Smelter proposal not worth the risk

Silicon plants are built where electricity and land are cheap. The elected Newport officials sold HiTest the land for the same amount of money that Governor Inslee gave the company in a grant. It can’t get cheaper than that.

“As a leading innovator in their industry, HiTest shares our commitment to enabling the great promise of the clean energy economy,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “I look forward to watching the resurgence of hard-working Washington communities spurred by this exciting new development in our northeast region.”

PacWest Silicon plans to build a silica smelter new the city of Newport in Pend Oreille County. PacWest has provided little or no consistent information to the public in regards to the project.

Are we on a large scale helping our environmental impact? Is this the legacy the governor is leaving or are we creating a Superfund site for generations to pay for and clean up?

Yes, we are again risking our ground water, our air and our health for a “greener energy” under the standards of today. I ask local representatives –Does stopping a polluting smelter impede progress? I ask you to please reconsider your support for this project and help us keep Washington and Idaho uncontaminated for this and the next generation.

And to my neighbors and community - stop gambling with this foreign company. We live here. What we have is worth protecting and fighting for. Stand together against the Newport smelter.

TONYA SHERMAN

Spokane