Scoping questions – Part I

Here are some "Scoping Questions" - check back for email address updates on where you can send your own scoping questions to Washington State officials.

There will be many more questions to demand answers to since this doesn't even begin to cover all the issues of serious concern to all residents and businesses in the region.

Scoping questions – Part I

1. Material Safety Data sheets are required for the transportation, storage, handling, processing and emergency safety measures of all reductants, chemicals, and materials used. When will we see these required documents for all the required materials?

These are required for the transport of dangerous materials and for occupational safety. All hazardous material are supposed to be listed, including their transportation, storage, handling, emergency procedures, and critically important, their short term and long term exposure and health risks.

2. List all of the details of the processes and procedures to be used at the processing plant and the chemical intermediates generated in the processing that are likely to leak into the general environment.

3. Specify exactly how the silicon dioxide and nitrous oxide produced by the plant will be eliminated from the plant, chimney stacks and the surrounding environment. How will they be eliminated?

4. What chemicals, compounds, gasses, materials, and fluids of all types will be used by the plant? What procedures will be followed for their safe handling, processing, use, storage and disposal?

5. How much silica dust (also called microsilica) will be produced by the plant operation, transportation routes used by trucks or by train, and how will this be kept out of the environment?

6. How much particulate matter (PM) and at what size in microns will the plant produce?

7. What is the chemical makeup and health hazards (human and environmental health) of all the plant emissions, wastes, and byproducts?  What health hazards to humans and wildlife do these each pose?

8. How will this affect the local population and in what way? Will there be any expected effects, levels of toxicity, dangers or hazards from any of the materials, gasses, compounds or chemicals used or emitted by the plant?

9. What diseases can we expect to occur as a result of the siting of the plant immediately above the town of Newport, its schools, churches, businesses and homes?

10. What is the air dispersal rate of all the airborne emissions, chemicals, compounds and gasses that will be emitted from the plant, and at what density?

11. Will the plant be shut down during the frequent inversion layers that affects the Newport area, affecting air quality? Or during fire season when the region or area is experience reduced air quality? What happens when the plant emissions are contributing to this inversion situation? Will the air quality index (AQI) exceed “Good” (0-50)? And for how long will this last?

12. What are the short-term and long-term health effects to the residents affected by “Moderate” (51-100), “Unsafe For Sensitive Groups” (101-150), “Unhealthy” (151-200), “Very Unhealthy” (201-300), “Hazardous” (301-500) air quality? These are the levels defined on the EPA website - https://cfpub.epa.gov/airnow/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_city&zipcode=99009&submit=Go
 
13. What illness, sickness, disease, debilitation's or issues will arise from any decline in air quality? How long will these last?

14. What will be the costs and impacts on medical care, local and regional medical facilities from a rise in health-related issues?

15. What funding, expectations and preparations are being made for the additional health need for local and regional area residents, workers, temporary residents (tourists and others for short stays)?

16. What processes, procedures and methods will be followed to ensure safe air quality is maintained at all times for the immediate and regional area surrounding the plant out to 350 miles?

17. What equipment will be used, installed, and properly inspected and maintained to measure air quality? How often will this data be made to the public and where will we be able to find this information?

18. Will independent air sampling be performed by an independent contractor or agency non-affiliated with HiTest, Inc., or Pend Oreille County or Washington State or the State of Idaho to provide, measure and maintain air quality measurements? Will this information be also made public and at what frequency can we expect this?

19. What declines in water quality, including acidification can be expected?

20. What will happen to the existing fish stocks and at what levels will they be impacted?

21. What toxicity and water acidification can be tolerated by local fish and aquatic wildlife from plant emissions and waste, before there is a measurable impact upon each species health, their decline in expected lifespan, and population numbers?

22. Will a population count be performed for any of the wildlife, to include aquatic species before construction of the smelter? If not, why not?

23. Has the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game been consulted with the appropriate environmental experts on the possible impacts and health effects, both short term and long term on wildlife species?

