NIPPON VIOLATES SHORELINE PERMIT

NIPPON RISKS $1,000/DAY FINE
VIOLATES SHORELINE PERMIT
STARTS CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT A PERMIT

Submitted to Shelton Blog by Duff Badgley Mason County Progressive

Under state law, Nippon Industries could be fined up to $1,000 per day or its leaders suffer jail terms for violating its new biomass project shoreline permit. Nippon has started construction on the project without obtaining any of the other permits required by the City of Port Angeles. But Nippon’s shoreline permit does not allow any site alteration for the project until all permits are in place.

“We demand the state attorney general or the Port Angeles city attorney enforce the law and order Nippon to shut down this project now,” said Duff Badgley of No Biomass Burn, one of seven environmental groups appealing Nippon’s air permit for the biomass project.

Nippon publicly admits it has started work on the controversial biomass project.

“The foundation work is continuing, and we've had continuous construction since the end of June,” (Nippon) mill manager Harold Norlund told the Peninsula Daily News on July 22, 2011. Published Peninsula Daily News photos confirm the start. http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110724/NEWS/307249987/work-under-way-on-nippon-papers-biomass-project-opponents-appeal

Port Angeles City Manager Kent Myers said on August 2, “Nippon currently has not filed for any building permits.” Myers also said the city has not yet even talked to Nippon about its new biomass project and permit requirements. He suggested multiple permits may be required.

Nippon’s shoreline permit, issued by Port Angeles on September 23, 2010, Condition # 2 states: “Applicant is responsible for obtaining all necessary permits…verification of permit issuance shall be provided to the City prior to commencement of any site alteration..."

RCW 90.58.210 imposes penalties for violating shoreline permits to include fines of up to $1,000 for each day of violation. RCW 90.58.220 imposes penalties for shoreline permit violations including jail terms of up to 90 days.

“Nippon should be fined $40,000 right now and prosecuted,” said Badgley. “Its arrogance is amazing. And the city’s complicity is despicable.”

“A corrupt three-way partnership exists among Nippon, the city, and the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) to poison the people of Port Angeles’” Badgley said. “Nippon doesn’t even bother to apply for its permits. The city doesn’t even bother to insist on the permits. And ORCAA colludes with Nippon to grossly lower pollution estimates for toxic emissions to come from the new project.”

For more information contact:
Duff Badgley
No Biomass Burn
duff@nobiomassburn.org
www.nobiomassburn.org

SHELTON BLOG NOTE:

Link to previous related post "Nippon ORCAA Air Permit Appeal Filed":
http://masoncountyprogressive.blogspot.com/2011/07/nippon-orcaa-air-permit-appeal-filed.html