"No Red Flags" - Are They Kidding? What do you call a toxic smelter being built in your backyard?

"No Red Flags" - Are They Kidding? What do you call a toxic smelter being built in your backyard?

The Newport Miner reports that HiTest Sands is still studying the Newport location for the toxic silicon smelter. Canadian company president Jayson Tymko says “We’re still in our due diligence phase”. Apparently, they claim they are getting the results of a number of studies connected on the Newport site to “decide if they go ahead”.

What incredible arrogance. It is not up to a Canadian company to build a toxic smelter in our backyard. It is up to the people of Newport and Pend Oreille county.
Currently county officials have been “less then forthcoming” about their plans and intentions - or notifying the public. Very few people seem to be aware of what is underfoot here. We only have county representatives to blame for this - and the media.

But this is typical behavior anytime something that might be unpopular or harmful is being built. It’s always easier to ask forgiveness later (or weakly apologize) then to gain permission from the people first.

We need to ask ourselves: Who’s county is this? Do county officials “own” Pend Oreille county? Or do we? We pay the taxes and elect these clowns to government - but so far, they’ve done a piss-poor job on keeping the real owners of this county informed.

If you read their comments (if you can find them or attend a meeting) there is little resistance to the intentions of HiTest Sand and the construction of a toxic silicon smelter that will absolutely ruin environmental quality here. We all know that air quality is a huge problem - but did you know that emission standards for Pend Oreille are already repeatedly violated? What do you suppose a silicon smelter will also do? They have a long track record of repeated environmental and air quality violations - everywhere they are built and operated.

Are we to suppose that HiTest Sand will be any different? I think not. The track record of the industry is to do what they’re trying to do here - build these toxic plants “somewhere else”. The residents of Golden, British Columbia well realized this fact - and rejected the HiTest plant there. So did Addy, right here in Washington.

Do you know the reason almost NO SILICON SMELTERS have been built in the United States? It is because once they are sited for proposed construction, they meet resistance at every level. Nobody wants this kind of operation anywhere around them. Multiple strategies have been tried to get this to pass "standards", but that's just one part of the process. Residents REJECT these things because there is just too much evidence against them.

Do you really want the "largest energy user in the state [Washington]" to drive up electricity prices here? Or suffer through the massive construction of what this will mean? (more damage to the local environment, power corridors and impact upon roadways, train traffic, dust, congestion and air quality).  Do we really want trainloads of COAL to be tracked through our county?

Newport residents had BETTER WAKE UP to what county officials are advocating. Their greed for a larger tax base is NOT NEEDED. The miniscule number of “promised jobs” will make no local residents or businesses any happier. Most of those jobs will be given to people who do not even live here due to the technical skills required.

The underhanded way that this proposed smelter is being “offered” to Newport is despicable. You NEED to call your county representatives and city representatives NOW and voice you objections to this entire sordid mess.

NOT IN MY BACKYARD - This is the voice that all Newport residents needs to shout out now (while you still can). This monstrosity is nothing to marvel at - smelting operations are toxic to the environment and will create lasting, long term health effects on everyone that is exposed. This Canadian company needs to leave Americans alone and go away.

Don’t accept the crumbs from the table of “offerings” they’re claiming. This is not good for Newport, not good for tourism, not good for local businesses, not good for your health and not good for the environment. Just say NO - and INFORM your representatives that NO is your firm answer.

If they go ahead with this - inform them that they will be REMOVED (elected or not - especially Mike Manus). Anger does go well when dealing with non-responsive, unaccountable people who go against the public they were hired to support.

Read the supporting documents on this website to understand what is at stake, the toxic chemicals that are involved and the long-standing health concerns that have already affected other people.

Pass this blog link on to other so that every resident is informed.