24. The HiTest, Inc. plant will trigger the Application for Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Air Permit, which includes regulation for special protections of air quality and air quality related values (AQRV) at potentially affected nearby Class 1 areas. Assessment of the potential impact to visibility (regional haze analysis) is required if the source is located within 300 km of a Class I area. An evaluation may also be requested if the source’s emissions are of sufficient size.
What Class I areas are found within the 300 km limit, and will the appropriate analysis and review be conducted?

25. Has the USDA Forest Service (USFS) been consulted for their environmental input and expectations of a smelter operation operating immediately adjacent to National Forests?

26. What reviews, reports, results and comments has the USFS provided to State (WA and ID) officials, agencies and personnel regarding the siting and environment impacts? Will these reviews, reports, results and comments be made available to the public and when?

27. What is their assessment of tree mortality and health, soil acidification and the affect upon fire mitigation and risks?

28. Will the region and local areas experience an increase in tree mortality and at what rate, quantity and percentage will this be experienced?

29. Will the region and local areas experience an increase in fire hazards due to declining forests resulting from emissions and activity from the plant and at what levels are these expected? What is the projected financial costs to the public and State and Federal government?

30. Has the Washington State Conservation Commission reviewed the proposed HiTest project, and have the provided their opinions and comments and assessments to Washington State, Pend Oreille County and the public? If not, why not?

31. Have all appropriate soil health agencies, groups, organizations and committees been properly notified and given ample opportunity and time to assess, review and comment on the proposed HiTest smelter? Who are they, and what are their assessments and findings? Where can this information be found and made available to the public? If they have not all been notified and provided ample opportunity to provide their expertise and input, why not?

32. What investigations have begun into the possible stock holdings of all public officials within Washington State in HiTest Inc., and any subsidiaries or parent companies (such as Dow Corning). If this has not been undertaken yet, why not? What conflicts of interest do any Washington officials have regarding the smelter and HiTest and how do they expect to benefit?

33. According to the Senate Bill report SB5515, the HiTest Plant expects to purchase 100,000 tons of wood chips per year. These wood chips are of special size and are unique to metallurgical processing as follows:

The form of wood best suited for electric smelting is the metallurgical or met chip. The met chip is several times larger than the more familiar pulp chip (fig. 2). These chips are produced by specially built metallurgical chippers designed for big loads and for cutting large chips.

The demand for met chips at any one plant, though relatively constant from year to year, can vary as much as 600 percent from month to month. This fluctuation is caused by changes in the production schedule.

Each alloy requires a different amount of met chips per unit of production; so any change in the type of alloy being produced is likely to cause up to a sixfold change in the amount of wood needed.
A large inventory is necessary to balance out the changing levels of supply and demand. At the plants in the study area, enough material is maintained to enable unhampered smelting for 2 weeks to 2 months. A large inventory is necessary to balance out the changing levels of supply and demand.
At the plants in the study area, enough material is maintained to enable unhampered smelting for 2 weeks to 2 months. Silicon alloys, which consume the greatest volume of met chips per unit of production, are used by the rapidly growing aluminum and silicone industries.

This raises numerous questions and issues regarding transportation, storage, handling, fire suppression, dust and environmental hazards for the processing and storage and use of wood chips.

• How many tons of wood chips will be required per week at the HiTest plant?
• How will they be transported in to the plant and in what form?
• How will they be stored and processed at the plant?
• Who will HiTest purchase these wood chips from?
• What is the entire list of emissions we can expect from wood chip processing?
• How much carbon will these wood chips emit into the atmosphere and at what rate per day?
• How much carbon dioxide will these wood chips emit into the atmosphere and at what rate per day?
• How will the wood chip waste be processed and handled?
• How much traffic will be experienced in the immediate and surrounding areas as a result of wood chip processing, handling, waste disposal and transportation?
• What processes and procedures will be in place for emergency fires suppression and equipment? 
• Will this affect or impact in any way local fire services and at what amounts?

(end Part I)