Project Overview For Newport HiTest Silicon Smelter

HiTest Inc., has released a public Project Overview for the toxic silicon smelter to be located in Newport, Washington. The project promises to be the largest silicon smelting operation in the United States.

This document proves that our local officials are lying again about this smelting plant for the Newport area, claiming it is not a "done deal" (see lead article, Silicon Smelter Dominates Town Hall). It's clear that HiTest already knows it's a "done deal" (they've already spent over $20 million), so it's time to make this incredibly more expensive for them.

The Project Overview is a carefully curated document with the intentions of providing only the alleged positive impacts of smelting operations: 

http://pocedc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/HiTestSilicon-Presentation20171003LR.pdf

It's also highly inaccurate and deceptive. Dishonest claims about CO₂ emissions are never "safe" as claimed. The only way to arrive at these fabricated numbers is to ignore the emissions caused by mining, transportation, manufacturing, installation, repair and final disposal of solar panels. It's a tactic often used to hide the real CO₂ emissions created.

Coal, charcoal, wood chips and silica sand will be brought into Newport (truck and rail) with their "promise" to keep this all safe from residents in Idaho and Washington. Historically speaking, these are all deceptions with numerous accidents, problems, dust and emissions being dumped into the atmosphere, affecting air, water, soil and health. HiTest carefully omitted dealing with the known silicosis, lung disease and dust issues.

They're also flat-out lying about the alleged strong city, county and state support. Including our bought-and-paid for legislatures and local officials, there is almost NO support for this toxic industry that promises to ruin this entire area. But if you repeat a lie often enough - people will start to believe it. Or just give up.

Newport was chosen because of our ignorant and complicit officials and the proximity to cheap hydroelectric power (which they have not included in their CO₂ emissions claims). There is no such thing as "Certified zero-carbon energy" either. All energy production, except photosynthesis, creates emissions during its lifecycle (and they've not even bothered to mention methane).

The Project Overview is nothing more then a public deception intended to deceive local residents and State officials. Governor Jay Inslee sold us out - as has many other legislatures. HiTest claims that the "Governor also has the ability to authorize all permits required to complete and operate the plant" which is a clear claim to our town and territory by this foreign corporation that seeks to make a billion dollars at the expense of local residents and the environment.

I've no doubt at all that we can all make this incredibly expensive for HiTest and the State of Washington if we but try, but we will all need to try very, very hard.

The Project Overview also reveals their incessant lies about "jobs" - which have already been promised to non-locals, take a look on Page 12:

General Contractor - Clarks Turner
Non-process Engineering - Sacre-Davey
Process Engineering - tenova
Environmental - Ramboll
Legal - Faken Martineau

These are not local businesses and will not require hardly any local employees, ever. So the plant will be built with outsiders reaping the so-called "jobs" benefits.

Catching our local and State officials in their numerous lies is too easy. But it hasn't slowed them down, so don't get distracted with this. They need to be stopped.

Page 13 reveals the location of other smaller smelters, where Newport will dwarf their production capacity (and the life long environmental hazards).

These residents should also be contacted for their opinions and experiences with smelting operations. Again, using Google Earth, street names and addresses can be obtained (and contact their local post offices for this information).

HiTest has also provided us with a list of their Executive Management for the project:

Jayson Tymko - President, Director
John Carlson - Vice President, Director
James B. May - Chief Operating Officer
Michael Wilde - Chief Financial Officer
Wayne Buck - Chief Technical Officer

Board of Directors
John Carter - FCA ICD.D Chairman
Sunir Chandaria - Director
John Turner - Director

No Americans here that I know of, but that should be checked out further.

These are the people that intend to line their pockets at our expense and our health. Everyone in Pend Oreille and Bonner County (at a minimum) is now at-risk from these people and what they intend to do here.