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.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Saturday, August 12, 2017
More Deceptions and Dishonesty to Newport Residents
Thankfully, there is already a growing resistance to the smelter.
Local residents are concerned - about air quality, dust, environmental pollution and toxic waste, traffic congestion and the actual, real intentions of HiTest Sand. Oddly, to date, HiTest has not been forthcoming on their actual project proposal. No information has been publically shared regarding the process they intend to follow (plant operation and design).
This is a gigantic and alarming omission. Silicon smelters DO produce toxic byproducts and utilize many different hazardous chemicals, which must be safely transported, stored and disposed of (see Usk / Newport Resident Risk Alert)
Do we want to take this sort of gamble with our health, our children and our environment?
The company has also been dishonest about the claimed "jobs" figure that will supposedly employ locals. The Newport Miner has reported that about 100 new homes would need to be built to house employees. But we were told that these jobs would go to local residents - who already have places to live. This is clearly an indication that they will hire outside of the area as I have explained several times before.
Job skills at silicon smelting operations are not in Pend Oreille county's labor pool. If there are any local residents that have these skills, it would be very, very few. Therefore, it is not the current residents of Newport that will benefit (at all) from the smelter, but they're expecting us to live with the toxic effects. They can't even get this monstrosity built in Canada, so why should anyone allow this here?
Greg Dohrn, a Spokane 'consultant' that has been hired to help guide this process had claimed that "clean coal" will be used from Kentucky. This is absolutely dishonest. The term is totally false.
There simply is no such thing as "clean coal". All coal contains the same elements with differing levels of sulphur. Burning coals produce toxic by-products into the atmosphere. HitTest has not stated that they will use carbon capture technology to scrub the emissions, and it's extremely unlikely that they ever would.
From "Clean Coal: Fact or Fiction?" we learn -
Moreover, HiTest has also claimed that "wood chips" would be burned in the silicon smelting process, which is another source for toxic emissions in the atmosphere. Atmosphere quality in Pend Oreille county is already at the limits, especially during fire season. HiTest proposes to make this even worse.
Why should we allow this so that a foreign company can make profits while ruining our environment and exposing residents to additional risks? The concept is patently absurd.
There is also the water quality, and usage of water. Once again, Dohrn makes a utterly ridiculous claim that the plant would only use about 300 gallons of water per day. This also reveals that Dohrn is totally unqualified as a consultant, because the average employee water use per day is 20 - 35 gallons per day. Office use is estimated at 15 gallons per day, per employee. Pend Oreille county already has some serious water violations - EWG Tap Water Database (for zipcode 99156, Newport).
While these are not significant numbers for the proposed employee size at the smelter, this only includes their personal use. HiTest has no idea how much water the plant itself will actually require - or how it will be safely disposed of (a huge issue) and how it will affect the watershed (this was a giant concern when they were considering the Usk location). Silicon smelters not only pollute the air with toxic chemicals, the also ruin the water. We do know that the amount of water used at other silicon smelters is far, far higher then what Dorhn has claimed.
Everything about this proposed project sends up repeated alarm bells to local residents. An inexperienced company who having been repeatedly rejected by their own neighbors in Canada, then Usk, then Addy is now trying to force their proposal upon Newport residents. And be warned - some State officials and County officials are going along with this.
The watershed for the new, new, new, and finally new location they desire is within the Spokane watershed. Spokane is already at acceptable air quality standards too and can't handle any more pollution.
HiTest has still avoided the entire topic of the Material Safety Data Sheets too. See this link for a brief introduction. HiTest proposes to transports hundreds of thousands of tons of coal, wood chips and sand through our communities and down our roads (including now, through Idaho, making this a far larger problem). Silicon smelters use and produce and array of toxic chemicals that must also be safely transported and disposed of.
The problems and logistics with this are immense and the risks to local residents are just as great. So far, HiTest has issued nothing but misleading statements, empty promises and vague claims on how they intend to handle all of this.
No, I absolutely do not trust this Canadian company to do right by Pend Oreille residents. They have been deliberately deceptive in Golden, B.C., then Usk, then Addy and now Newport. It's a pattern folks, again and again and again and again.
They've already demonstrated that we should kick them out of this county as being a toxic, unhealthy, environmentally hazardous company.
I absolutely do not trust Greg Dohrn (incompetent) or Mike Manus either (its already clear they are doing this for the money and have withheld information deliberately). They have aligned themselves against the wishes of local residents who live here.
Local residents are concerned - about air quality, dust, environmental pollution and toxic waste, traffic congestion and the actual, real intentions of HiTest Sand. Oddly, to date, HiTest has not been forthcoming on their actual project proposal. No information has been publically shared regarding the process they intend to follow (plant operation and design).
