Port sends letter to WSU about steam plant

The Port of Whitman County commissioners wrote a letter to Washington State University last week urging the university to support plans to repurpose a 94-year-old steam plant on the school’s Pullman campus.

WSU informed the Port earlier this month that it has withdrawn its support of efforts to clean up the steam plant site and transform the building into a space for businesses and offices. WSU made this announcement despite previous letters and news releases from the university supporting the project.

In the port of Whitman County’s letter to WSU President Kirk Schulz, the commissioners emphasized the port never requested funding from the university and has instead applied for grant funding to move forward with the project.

“The university’s sudden shift in support leaves the Port with a quarter of $1 million in state grant dollars awarded, no apparent project from these funds and a confounding explanation for our community, partners and grant funders,” the letter states.

The letter asked WSU to attend the port’s meeting Monday with the Whitman County Commissioners. WSU declined but said it would prepare a detailed response to the port’s concerns, according to a WSU email the Port commissioners read during the meeting.

Because grant dollars were supposed to go toward cleaning up contamination at the steam plant site, Port Commissioner Tom Kammerzell expressed concern about the environmental impact of WSU’s decision.

“My concern is that we have a known impacted site (for which) there seems to be no plan, no recognition and no money that they are willing to spend,” he said. “And I don’t think that’s acceptable right in the middle of town next to a creek to ignore an environmental hazard site.”

Also on Monday, the Port of Whitman County discussed Pullman Civic Trust’s interest in a $150,000 state-funded study into inactive Washington public rail lines.

According to Pullman Civic Trust President Bobbie Ryder and Vice President Lisa Carloye, the study would address city, county and landowner concerns about the possibility of railbanking and converting those rails into trails from Pullman to Colfax.

“This proposed study will help Whitman County make informed choices on how to optimize these rail corridors to enhance the quality of life for our residents, preserve rail service for future generations and stimulate economic activity in our region,” the Pullman Civic Trust wrote in a letter to the Port of Whitman County.

Carloye said the study would clarify how much it would cost to leave the rail lines as they are, compared to railbanking them. It would also address the cost of developing trails and provide information about landowner rights along those rail lines.

Ryder said this information could result in “improved beautification, safety and recreational opportunities.”

“This translates into economic development opportunities,” she said.

This study received mixed reactions from the Port commissioners. Commissioner Kristine Meyer supported it as a way to provide necessary information.

Kammerzell said he would prefer the Washington State Department of Transportation spend this money on road maintenance instead of studies.

“Our roads are horrible,” he said. “It’s paralysis by analysis.”

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.