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The Newport Miner the voice of pend oreille county since 1901

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

www.pendoreillerivervalley.com

HiTest opposition growing

Volume 115, Number 49 | 2 Sections, 16 Pages

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Idaho Conservation League calls for permitting slowdown By Don Gronning Of The Miner

NEWPORT – After months of grass roots opposition to a silicon smelter proposed to be built about a mile south of Newport on the Idaho state line, the opposition is gaining momentum, with the Idaho Conservation League adding its voice. Matt Nykiel, a conservation associate with the Boise based ICL, writes on the blog in a Dec. 21 post headlined ‘What’s a Breath of Clean Air Worth?’ that “prevailing winds would likely carry emissions from this smelter into Bonner and Boundary counties.” He writes that since October, the ICL has been in touch with state agencies and HiTest Sands officials. “We are concerned that despite HiTest’s best intentions, this smelter could damage air quality and health in North Idaho.” Nykiel flatly states that federal and state agencies are budget-strapped and lack the support to hold polluters to the rules on the books. The Environmental Protection Agency has lost 700 employees since the election of Donald Trump, he says, and the Trump administration has proposed further defunding the EPA by 31 percent. “Because of this, the EPA is far less able to assist states like Idaho and Washington with the funding, monitoring and technical expertise that would ensure that the proposed smelter does not break the rules and pollute our air,” he writes. “Idaho and Washington environmental agencies alone simply don’t have the resources to properly enforce air quality permits and demand the most protective pollution controls from savvy industrial companies.” He says at a minimum, HiTest should collect site-specific air samples for at least a year before seeking a permit from Washington. Nykiel urges people to contact the Washington Department of Ecology and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to pressure the agencies to require HiTest to do that collection. The Citizens Against the Newport Silicon Smelter, probably the first organized group to oppose the smelter, has kept the pressure on local officials, with members showing up at city council meetings, county commission hearings and other government meetings to speak against the smelter. They’ve organized online through websites and a Facebook page and group, as well as holding several well attended meetings. While the ICL calls for pressure at a state agency level, CANSS is pressuring local politicians. They retained GOP connected attorney Norm Semanko of the Boise law firm Parsons Behle & Latimer. Semanko served briefly as general counsel of the Republican National Committee and two terms as Idaho Republican Party Chair. Semanko and Washington licensed attorney Dylan Eaton wrote a Dec. 21 letter to Pend Oreille County Planning Commission community development director Greg Snow addressing potential changes to the county’s conditional use process. Semanko and Eaton wrote that the county See Hi Test, 2A

Courtesy photo|Tim Hatcher

A winter scene Sunset on Wednesday, Dec. 27 near Saddle Mountain after a few inches of new snow. We asked readers to send us their snow pictures of wintertime in the Pend Oreille Valley and per usual we got some wonderful responses. Thank you to those that submitted photos. If you would like to send one of your photos to The Miner, whether it’s a scenic, a local event or activity, email jpegs to minernews@povn.com. See more photos on 8A.

Local men excel extreme sports By Don Gronning Of The Miner

NEWPORT – Two area athletes are competing in two extreme sporting events and both are having success. Dean Kade Hunt, 29, has been messing around with motorcycles since he was little. He got his first motorcycle at age 9. “My dad got me started,” he says. In addition to his father, who also goes by Dean, Hunt says his great-grandfather also raced dirt bikes. He made the switch to snow bike racing last year. “I sold my snowmobile and bought a snow bike,” he says. In just his second snow bike race, Hunt qualified for the X-Games, by finishing in the top 12 at a competition in Elk River, Minn., Dec. 16. He finished 11th. The X-Games will be held Jan. 25-28 in Aspen, Colo. He will compete in the Snow Bikecross event, which is similar to motocross racing, except on snow with motorcycles that have a

Courtesy photo|Dean Hunt

Dean Kade Hunt has been racing bikes since he was a kid but he has expanded to racing snow bikes. He’s qualified for the X-Games, set for Jan. 25-28 in Aspen, Colo.

track and skis instead of wheels. The X-Games are touted as the world’s premier action sports competition, with the top ski, snowboard, snow bike and snowmobile athletes invited to compete in 17 different disciplines over four days. Hunt just got back from a competition in Mul-

len, Idaho, where he won third place overall in just his third competition. “I did pretty good,” he says. “The Canadian champion was there and he finished third at the X-Games last year.” Hunt led a couple laps in the first moto and finished second. In the second moto, which counts more, he wrecked three times

and still fought his way back to fifth place, giving him a third place finish and $300. Motorcycle racing is dangerous and Hunt has suffered his share of injuries. He’s broken his leg, has plates in his foot and a rod in his leg from motorcycle racing. See extreme, 2A

B r i e f ly Eat some crab for a good cause NEWPORT – The Soroptimist Crab Feed is back Saturday, Jan. 13 with two seatings: at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The event is at St. Anthony’s Church on 1st Street in Newport. The dinner features all-you-can-eat crab, garlic bread, baked potatoes, green beans and coleslaw. Tickets can be purchased at Seebers and Owens in Newport, and The Beardmore Wine Bar in Priest River, or by calling 509-671-2552. Adult tickets are $30 each and for children under 10, tickets are $15. Only 150 tickets are available for each seating.

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Proceeds of the crab feed go to support the many service projects that Soroptimists do each year in the Newport/Priest River area. Projects include providing two scholarships each year for Newport High School seniors and honoring a Girl of the Month for Newport High School Seniors, who have outstanding academic, leadership and community work. An award is given to an outstanding eighth grade graduate, and the club supports the Priest River Young Woman of the Year award. Soroptimist is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and donations are always welcome. 6B-7B

Newport annexes lot NEWPORT – The Newport City Council passed an ordinance Dec. 18 annexing a 1.37-acre lot on the city’s south side into town. The lot property is at 301 West Eighth Street. The owner, Doug Jackson , is deceased, but the executer of his estate requested the annexation. The lot is already served with city water. The Newport City Planning Commission recommended the annexation at its meeting prior to the Dec. 18 council meeting.

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