This is a gigantic and alarming omission. Silicon smelters DO produce toxic byproducts and utilize many different hazardous chemicals, which must be safely transported, stored and disposed of (see Usk / Newport Resident Risk Alert)
Dangerous chemicals are used in the processing step, including: Hydrochloric Acid, Trichlorosilane, Hydrogen, Silane (extremely explosive). Many of these chemicals will arrive by truck or by train (community risk).HiTest so far has refused to disclose the proposed design of the smelter - and has NO EXPERIENCE in smelting operations. This is a gigantic warning sign for local residents because we are not dealing with a company that even understands what it is proposing to do.
Toxic amounts of particulate dust (to humans and wildlife) are created (even respirators are insufficient for workers). Tremendous amounts of waste are also generated and will require long-term safe storage (somewhere).
Wastes included silicon tetrachloride (extremely toxic), processed impurities (aluminum, iron, copper, selenium, etc.) and are often simply stored in open unlined pits exposed to the environment. The location is in close proximity to the Pend Oreille River and guarantees eventual leakage into the environment. Fish and wildlife are also at risk from shifting winds. Any downstream / downwind residences and communities will be exposed to dangerous air-borne particulates, chemicals and fumes. Up to 80% of the materials used in processing can be discarded as wastes.
Extremely dangerous and toxic gasses (volitiles) are also used and created during processing, including Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen, Sulfur Hexaflouride (SF6), Silicon Tetrafluoride (SiF4), Sulfur Difluoride (SF2), Silane (SiH4), Tetrafluorosilane (SiF4), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2). Fugitive gasses can and do escape processing facilities.
Do we want to take this sort of gamble with our health, our children and our environment?
The company has also been dishonest about the claimed "jobs" figure that will supposedly employ locals. The Newport Miner has reported that about 100 new homes would need to be built to house employees. But we were told that these jobs would go to local residents - who already have places to live. This is clearly an indication that they will hire outside of the area as I have explained several times before.
Job skills at silicon smelting operations are not in Pend Oreille county's labor pool. If there are any local residents that have these skills, it would be very, very few. Therefore, it is not the current residents of Newport that will benefit (at all) from the smelter, but they're expecting us to live with the toxic effects. They can't even get this monstrosity built in Canada, so why should anyone allow this here?
Greg Dohrn, a Spokane 'consultant' that has been hired to help guide this process had claimed that "clean coal" will be used from Kentucky. This is absolutely dishonest. The term is totally false.
There simply is no such thing as "clean coal". All coal contains the same elements with differing levels of sulphur. Burning coals produce toxic by-products into the atmosphere. HitTest has not stated that they will use carbon capture technology to scrub the emissions, and it's extremely unlikely that they ever would.
From "Clean Coal: Fact or Fiction?" we learn -
Does it work?
So far, not well. Clean coal technology has not been widely deployed at a large scale in the U.S., and many clean coal projects have ended in failure. There are also ongoing debates about whether several common deployments of the technology actually reduce overall emissions.And from "Is There Really Such A Thing As Clean Coal?" we learn -
- Sulfur dioxide that causes acid rain.
- Nitrogen oxide that creates smog, and can burn lung tissue, make asthma worse, and leave people more susceptible to chronic respiratory diseases.
- Particulates, or haze-producing soot or fly ash, that are a source of chronic bronchitis, make asthma worse, and which can even result in premature death.
- Mercury, a heavy metal that causes brain damage and heart problems. Half the man-mad mercury in the U.S. comes from coal.
Moreover, HiTest has also claimed that "wood chips" would be burned in the silicon smelting process, which is another source for toxic emissions in the atmosphere. Atmosphere quality in Pend Oreille county is already at the limits, especially during fire season. HiTest proposes to make this even worse.
Why should we allow this so that a foreign company can make profits while ruining our environment and exposing residents to additional risks? The concept is patently absurd.
There is also the water quality, and usage of water. Once again, Dohrn makes a utterly ridiculous claim that the plant would only use about 300 gallons of water per day. This also reveals that Dohrn is totally unqualified as a consultant, because the average employee water use per day is 20 - 35 gallons per day. Office use is estimated at 15 gallons per day, per employee. Pend Oreille county already has some serious water violations - EWG Tap Water Database (for zipcode 99156, Newport).
