Newport, WA Selected For Toxic Smelter Location

Newport, WA Selected For Toxic Smelter Location


Bad news for local residents and the entire region - the town of Newport has been ‘selected’ by HiTest for their toxic smelting operation.

The location chosen is just barely outside the Newport city limits (behind the county dump on the state line, on Highway 41), which means residents of Old Town, Diamond Lake, Blanchard, Albeni Falls, Priest River and the Pend Oreille river corridor will all be affected.

The land that has now been purchased is a questionable deal with PUD. The towering smokestacks they plan to erect will ensure that the city of Newport and the surrounding areas, right on down the Pend Oreille river corridor, will receive a nice, healthy daily dose of toxic chemicals and air pollution.

Please review this link for Newport weather patterns. The local inversion (air quality) in Newport is well known, especially in winter. With little to no real wind during critical winter months, the smelter promises to make the air quality much worse.

https://weatherspark.com/y/2028/Average-Weather-in-Newport-Washington-United-States-Year-Round

Wind patterns traditionally move north - right over the town from the smelter location, promising to blanket the town, schools and businesses here. For those of you that live here, this should be of serious concern.

The Newport area gets a lot of inversions where the air just sits and the air quality rapidly declines from local pollution and wood smoke. These inversions can least for weeks - and will be greatly worsened by having belching smoke stacks nearby.

Now for the good news… Well, I don’t have any. Betrayals at the county and state level continue. Several officials still mistakenly believe that promised "jobs" rule out the long-term health and the safety of local residents. I suggest that these idiots move next to the proposed smelter where they can then smell the Canadian profits they've enabled. There’s bound to be a lot of available homes to choose from as local residents flee the area.

More bad news - the chosen location in Newport will disrupt a lot of families in the region as members decide to move away from pollution. This included residents in Idaho since the smelter is directly positioned on the state line (right behind the dump on Highway 41). They could not have positioned this any closer to Idaho or the city of Newport.

The new growth in Old Town which we all welcomed will be affected as new businesses considering the area will need to think twice about setting up in Old Town.

The long term plans for local residents who already chose to live their lives here, raising their families here and working here, primarily because this was a safe, healthy and quiet place to live, is now in question. This has now all been tossed aside by HiTest which has not exhibited even the slightest sincere concern for the health and well-being of local residents. This is why their own countrymen in Golden, British Columbia rejected the proposed smelter there by this same company - they immediately recognized the threat to their livelihood, safety and environmental quality.

Families throughout this area will be broken up as parents or children now choose to move away from the area, finding the long-term health risks unacceptable. You can thank your current crop of local officials for ruining a good place to live and destroying the future for hundreds of families and neighbors you know for decades to come.

There are some public officials who mistakenly believe that smelting can be done safely. They’re wrong as records worldwide have shown, there are always significant problems with any kind of smelting operation (already published here on this blog). There are always negative health effects that may take years to appear, but appear they do.

They have done scant research into the issue and appear to believe only what they’ve been told. However, there is a great deal of public information readily available regarding the health hazards of smelting operations that cannot be ignored. So rather then acknowledge these facts, they are trying to get the public to focus on the promise of jobs. This is a red herring all by itself. The few jobs they will offer will not go to local residents for the most part (many are already spoken for by outsiders) and no job is worth long-term health effects anyway.

Why they are ignoring this is for you to decide. Several local officials in Newport are clearly already in the pockets of HiTest (Mike Manus, Shirley Sands and probably others). Greg Dorhn has made his allegiance, position and incompetence clear. His water estimates were so far off the mark as to defy common sense. Yet Pend Oreille County continues to use him as Project Manager (he should be fired).

Every “suggestion” he makes should be viewed with reasonable suspicion. It is his job to guide this proposed project through to completion - so he has a vested financial interest in a successful outcome and will make the recommendations for this to happen (he's been overpaid to ensure this happens).

