03/06/03 McMorris questions BuRec on CW rail

Washington Ag March 6, 2006 So far efforts to save a rail line from Cheney to Coulee City in eastern Washington have been conducted between its owner and state and local officials. But if all else fails the federal government may come on board. Shannon Kelly, who handles transportation issues for Congresswoman Cathy McMorris told the Spokane Ag Bureau Friday the federal interest involves the Bureau of Reclamation and 100-million dollars in upgrades scheduled for Grand Coulee Dam over the next 16 years. Things like turbines and transformers. Kelly: "And that rail is critical to getting that equipment and those parts into Grand Coulee and it is the Bureau of Reclamation and the BPA that have to work together on that. So just this last week Congresswoman McMorris posed a question to the Bureau of Reclamation and asked them if they realized that this particular shortline was in jeopardy and did they realize how it could impact general repairs to Grand Coulee." Kelly said you could up the drama and it could be a homeland security issue is something happened to Grand Coulee Dam. The owner of the line, WATCO wants several million dollars more than what the Washington State Department of Transportation thought it had an agreement to purchase the right of way and rail for. I'm Bob Hoff.