While these are not significant numbers for the proposed employee size at the smelter, this only includes their personal use. HiTest has no idea how much water the plant itself will actually require - or how it will be safely disposed of (a huge issue) and how it will affect the watershed (this was a giant concern when they were considering the Usk location). Silicon smelters not only pollute the air with toxic chemicals, the also ruin the water. We do know that the amount of water used at other silicon smelters is far, far higher then what Dorhn has claimed.
Everything about this proposed project sends up repeated alarm bells to local residents. An inexperienced company who having been repeatedly rejected by their own neighbors in Canada, then Usk, then Addy is now trying to force their proposal upon Newport residents. And be warned - some State officials and County officials are going along with this.
The watershed for the new, new, new, and finally new location they desire is within the Spokane watershed. Spokane is already at acceptable air quality standards too and can't handle any more pollution.
HiTest has still avoided the entire topic of the Material Safety Data Sheets too. See this link for a brief introduction. HiTest proposes to transports hundreds of thousands of tons of coal, wood chips and sand through our communities and down our roads (including now, through Idaho, making this a far larger problem). Silicon smelters use and produce and array of toxic chemicals that must also be safely transported and disposed of.
The problems and logistics with this are immense and the risks to local residents are just as great. So far, HiTest has issued nothing but misleading statements, empty promises and vague claims on how they intend to handle all of this.
No, I absolutely do not trust this Canadian company to do right by Pend Oreille residents. They have been deliberately deceptive in Golden, B.C., then Usk, then Addy and now Newport. It's a pattern folks, again and again and again and again.
They've already demonstrated that we should kick them out of this county as being a toxic, unhealthy, environmentally hazardous company.
I absolutely do not trust Greg Dohrn (incompetent) or Mike Manus either (its already clear they are doing this for the money and have withheld information deliberately). They have aligned themselves against the wishes of local residents who live here.
Saturday, August 5, 2017
"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.
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.
Friday, June 9, 2017
Downloadable Public Notices - Please Share Far & Wide!
Downloadable pdf documents that you can print and share with others, put in your store windows.
These are the public notices regarding the proposed silicon smelter plant in Newport / Pend Oreille county:
Newport / Pend Oreille New Risk Alert
Residents of Newport / Pend Oreille County Public Notice
These are the public notices regarding the proposed silicon smelter plant in Newport / Pend Oreille county:
Newport / Pend Oreille New Risk Alert
Residents of Newport / Pend Oreille County Public Notice
Thursday, June 8, 2017
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)!
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
WARNING!!! - Newport WA Now Being Considered As The New Location of Toxic Silicon Smelter!
WARNING!!! - Newport WA Now Being Considered As The New Location of Toxic Silicon Smelter!
Be advised that Newport, Washington is now being seriously considered as the new location for the toxic silicon smelter - exposing residents, workers, families and children to the horrifying effects of silicon smelting operations (already covered here, see previous posts).
According to the published story in the Newport Miner, Mike Manus, county commissioner for Pend Oreille County has once again, betrayed his constituents. So has HiTest, Inc., who has "been considering several sites all along". This multi-headed hydra is back!
Why? Because the same smelter proposal was REJECTED first by the citizens of Golden, B.C., and then next by the Kalispel Tribe and residents of Usk, Washington, and the latest rejection was from Addy, Washington!
That THREE STRIKES people. NOBODY wants this nasty operation polluting our environment, elevating health risks and making our homes and our work places unsafe. PLEASE take the time to read the research published right here on what a silicon smelter really is and what it is going to mean to our community, our water, especially our air and the wildlife!
Also be aware the PUD has YET to refuse the request from HiTest, Inc. to provide power for a proposed site. As you might expect, $$$ rules the day among these companies and the figures you will read about in the paper are meant to impress local residents that this might be a good thing for us.
NOT SO. Silicon smelting operations carry risks of contaminants, accidental release and toxic by-products (24/7) - VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ. Now, there is potentially ADDITIONAL risks to Newport residents because of the railroad tracks that pass right through town. These tracks will be expected to carry both raw materials and toxic chemicals (along with semi-trucks on our highways) right THROUGH our community!
This is absolutely INSANE. This is a great example of refusal to protect local residents, the environment, watershed and even the tourist activity that this area brings to our community.
Be advised that the Pend Oreille Economic Development Council is supposedly going to be "heavily involved" in helping betray the local residents. You know who they are - get INVOLVED and put a stop to this utter madness.
In recent months, the Kalispel Tribe rejected the proposed Usk location being fully aware of the potential risks and downwind exposure from a smelting operation. The reality is there is simply no safe, healthy, risk-free location anywhere in Pend Oreille county where such an operation does not pose significant long-term risks to residents, wildlife and the environment.