This means that there are already people being selected within the agencies he’s now recommending to go forward on this project. There is also the “executive committee” which contains no members of the public and only one of the unnamed people in this group is worth my respect (Kalispel Tribe) at this time. The Tribe has already rejected the proposed smelter location in Usk, recognizing the real threat that it represents to their members and to the region. I’ll reserve my judgement on the rest of the people on this committee whom I do not know.

The State legislature seeks growth, development, industry and tax revenue as their primary objectives. They do not understand that the public health and safety of local resident is far more important, and should be the first priority above all else, or that the costs associated with long-term health effects and environmental cleanup must be factored in.

Most of these industries miserably fail to protect the public as their records show and even worse, refuse to mitigate or clean up the numerous and long term problems they create. Their track record is well-known for these issues and problems. Newport does not need to experiment with this to find out the horrible truth years later.

The corporations that are seeking profits over the public good have far more money, time and resources then the average citizen does. They’ve also got armies of lawyers at their disposal. Keep all this in mind as you consider how you are going to resist this.

Everyone needs to understand that you are in a fight for your very lives and your homes and for your children. This is no laughing matter and if you ignore this simple fact, you will come to deeply regret your apathy and indifference and even perhaps your own ignorance about what is at stake here. This is not about jobs, which they have constantly misrepresented as they have everything else. Very few local people will be employed. Wages will be significantly lower then promised. You only need to look for the promises made by others in this same industry - and what really happened for your proof.

HiTest has not been forthcoming about their plans. They’ve utilized a series of deflections (a tactic to distract people from what they are really doing). They’ve known for at least 8 months that Newport was their intended destination while lying to the public all along. They’ve also claimed that they do not know what type of processing technology they will use, and yet they already do. They’ve refused to address the safety, dust, chemical and waste issues by simply issuing blanket denials.

These are known tactics to promote a toxic industry upon a unsuspecting and naive populace - but honestly ask yourselves this question, how can a company that intends to ‘invest’ $300 million dollars NOT know these answers already? Either they are grossly incompetent or they are lying. What we do know is that they have no experience with these kinds of operations and they are in effect, asking us to simply trust them. That's beyond ridiculous at this stage, and it's dangerous for the town and surrounding areas.

The truth is, they do not want to have to answer the questions that are now coming up, because if the public knew the whole truth and what this means for residents, visitors and tourism, there would be widespread outrage, so they are carefully trying to defuse the situation bit by bit.

Therefore, they will delay, defuse, distract and deny for as long as possible to gain as much of a foothold over the town as they can. Which is exactly what they’ve done to date. They’ve now purchased the land right above the town of Newport, with proposed smokestacks that will dump their toxins right over the town. It's been reported that there will be at least 4 of these towering monstrosities to be developed, belching their fumes into the atmosphere.

The land purchase was underhanded from the beginning. The Public Utility District (PUD) was more then just complicit with this deal, they made it happen and are guilty themselves of breaking the public trust. It appears that the land was not made available to the public, which makes the sale of the property illegal. If this is indeed true, this needs to be challenged in the courts as soon as possible.

Law makers and local public officials seek tax revenues and growth and are only looking at this industry as a financial windfall for the town (and their revenue streams). They are failing to consider the long-term health effects and how this will ruin other revenue incomes such as tourism and the health and safety of the local residents, some or many who will simply move away now. Short-term profits are not worth long term effects and hazards.

Many local residents have stated that they will simply move away. There will be glut of homes put up for sale and local jobs being  abandoned. Outsiders will eventually move in. But the town will forever change with this toxic industry looming overhead day and night. Newport is already almost a ghost town with many shuttered and failed businesses. Does anyone honestly think this will improve with a gigantic hazardous industry right next to the town?

It’s quite appalling that HiTest and local officials have already agreed to go ahead with this proposed smelter. The meetings, discussions and public opportunities to voice your concerns are nothing more then a smoke screen. This is how it is always done - go through the motions and appearances of appeasing the public, and pretend to listen to their concerns, but don’t answer or respond to anything with specific or facts while the process continues towards completion. This is how it is always done - and why these toxic industries have succeeded in so many places. Don't be naive - you are in a fight for your very lives.

