SEQUIM — A dozen biomass protesters gathered at the corner of Washington Street and Sequim Avenue before marching to the City Council chambers to seek rescheduling of a public forum on biomass cogeneration burning.
The protesters, organized by the citizens group Clallam County Healthy Air Coalition, carried placards and urged the council to take a stand against the $71 million expansion of biomass facilities at the Nippon Paper Industries USA Inc. plant in Port Angeles.
Five of the protesters spoke during the City Council’s public comment period.
Council members did not respond.
“All major health organizations have come out against biomass. They are on the record for that,” according to Robert Sextro of Sequim, who spoke during the public comment period at the meeting.
Monday’s protest was on the same day that a planned Sequim city biomass forum would have been held.
It was to focus on the expansion of biomass facilities at Nippon that are expected to be completed in 2013.
The council canceled the scheduled forum in April after a public study session with Harold Norlund, manager of the Nippon mill.
The action was by consensus. No vote was taken.
The reason was that the city has no authority in such matters, said Mayor Ken Hays at the time.
“As a governing agency, I don’t see how we can take a stand on a project that’s already been approved by agencies and authorities that are many levels above our level of government,” Hays said.
The Port Angeles project, as well as a biomass expansion under way at the Port Townsend Paper Corp. mill, has been fought by a coalition of environmental groups with health concerns about the facilities.
Biomass foes have said that since Sequim is downwind from Port Angeles during the most common weather conditions, Sequim residents will be directly affected by any pollution created by the Nippon biomass burner.
Protesters noted that the council said it was backing out of the forum because it could find no place for the city in the permitting process for the expansion, which had already been approved for federal, state, county and Port Angeles city permits.
Rose Marschall of Carlsborg disagreed, saying that Sequim city officials could go to the Clallam County Board of Health.
“You, too, breathe the air. You can influence the Board of Health,” Marschall said.
The county Health Department will see a spike in heart attacks, strokes and asthma if the biomass facility expansion goes online, said her husband, naturopath Rick Marschall of Carlsborg.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