Support the Clean Air Act Class 1 proposal by the Kalispel Tribe.
If Pend Oreille County officials continue to stupidly insist on trying to force this abomination upon local residents, demand that the Material Safety Data Sheets revealing the toxicity, safety, transportation, and risks assessments be published to all county residents BEFORE any decisions are reached, or land is sold or leased. This should have been done ALL ALONG but hasn't.
Demand a public vote on the proposed smelter in Pend Oreille County. So far, county officials have been inept, incompetent and withholding critical information regarding the safety and risks of the proposed smelter. This is why it has FAILED already in three other locations - the general public has woken up to the deceptive practices that have been uncovered so far.
A recall of Mike Manus is overdue already. Manus has to date, failed to keep residents informed of the intentions of proposed smelter, its long-term air and water quality risks, and the safety affecting Pend Oreille county residents. It is my opinion that the bumbling incompetence exhibit a clear mismanagement of the public trust. We should also take a hard look at any funds already spent too - Greg Dorhn is being paid a exorbitant amount of money as contractor "assisting" the project.
Burn up the phone lines to the PUD - or better yet, show up in person and demand the PUD stop betraying the local residents. This isn't a cash cow for the PUD - it is a gigantic toxic BURDEN with long-lasting effects (decades) upon residents. The same applies for Pend Oreille County who is anxious to raise revenue (and spend that grant money).
But their both going about this all the wrong way - this will drive away residents, wildlife and tourists while increasing medical care costs, clogging train tracks and impacting local roads and highways. The long-term effects are quite serious.
Pend Oreille county already has multiple health hazards the public may or may not be aware of. We do not need anymore (like cancer).
Smelting operations produce pollution. Do you REALLY want this stuff hanging over your TOWN?
We need to stop this dead in its track, once and for all. It is very clear that HiTest fully intended to build the smelter here all along. Their unconscionable actions and failures to disclose their intentions, the long-term risks to residents makes it perfectly clear that this is not a company anyone can trust.
THIS IS YOUR CHANCE NEWPORT. ACT NOW. There is little time left (days). Keep our town safe! We do not need this smelting operation - ever!
Be advised that Newport, Washington is now being seriously considered as the new location for the toxic silicon smelter - exposing residents, workers, families and children to the horrifying effects of silicon smelting operations (already covered here, see previous posts).
According to the published story in the Newport Miner, Mike Manus, county commissioner for Pend Oreille County has once again, betrayed his constituents. So has HiTest, Inc., who has "been considering several sites all along". This multi-headed hydra is back!
Why? Because the same smelter proposal was REJECTED first by the citizens of Golden, B.C., and then next by the Kalispel Tribe and residents of Usk, Washington, and the latest rejection was from Addy, Washington!
That THREE STRIKES people. NOBODY wants this nasty operation polluting our environment, elevating health risks and making our homes and our work places unsafe. PLEASE take the time to read the research published right here on what a silicon smelter really is and what it is going to mean to our community, our water, especially our air and the wildlife!
Also be aware the PUD has YET to refuse the request from HiTest, Inc. to provide power for a proposed site. As you might expect, $$$ rules the day among these companies and the figures you will read about in the paper are meant to impress local residents that this might be a good thing for us.
NOT SO. Silicon smelting operations carry risks of contaminants, accidental release and toxic by-products (24/7) - VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ. Now, there is potentially ADDITIONAL risks to Newport residents because of the railroad tracks that pass right through town. These tracks will be expected to carry both raw materials and toxic chemicals (along with semi-trucks on our highways) right THROUGH our community!
This is absolutely INSANE. This is a great example of refusal to protect local residents, the environment, watershed and even the tourist activity that this area brings to our community.
Be advised that the Pend Oreille Economic Development Council is supposedly going to be "heavily involved" in helping betray the local residents. You know who they are - get INVOLVED and put a stop to this utter madness.
In recent months, the Kalispel Tribe rejected the proposed Usk location being fully aware of the potential risks and downwind exposure from a smelting operation. The reality is there is simply no safe, healthy, risk-free location anywhere in Pend Oreille county where such an operation does not pose significant long-term risks to residents, wildlife and the environment.
Support the Clean Air Act Class 1 proposal by the Kalispel Tribe.
If Pend Oreille County officials continue to stupidly insist on trying to force this abomination upon local residents, demand that the Material Safety Data Sheets revealing the toxicity, safety, transportation, and risks assessments be published to all county residents BEFORE any decisions are reached, or land is sold or leased. This should have been done ALL ALONG but hasn't.