This is also the time for the people of Newport to put a stop to this. You need to list the supporters who are behind this and publish their home addresses and expose them. These people are the ones who have enabled HiTest to proceed this far. They cannot do it without them (or their replacements).

It is imperative that you understand the real context of what is happening here: What they have proposed is no different then a criminal entering your home and pouring poisons down your throat and that of your family while you helplessly watch their criminal actions. They’ll tell you it is  harmless and won't kill you right away, but there is already ample evidence that it is harmful, many of these chemicals emitted are carcinogenic and will build up in your body and in the environment, taking years to show their effects. Their actions are criminal, placing the public at-risk.

Do you really want your children to grow up in a town with a smokestack belching poisons over their heads, 24/7? Every day, while at home and in school? Is this the kind of air you wish to breath as you work in town and make your shopping trips at local businesses? Is this the kind of town you chose to live in? Perhaps you live far enough away to think that you will not be affected, but you'd be mistaken. The entire local environment is at-risk now (air, soil, water). Tourism will greatly suffer too, impacting critically needed revenue for local businesses.

I will simply move away, as will many others. The local environment will be forever changed and I don’t want to stay and watch it be ruined by outsiders or be poisoned by their industry. The flight of homeowners and their jobs from this area will have a large impact upon the local economy. Our representatives have utterly failed to consider this.

The proposed trip to Mississippi to ‘investigate’ the silicon smelter plant there is a red herring (waste of time, distraction). It will cost a small fortune from the county budget, no members of the public are being invited, and those that have been selected fully intend to return with a positive recommendation (that's why they were hand-picked). This is a boondoggle of the worst kind, a fabrication of pretense of ‘due diligence’, coming from the same people that are behind this project. Don't fall for this scam.

Some Suggestions On What Can Be Done

A) Using Google Earth and Google Maps, track down the names and addresses of all the residents in the area at the Burnsville, Mississipi smelter, outwards to several miles (7 miles would be my recommendation).

Draft a form letter explaining what is happening here, requesting their response, inquiring about the impacts upon their lives, their health, noise, dust and air pollution. Ask them if they were to do it all over again, what would their decision be. You will need to know if they are employed by the smelter.

I would recommend notarized responses so that our corrupt local officials cannot simply dismiss their replies out of hand (which is how they treat this blog and the research presented here). You will need to contact several hundred people at a minimum. This method will be far more accurate and cost effective then traveling to Mississippi, and they won’t have a total stranger standing on their porch asking intrusive questions, not knowing if they can really trust you.

B) There is also a smelter in Moses Lake, much closer. These residents can also be directly contacted or even visited for their input and experience. See - http://pendoreillehealth.blogspot.com/2016/09/smelting-operations-and-air-pollution.html

C) Develop a working budget to fund your resistance strategies. Set this up now with a Treasurer and bank account with full transparency and accounting. Canvas for donations, support and participation. I'll contribute once this is setup. Everybody should that really wants to save this town from a toxic industry.

D) Roughly 98% - 99% of the entire Newport / Old Town / Priest River area has no idea that this toxic industry is coming to town. This is a huge problem and must be addressed immediately. Many residents do not bother with the local paper, the Newport Miner, nor online website or Facebook. Direct mail notice may be the most direct, fastest and accurate way to make the public aware. You should be able to obtain a list of address from the local post office. You can also simply go door to door and hand out notices. Provide supporters with extra copies so they can share with families, neighbors and friends.

E) Establish a public list of residents who promise to move away from the area. This may be very effective way to persuade local and State officials that we are not happy with their decisions to pollute our town. Put me down on the top of the list (and my children who have homes of their own here, so 4 families total). We will all move away, taking our tax revenue with us.

