Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Board talks of potential local impact of Panama Canal expansion
Gathering after the Christmas holidays, Port of Whitman commissioners last Thursday confirmed plans for the next two months and touched on a range of issues.
New commissioner Tom Kammerzell reported on a new commissioner seminar he attended in Bellevue. The two-day event was put on by the Washington Ports Association.
“It was good information. It was very helpful,” Kammerzell said.
Executive Director Joe Poire reported on the fiber optic project, running from Spokane to Clarkston.
He said the first permit on the state highway section was granted, which will be followed by a permit for the next eight miles from Palouse to Pullman.
“Let’s get the permits 20-30 miles in front of the construction,” Poire advised.
The next permit in the works will extend to the Stout Road intersecton south of Uniontown.
With the winter weather mild, the work will continue.
“I thought it would be (delayed to) June or July,” said Poire.
“Winter isn’t over yet,” said Commissioner Dan Boone.
Poire reported a big boring machine is on its way here from Philadelphia aboard a semi-truck.
The machine will be used for drilling horizontally through rock where needed along the cable route.
Poire said four or five miles of the cable installation have been completed witk about 50 miles to go.
“We’re into the 60 percent completed mark,” he said, noting the installation along the state highways make up the remaining 40 percent of work to be done.
In new business, Kammerzell and Boone confirmed they will be at the next mayors’ roundtable meeting Feb. 23 in Pullman. Commissioner John Love said “maybe.”
Port attorney Bruce Ensley brought up an article he had read in the San Diego newspaper over Christmas about the widening of the Panama Canal.
“Will it have an impact up here?” he asked.
Poire said he thought it will affect the west coast.
In 2006, Panamanian voters approved a referendum to expand the 48-mile canal’s capacity. It is due to be complete in 2014, allowing larger ships and barges to pass through.
As a result, ports from Long Beach, Calif., to the Gulf Coast are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to expand. Most of the money is being spent on Gulf Coast ports, which hope to lure 1,200 foot long ships from Asia. Many of those ships now dock on West Coast ports.
The board then discussed whether the canal expansion will have a silver lining, potentially bringing in more rail use to the area.
This brought on a discussion of high speed rail from Moses Lake to Seattle and talk of the nation’s overall economy.
“We’ve shed 12 percent of the work force and shed the output,” said Poire.
Boone then presented former port commissioner Don Cox with a plaque in recognition of his service.
“I’m going to drop in occasionally just to be a fan,” said Cox. He also signed off on some paperwork while visiting the session.
Cox served as an interim commissioner in 2010-11 for the seat vacated by the death of Bob Gronholtz of Colfax.
Kammerzell was elected to the vacant seat.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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