New Silicon Smelter Plagued With Toxic Fumes, Odors and Unhappy Residents

Read about what other residents have belatedly discovered about silicon smelting operations!

The re-proposed smelter location for the Newport, Washington area will have a dramatic, detrimental effect upon local residents. This is exactly what residents in Helguvik, Iceland discovered (full article linked)!

The first start-up was in mid-November. Almost immediately, residents of Reykjanesbaer started complaining of odour pollution, smoke and dust. Some residents had respiratory problems such as burning sensations and irritation while others pointed out that if odour from the plant could reach them, so could pollutants. Besides CO₂, the plant will mostly emit sulphur dioxide, but also nitrogen oxides (NO, NO₂ and NOx) and particulate matter.

The company acknowledged that it had not provided residents with sufficient information, and later admitted that it had decided not to use special filters for fear of damaging them.

At a heated residents’ meeting, safety and environmental officer Kristleifur Andresson explained that the odour came from burning timber at a low temperature to dry out the furnace and bake the electrode before turning on the electricity. This was a one-off situation and would not happen at normal operating temperatures, he said.

But that is a simplified explanation. Sigfusson told IDN: “Repeated breakdowns in the system led to many start-up attempts which should only have happened once, while inferior-quality woodchips to heat up the furnace in the first place, to bring it up to the correct temperature, produced a burning odour.” When in full production, four furnaces will be in operation, although now only one is operating.

The Environment Agency has the plant under what it calls “intensive care” because of the many incidents – including at least one serious work-related accident – in the short time it has been operating. In less than two months, the Environment Agency and the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health have between them recorded 29 incidents at the plant.

In what was seen as a cover-up, video footage was revealed in early January by the investigative newspaper Stundin of smoke arising from the plant in the middle of the night. The company responded by saying that the emission was amorphous silica, which is harmless.

CEO Helgi Thorhallsson admitted at the residents’ meeting that although he had worked with silicon smelters in several countries, including China, Indonesia and Norway, he had never been present when a furnace was started up. However, the company has now taken on a number of temporary foreign workers who have worked in silicon plants overseas and will stay until the initial problems have been sorted out, and Andresson said that they will also be on hand if problems arise afterwards.

Sigfusson hopes for the best, but warns that the silicon plant “obviously has to ensure pollution protection and that pollution, either bad odours or pollutants, is not carried to residents. If this is not possible, its operating licence must be revoked, as it is not in line with the original information on which the operating licence was based.”

In November, local residents started a petition against the building of the Thorsil plant, on the basis of their experience with United Silicon.

Amorphous silica is NOT harmless! It's very dangerous to people and animals and is associated with an increased risk for pulmonary diseases such as silicosis, tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. 

Repeated exposure to silicon smelting fumes and particulate matter affects workers and residents health. There are also toxic chemicals and compounds stored and produced, dust and fugitive fumes. THIS IS THE TERRIBLE SECRET you are not being told and the reason why there has already been underhanded efforts to place a silicon smelter in Pend Oreille county.

Newport residents must act now! You must resist this destructive plan for Pend Oreille county. The few jobs this plant will offer is NOT worth the health of every resident in the area! Most of those jobs will go to outsiders hired to work there anyway (skilled and experienced workers in this type of operation).

The promise of "jobs" is a red herring (false claim) for local workers. But the risk of damaging the health of residents, workers, wildlife, air and water quality isn't - it's fact. It will also hurt tourism, property values, impact traffic and congestion on local roads, highways and train tracks.

Get the facts! The proposed silicon smelter in Newport or anywhere in Pend Oreille county will be a disaster for those who live here. Don't let a Canadian company dump their toxic waste upon our heads! They can't find a location that will accept this - and with good reason! It was even rejected in Canada! Then Usk, WA, then Addy, WA and now they're trying to bring it here, in Newport, WA!

Do not let this happen - but you must get involved. Rebel, Resist and Refuse! Also RECALL Mike Manus, District 2 Commissioner for his position supporting this proposal.