Nestle looks to tap Cascade Locks; trucks deemed unfit for California environmental standards offloaded in Oregon; Whale Cove to be protected.
BY JACOB PALMER | OB DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
Nestle is awaiting permits from Oregon to to bottle and sell water taken from Oxbow Springs.
The Swiss company has taken steps recently to expedite the process by procuring the state’s right to some of the water flowing near Cascade Locks.
OregonLive.com conducted a lengthy investigation that found that public perception in the Oregon town is shifting.
“It’s a win for everybody,” Cascade Locks Mayor Tom Cramblett said. …
When Nestlé first approached Cascade Locks in 2008 with plans to build a 250,000 square foot bottling plant at the Port of Cascade Locks, city leaders aimed to trade their well water gallon-for-gallon in exchange for ODFW’s Oxbow Springs water. Both parties would retain the legal right to their original water source.
Read more here.
While Nestle is looking to tap Oregon’s pristine natural resources for private gain, California big rig dealers are finding the Beaver State lucrative for its relatively lax air regulation standards.
In lieu of California’s stringent laws regarding emissions, dozens of trucks are being offloaded in Oregon, an OregonLive.com investigation found:
“Last year was a big jump in selling the units,” said Mike Covey Jr., manager of Covey Auto Express in Stockton, Calif., which has sold nine car transports that came to Oregon. “The finances made it a struggle, but we’re finally there.”
Trucking companies in California began selling off their obsolete trucks to meet a Jan. 1 deadline, the first target for the oldest trucks to comply. California plans to aggressively phase out diesel trucks built before 2010, when federal emissions standards tightened.
On the coast, the Statesman Journal reports that Whale Cove will be preserved as a part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
The land was purchased for $1.1 million with the intent of preserving a sanctuary for marine life and nesting seabirds.
Access to the cove is off-limits to the public, except via boat, but a view can be had from Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint.
Read Zach Urness’ story here.
