Cantwell tours Columbia Basin

RITZVILLE — Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., met with Grant and Adams counties’ commissioners to listen to their concerns.

Adams County commissioners explained they are concerned about the deteriorating Odessa sub-aquifer and asked her to continue to secure funding to find a solution.

Commissioner Jeffrey Stevens explained the Columbia Basin Project is a “shovel ready” project in need of support because it would supply several long term jobs.

The commissioners explained they are concerned about federal dollars used for projects to create jobs. It seems the projects are short term and don’t truly create new jobs, they explained.

Cantwell told them to let her know when they have projects that could use federal dollars to create new jobs in Adams County in the future.

Commissioner Rudy Plager said there are no Adams County projects at this time but several of the cities in the county could use federal money for water and sewer upgrade projects to create jobs.

Grant County Commissioner Carolann Swartz said a Moses Lake car dealership owner asked her to tell Cantwell about concern over lack of finance. Easy lending is needed to sell vehicles but it’s difficult to obtain.

“It’s indicative of what’s going on,” she said.

There is a funding program targeted at helping community banks with $10 billion in assets or less with an emphasis on banks with $1 billion in assets of less, according to Cantwell. The program is designed to increase lending.

Swartz explained she is also concerned about the Odessa sub-aquifer deteriorating, the Columbia Basin Project and the expansion of rail service.

She said funding is needed to expand the rail project to support current industrial business and attract new business.

Cantwell said her office works with the Bureau of Reclamation to increase groundwater availability related to the Odessa sub-aquifer.

Commissioner Roger Hartwig said water is vital to Adams County because agriculture and processing plants rely on it. He explained Adams County would lose the potato industry and hundreds of jobs if they lost access to water.

Cantwell’s office has obtained funding for the Odessa sub-aquifer in the past and it was used for studying the deteriorating water problem and to understand the hydrology of the area along with trying to find a supplemental feed route to get water to the area.

Hartwig said it’s not just agriculture affected by the deteriorating aquifer, municipal water is also affected.

He explained there is concern about the lack of natural gas in Adams County. He said there is a 4-inch gas line feeding Othello. It is at maximum capacity and led to the loss of several potential businesses interested in locating in the area. Hartwig said more capacity is needed.

Cantwell said she will look into the lack of natural gas because she was not aware it lead to Adams County failing to obtain new business.