Demand a public vote on the proposed smelter in Pend Oreille County. So far, county officials have been inept, incompetent and withholding critical information regarding the safety and risks of the proposed smelter. This is why it has FAILED already in three other locations - the general public has woken up to the deceptive practices that have been uncovered so far.
A recall of Mike Manus is overdue already. Manus has to date, failed to keep residents informed of the intentions of proposed smelter, its long-term air and water quality risks, and the safety affecting Pend Oreille county residents. It is my opinion that the bumbling incompetence exhibit a clear mismanagement of the public trust. We should also take a hard look at any funds already spent too - Greg Dorhn is being paid a exorbitant amount of money as contractor "assisting" the project.
Burn up the phone lines to the PUD - or better yet, show up in person and demand the PUD stop betraying the local residents. This isn't a cash cow for the PUD - it is a gigantic toxic BURDEN with long-lasting effects (decades) upon residents. The same applies for Pend Oreille County who is anxious to raise revenue (and spend that grant money).
But their both going about this all the wrong way - this will drive away residents, wildlife and tourists while increasing medical care costs, clogging train tracks and impacting local roads and highways. The long-term effects are quite serious.
Pend Oreille county already has multiple health hazards the public may or may not be aware of. We do not need anymore (like cancer).
Smelting operations produce pollution. Do you REALLY want this stuff hanging over your TOWN?
We need to stop this dead in its track, once and for all. It is very clear that HiTest fully intended to build the smelter here all along. Their unconscionable actions and failures to disclose their intentions, the long-term risks to residents makes it perfectly clear that this is not a company anyone can trust.
THIS IS YOUR CHANCE NEWPORT. ACT NOW. There is little time left (days). Keep our town safe! We do not need this smelting operation - ever!
Friday, April 14, 2017
Support the Clean Air Act Class 1 for the Kalispel Tribe and Pend Oreille County residents
The Kalispel Tribe has contracted the following report (237 pages, pdf document) -
Clean Air Act Class I Redesignation Technical Report
Re-designation the current air quality from Class II to Class I will offer essential protections to the Kalispel Tribe and Pend Oreille County residents. The Tribe is among the most affected inhabitants in very close proximity to the Ponderay Newsprint paper mill and the formerly designated site of the silicon smelter.
Re-designation of air quality to Class I will have no impact upon the use of wood stoves or other economic activity within the designated area. But it will help prevent more repeated violations by the Ponderay Newsprint, and will help prevent other toxic polluting industries from impacting environmental and public health against the well-being of local residents.
As a nearby resident, I am appalled at the lackadaisical approach by county officials to repeated violations by the Ponderay Newsprint. I have reported toxic, choking levels of emissions during the 2016 / 2017 winter season (during times of air inversions) and was totally ignored. In effect, you could not go outside without fouling your lungs with sulfur dioxide.
County agencies and officials appear to have a improper economic relationship with violators while ignoring the concerns of local residents.
Many residents may not realize the dangers of these emissions, but they are harmful to human health, wildlife, soils and water. Long-term exposure can lead to respiratory illnesses and is particularly harmful to the young, elderly and those with diabetes.
This move by the Kalispel Tribe for clean air is necessary and needed to protect the health of the Tribe and surrounding residents. Air quality standards are essential for all residents.
The Tribe has published a Fact Sheet and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
Clean Air Act Class I Redesignation Technical Report
Re-designation the current air quality from Class II to Class I will offer essential protections to the Kalispel Tribe and Pend Oreille County residents. The Tribe is among the most affected inhabitants in very close proximity to the Ponderay Newsprint paper mill and the formerly designated site of the silicon smelter.
Re-designation of air quality to Class I will have no impact upon the use of wood stoves or other economic activity within the designated area. But it will help prevent more repeated violations by the Ponderay Newsprint, and will help prevent other toxic polluting industries from impacting environmental and public health against the well-being of local residents.
As a nearby resident, I am appalled at the lackadaisical approach by county officials to repeated violations by the Ponderay Newsprint. I have reported toxic, choking levels of emissions during the 2016 / 2017 winter season (during times of air inversions) and was totally ignored. In effect, you could not go outside without fouling your lungs with sulfur dioxide.
County agencies and officials appear to have a improper economic relationship with violators while ignoring the concerns of local residents.
Many residents may not realize the dangers of these emissions, but they are harmful to human health, wildlife, soils and water. Long-term exposure can lead to respiratory illnesses and is particularly harmful to the young, elderly and those with diabetes.
This move by the Kalispel Tribe for clean air is necessary and needed to protect the health of the Tribe and surrounding residents. Air quality standards are essential for all residents.
The Tribe has published a Fact Sheet and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
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