WBCSD weighs in on smelter
Mary Malone Staff Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years, 4 months AGO
PRIEST RIVER — While West Bonner County School District trustees said they are not taking a stance for or against the proposed PacWest silicon smelter, board chair Sandy Brower said they felt it would be negligent not to send a letter in consideration of the health and welfare of the students.
The letter, addressed to Grant Pfeifer with the Washington Department of Ecology, came about as the department seeks public input on what people would like to see in the upcoming environmental impact statement.
“We want to go on record that we’ve got a lot of kids here and we want to make sure that they know that we are watching, and we want to make sure they are taking every precaution that all consideration is made to the safety and health of our students,” Brower said.
The board unanimously voted to approve the letter, which was to be signed by Brower on behalf of the trustees.
The district’s meeting last Wednesday coincided with a scoping hearing hosted by the Department of Ecology in Newport, followed by a second hearing in Priest River on Thursday. The purpose of the hearings were to help guide the department on what impacts should be considered when it draws up the EIS, a draft version of which is expected in the summer of 2019.
Comments at the hearings included concerns of potential impacts to air quality, water quality, wildlife, fish, fauna and transportation infrastructure.
In an effort to give Idaho a voice in the matter, during the Newport hearing Idaho Rep. Heather Scott called for the project to be reviewed under the federal National Environmental Policy Act rather than under Washington’s State Environmental Policy Act. During the Priest River hearing, Betty Gardner said she would like to see a study that does “not stop at the borders,” advocating for an environmental review to take into account the Idaho Panhandle.
While the department did receive some of the input they were looking for regarding the EIS, several remarks were made that Newport is not the right place for a smelter.
Idaho resident Christy Huling was one of two people who voiced support for the smelter during the Newport hearing. Good paying jobs are so scarce, she said, that younger workers have no choice but to look for greener pastures outside of Bonner and Pend Oreille counties.
An online scoping hearing is being conducted on Thursday, Sept. 27 for people who were unable to attend last week’s scoping hearings. Visit ecology.wa.gov for information on the webinar.
Keith Kinnaird contributed to this report.
Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.
MORE FRONT-PAGE-SLIDER STORIES
ARTICLES BY MARY MALONE STAFF WRITER
Shotgun and drugs lead to arrests
BONNERS FERRY — Two individuals were arrested after a shotgun and drugs were found following an alleged incident at Bonners Ferry High School.
Drones take off at Priest River Elementary
PRIEST RIVER — Wearing their flight crew colors, the fifth-grade students walked side by side across the gymnasium to ensure the flight deck was clear of debris.
Mentoring foster kids & the art of fly fishing
SANDPOINT — Giving foster kids the opportunity to get out into nature and learn the art of fly fishing is a powerful therapeutic tool, allowing the youngsters to leave behind some of the stress while also building their confidence and self-esteem.