SMELTER: At what cost?

Would you like a smelter in your backyard? That’s the question people in the Blanchard/ Newport, Wash., area are wrestling with right now. For starters, who wants to look at this monstrosity with five-story-high smoke stacks? The aesthetics (scenery/serenity) that drew many of us to this area could be just a memory.

Canadian HiTest wants to EXPEDITE the permitting process. Governor Inslee calls this a “project of statewide significance” which means thorough environmental studies may not be required.

This company has purchased 192 acres 3 miles south of Newport in a residential area. They are promising jobs (highest paying will go to engineers/professionals). Is it worth risking our residents’ health/destroying aesthetics to bring in a few jobs?

There are many issues that need to be addressed: health, property values, increased truck/rail traffic, air/noise/light pollution, water source, transparency/experience of this company (their first smelter).

Who gains from this project? The few who get jobs, Newport (taxes) and the PUD (providing electricity). How about the rest of us? I am trying to figure that out and so far I can’t find anything that will add to the quality of our lives.

CHRISTINE BISHOP

Blanchard