U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks promised Thursday to fight a proposal to transport gravel on barges through the northern part of Hood Canal in Fred Hill Materials’ proposed “pit to pier” project.
A Fred Hill spokesman and opponents of the plan disagree on the veracity of information Dicks used to formulate his stance.
“I think it’s a bad project,” Dicks said during a telephone interview with Peninsula Daily News on Thursday.
“I can’t support it, and I will do what I can to oppose it.”
Fred Hill Materials Inc. of Poulsbo is seeking permission to build a four-mile-long conveyor to move gravel mined on Thorndyke Peninsula to a 1,100-foot pier to be constructed just south of Shine.
From there, the gravel would be loaded onto barges for shipping to other locations.
“I think Congressman Dicks has been lied to,” said Dan Baskins, project manager for Fred Hill Materials, on Thursday evening.
“It’s unfortunate certain opposition groups continue to conjure up boogey men to further their agenda.”
Baskins said Fred Hill officials sent 30 pages of technical information to Dicks on the “pit-to-pier” plan, and said he hopes to meet with Dicks in the near future.
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The rest of the story appears in Friday’s Peninsula Daily News.
