelina which need much water and thrives in marginal soils shows the moat immediate promise of available biofoela for use in aircraft Wynne said In December AltAir Fuels of Seattle announced that it had an agreement with 14 airlines to supply 750 million gallons of Jet and diesel foel derived from camelina at a refinery in Anacortes Another firm Sustainable Oils has a two-year contract with the Navy and Air Force to supply the services with camelina-derived biofoela from crops grown in Eastern Washington said Scott Johnson president and general manager Camelina grown in Eastern Washington shows promise for use in aviation fuel KEVIN MCCULLEN HERALD STAFF WRITER Commercial and military aircraft one day could be powered by biofuels including an oil from a plant grown in Eastern Washington as the airline industry and the Defense Department seek renewable and cleaner foel sources Boeing In partnership with airlines has conducted five test flights of commercial aircraft powered in part by alternative fuels The airline Industry is mov-ing toward a goal of reducing petroleum use as a cost-saving and energy security issue and to reduce its carbon footprint said Richard Wynne director of geopolitical and policy analysis for Boeing Wynne speaking Monday to the 10th Harvesting Clam Energy Conference at Three Riven Convention Center In Kennewick said blofoels supplied from 20 percent to 60 percent of the foel on the teat flights Dutch air carrier KLM also uaed blofoels on a 747 with passengers aboard Airline and aircraft manufacturers that are part of Airline Transportation Action If the issue is using carbon fuels in an environmentally safe way we are getting better at that every year Rep Doc Hastings R-Waih of the North Carolina-baaed company In fact the Navy la looking to power its ships aircraft and vehicles partly with one source of biofoela he said ia available and our production can be scaled said Johnson whose company has contracts currently with about 60 Eastern Washington formers Wood and agricultural byproducts including straw grape pomace and hop residue and food waste also one iky could be tapped to produce small amounts of electricity a speaker at another panel said There are an estimated 17 million tons annually of ao-called blomaaa material available in Washington See BIOFUELS Page B2 The 2009 National Citizen Survey asked Paaco residents three policy questions along with opinions on everything from housing options to code enforcement The survey had a 6 percent margin of error said Stan Strebel assistant city manager A total of 244 households returned the survey According to the survey 78 percent of residents supported the city continuing to add fluoride to the water and 77 percent of residents would rather pay a sales tax than a property tax for a regional facility such an aquatic or performing arta center One survey highlight was the higher percent of respondents who rated Pasco as a quality place to live (76 percent) than in 2007 (62 percent) Strebel aakL A higher percent of respondents (66 percent) rated the quality of affordable housing See RECYCLING Page B2 Councilman says city should discuss issue at future meeting KRISTI PIHL HERALD STAFF WRITER The majority of people who responded to a city of Phaco survey say be willing to pay extra for curbside recycling Councilman Matt Watkins aid at Mondayh council meeting he was surprised at the responses Sixty-three percent of residents surveyed said they'd support curbside recycling if the service added $4 to $5 per month onto the garbage pickup bffl Watkins said he would have expected leu support Baaed on the response the city should discuss curbside recycling in the foture he aid TO DO TODAY I TrKIty Americans vs Seattle ThunderbHa 7:05 pm Toyota Center 7016 Grandrldge Blvd Kennewick Tickets S9-S20 available at box office at 735-0500 or wwwdcketmasterccxn More local sventilstlnga at httpVcriandartrlcItyharakLooni Tri-Cities Senior Companion program although she is 91 Webb said The museum la open noon to 4 pm Tuesdays to Fridays Admission is free For more information call 647-8714 Richland School Board considers real estate Todayk meeting of the Richland School Board has been changed to 7 pm The board will diacuss real estate following a 6 pm closed-door meeting on a real estate issue The meeting la at the district office 616 Snow Ave aa ii --8t -wnHsnrr teat metal samples fin quality and material characteristics Metals may be polished and fine shavings can result The Areva emergency management response team assembled and the Richland Fire Department responded but neither was needed Areva produces foel for nuclear power plants Franklin museum offers black history program The Franklin County Historical Museum will-offer a presentation on Black History Month given by Katie Barton starting at 10 am Feb 20 at the Pnsco museum Barton has lived in Franklin County for 62 years and was the first black woman to be elected to the Paaco City CounclL The museum at 806 Fourth Ave also ia featuring thia month a new and expanding collection of donated photos and artifacts that tie In with its ongoing Mock history exhibit said museum director SherelWebb has considerable knowledge and insight on Black History Month and we are excited to have her share that information with Webb said Barton continues to be active In community service Including as a member of the BRIEFS Richland nuclear fuel lab fire put out quickly Avery small fire in a laboratory at Areva NP in Richland was quickly extinguished by a lab worker Monday afternoon Bob Link manager of environmental health safety and licensing at the plant characterized the flreb size as handfol of Areva believes that some fine shavings of the flammable metal zirconium caught fire No radiological materials were in tiie port of the lob when the fin occurred The laboratory is used to ON THIS DAY I In 1982 1 A small atomic generator developed for the Atomic Energy Commission which uses fuel supplied by Hanford began powering aNavy automatic unmanned weather station In Antarctica yesterday iStayoonnactad To receive e-mal updates on breaking news sports wine recipes and more register at trtcltyh8raldcom and dick on Newsletters If you already are registered Just dick on "edft account" on the Herald's home page Also see us on Facebock and Twitter at twkterconVTrlCltyHerBld 00 00 00.