F) Hire lawyers to support your cause. The proposed smelter needs to be immediately tied up on the courts on every issue possible. Ideally, there would be local legal help that will assist pro-bono. Contact them as soon as possible. Some will be sympathetic to the future of this town and may be willing to help.

G) Research State and Federal air quality guidelines, EPA regulations and requirements, Material Safety Data Sheets and silicon smelting operations and processes. There are two primary types of silicon smelting, both with toxic chemical compounds and byproducts, waste levels and associated hazards. HiTest may not want the public to know yet what method they intend to choose, so you will need to be prepared for either choice.

H) Research the possibility of extending the proposed Clean Air Act Class 1 Air Quality guidelines sought by the Kalispel Tribe over the entire town and surrounding areas of Newport. Representatives from the Tribe will be the most knowledgeable about the process and application procedures.

Things to Be Aware Of

Letter writing to the governor or whoever is not going to accomplish much. The reality is this - every resistance campaign always starts off doing all the things that do not work. That is because of the lack of experience, insight and abilities. If you do what others have always done - you will probably fail like they did.

Many protesters mistakenly believe that there is no criminal wrongdoing possible in public officials and believe they are always going to look out for the public interest. They couldn’t be more wrong about this point.

Money is always the driving force behind any industry or politician. Career advancement and promotion follows close behind. County officials are just as beholden to money as anyone (it’s why they pass numerous ordinances, it’s a revenue stream for them). The assumption that they are there to “serve the public” isn’t true. It’s a job to them, just like everybody else. Their job is to almost always to promote growth and increase revenue.

Do not assume that they know more then you about any given subject, they probably don’t. They’re focused on entirely different things and do not know how to research environmental issues and effects. They're also subject to believing whatever they are told by those who represent industry and business because these are the people that are in touch with them the most.

Public officials rarely understand how the private citizens really feel about an issue and tend to dismiss their complaints too easily. That's because you're not making enough noise - or refusing to comply enough. You do not have their attention.

They also have a short-term focus when it comes to hazards such as a smelting operations. Some of these people are subjected to public voting - they’re out of a job if they do not get re-elected. So they seek short-term windfalls and success stories that they can promote so that they will be voted back into office during the next election.

This is exactly the opposite of what the people that live, work and retire here need. We're not seeking re-election, or concerned about increasing County and State revenue streams (we pay enough in taxes already). We want something very different then they do - a healthy, safe environment. A healthy town. Clean air. Clean water. A safe place to raise our children. Jobs that actually work for us all - and not against us all. Nobody is going to escape its effects.

The smelter will disrupt all of these things, but to those that support it, money is driving their support. Both the State of Washington and Pend Oreille County seek more revenue streams (taxes, permits, fees, licensing) along with the so-called “job creation” which repeats the whole income stream all over again for the State and County (workers pay taxes). They are primarily money oriented and will decide things accordingly, almost always landing on the side of making more money. If you do not believe this - ask them to waive their fees the next time you are required to pay them!

Newport has traditionally had a very inept, backwards thinking city council and mayor (who is up for reelection, so vote accordingly). Refusal to update the town, bring in more tourism and safer job creation has hurt Newport with hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue and opportunity for the town in the past decade alone (look what Old Town has just done). There is huge potential here that has been long ignored because there are specific vested interests that have prevented Newport from growing and updating. Get rid of these people.

Many of these people are now ready for retirement and quite frankly, appear to be ready to cash in and sell out their town. The problem lies with the current crop of officials, including the current mayor, Shirley Sands. A number of respectable businesses have tried to come into Newport and were refused because of the protectionist attitudes held by these public and private people. HiTest has now managed to “grease the skids” with some of these same individuals.

Don’t expect their assistance or support. As far as I am concerned, they've sold us all out. The only people that really care about this area are the people who live and work here, raising their families and holding their jobs and creating their businesses. We are the future here and always have been. But if these people are allowed to have their way - they will ruin this town for thousands of us.

So vote accordingly. Toss these idiots out on their ear that are up for reelection. It's not a solution - but it's a start.