Community will never accept proposed silicon smelter

An open letter to PacWest:

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, we will not accept your proposed silicon smelter in our community. Not now. Not ever.

We will commit whatever time, resources, blood, sweat and tears necessary. Whatever it takes. However long it takes. This is our community. We aren’t going anywhere.

The public property that you purchased was sold illegally. The court found that the sale was conducted improperly, but you won round one by claiming to be “an innocent purchaser.” Round two is now underway in the Appeals Court. We will not give up.

You have relied on the County to rezone the property for you. You didn’t file an application. You didn’t even show up for the hearing. We did. So did our kids and our grandchildren. It is that important to our future. We will continue to oppose it. And appeal it, if necessary. Whatever it takes. It is illegal and it is wrong.

You told all of us that you were committed to a full and transparent review of the environmental and health impacts of the proposed smelter. Yet, you haven’t even executed a contract to pay for the costs of the environmental review. You expect the Washington Department of Ecology to pick up more of the work in-house, at taxpayer expense. And there is no health review in the works. You’ve refused to pay for one. Cutting corners is not acceptable when it comes to our environment and our health.

Your one true talking point has been that Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has named the proposed smelter a “Project of Statewide Significance” and has showered you with grant money. That was years ago, and nothing has come from it. Even more telling, the governor’s office recently told the media that this “doesn’t mean he supports it outright.” Ouch. That’s gotta hurt. Apparently, even the governor’s office has got the message.

So PacWest, if you thought bringing your proposed silica smelter to this corner of northeastern Washington would be an easy score, that nobody would care or that you could simply beat us down or wait us out, think again. We are still here. We are organized — and growing. We have powerful allies. We have a talented and committed legal team. We aren’t going anywhere. Make no mistake, we will meet you at every turn. We will outlast you. And we will prevail. Whatever it takes. Time to pack it up, PacWest.

MICHAEL NAYLOR

Oldtown

Citizens Against the Newport Silicon Smelter

Chairman