Grain inspections on the mighty Columbia

Chris McGann

Communications

Measuring out wheat for
inspection.

WSDA staffer Benjamin Baxter,
 parses out a sample of wheat. 

A few cups of wheat randomly spill into an orange plastic contractor’s bucket under one of four dusty pipes extending down from the ceiling at WSDA’s Longview office.

This small sample weighs just a few pounds, but it wields tremendous power.

It could validate a multi-million dollar contract. Or it could bring a 124-million pound shipment to a standstill.

Even more than that, the inspections conducted every day by the 75 commodity inspectors and technicians at the four Washington loading docks along the Columbia River carry the responsibility of protecting a large slice of the U.S. agriculture export economy.

Grain Inspection Supervisor Colleen Butcher explains WSDA
commodity operations. In the background are hundreds of
 samples saved as a record

Grain Inspection Supervisor, Colleen Butcher, oversees operations at the Columbia River field offices.

She’s there to make sure the quality of the grain going onto the ship matches the specifications listed on each load order.

Her teams inspect the grain for impurities, moisture content, and overall quality or grade, comparing those findings with the specifications on the load order. They also inspect the facilities for sanitation and proper handling.

It’s all about quality control and consumer confidence, she says.

“There have been issues in the past of selling product and what they are receiving on the other end is not what they thought they were going to be getting,” Butcher said. “This is the United States’ way of guaranteeing that the grain that is being requested is the grain that they will receive.”

A Panamax vessel bound for Asia is loaded at a Longview,
Washington grain elevator. 

Washington is one of only a few states delegated to conduct export grain inspections by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA).

WSDA staff inspects, logs and sets aside portions of the samples in case of a future dispute at the same time the trainload of grain floats down sealed, air-cushioned conveyor belts onto a giant Panamax freighter at the dock.

"This whole operation is functioning on receiving that grain, that way they can export it," Butcher said.

Mountains of wheat from Eastern Washington arrive by river barge and train each year, but the grain, mainly wheat, corn, soybeans and sorghum, comes from all over the West including Idaho, Oregon,  the Dakotas, Montana, Colorado and beyond.

For Midwest grain, Longview and the other grain facilities along the lower Columbia River are the gateway to Asia.

WSDA Grain Inspector Laura Gould monitors the pathways
of grain as it is unloaded and transferred to the ship. 

The Columbia River has multiple elevators and loading operations.

"We receive grain twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, all year long," Butcher said. "In most cases, the grain’s final destination will determine which part of the United States it’s exported from.”

A different kind of continental divide

Flowing much like water on divergent paths from the Continental Divide, grain heads in one of two directions from western grain country.

In most cases the grain goes east to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, bound for Europe and Africa, or West to the Columbia and the Pacific Ocean, with Asia and the Middle East as its likely destination.

For grain headed for Asia, “It will come through the Columbia River," Butcher said.

Linchpin for the industry

Benjamin Baxter, separates
 a wheat sample.

“We are quality assurance. We are making sure that the grain that is being loaded onto that export vessel is meeting contract specifications,” Butcher said.

A series of vibrating trays separate
wheat from other seeds, stems and
other impurities. 

Butcher says the inspections protect the buyers, but also, perhaps even more so, they protect the producers.

If a producer can’t assure the buyer that what they send is actually going to be up to the specification that the buyer wants and has agreed to, the whole market could be damaged, Butcher said.

More information about WSDA commodity inspections is available on our website.

Many changes in works for Worker Protection Standard

Brent Barnes
Assistant Director, Pesticide Management Division

Farmworkers can be exposed to specific hazards in their workplace, such as preventable pesticide exposure. 

WSDA and L&I train a
class of farm workers. 

To further protect the health of workers, their families and others in the industry, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made changes to Agricultural Worker Protection Standard, a set of federal requirements aimed at reducing the risk of pesticide exposure and injury. 

Most changes take effect on Jan. 2, 2017, while some are delayed until January 2018. It’s important that all farm operators and pesticide applicators comply with the new regulations because WSDA will be enforcing them. 

Furthermore, WSDA is coordinating with the state Department of Labor & Industries to update state rules to align with the new federal regulations. While each agencies’ rulemaking process will be separate, ultimately, state rules will be consistent. Our agency began this process by filing proposed new rule language this week and announcing public hearings scheduled for January (watch this page for details). 

Washington state already had ag worker standards on the books that, in some areas, have been more protective than federal requirements. Examples of where the fed’s rules have now caught up to Washington include those around medical evaluation, training and respirator fit testing. 

However, some of the new federal standards will be stricter. Those who are affected – growers and pesticide handlers – will need to be ready to comply with these requirements. 

Here are a few examples of what’s new:

• Training: Workers and handlers must be trained every year, instead of every five years as previously required. Also, a record of that training must be kept for two years. 
• Information and Posting: The type of information and location for displaying it have been expanded and specified. For example, Safety Data Sheets must be posted along with application and safety info in a spot that’s easily seen by workers and handlers. 
• Application Exclusion Zone: Agricultural employers must keep all people, except properly trained and equipped pesticide handlers, out of these application zones. 

The changes to the Worker Protection Standard cover a lot of areas. It’s critical that agricultural employers learn and understand what’s being required to comply and protect workers and their communities. 

A good place to start is EPA’s web page, Revision to the Worker Protection Standard where you’ll find an overview and links to a number of helpful resources. 

And WSDA’s Pesticide Management Compliance Program is also here to help. We’ll focus on outreach, resources and technical assistance as these changes take effect. Stay tuned for more information. And in the meantime, if you have questions, contact us at 360-902-2040 or email compliance@agr.wa.gov.