FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Concerned Citizens of Mason County file suit against the Port of Shelton over ground lease for biomass incinerator project
Date: September 9, 2010
From: Concerned Citizens of Mason County
Contact: Beth McBain 360-791-2431 or 360-432-8203
Local residents who live in and around the South Puget Sound community of Shelton, Washington have formed a new group called Concerned Citizens of Mason County.
According to Government Relations Coordinator, Fran Prescott, “Our group was born out of frustration over trying to have citizen input about a project that will definitely have a major impact on our community. Despite repeated requests made to our elected officials to allow for open meetings and transparency in their decision making process, we have been shut out at every turn with regard to a project that will be built on public lands and, in part, with tax payers’ money. Even delivering over 3,200 signatures requesting a citizen’s advisory ballot on the project, which represents 10% of our county’s electorate, was completely ignored by our County and Port Commissioners. Regardless of what our County Commissioners have said, a project of this magnitude with its potential health risks and impact on the environment is not the same thing as another convenience store coming to town.”
Concerned Citizens of Mason County has filed a Petition for Review and Complaint for Declaratory Judgment in Mason County Superior Court. This action requests that the court review the decision of the Port of Shelton to enter into the Option to Ground Lease with Adage LLC before completing environmental review. The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requires that agencies, like the Port of Shelton, conduct a review of environmental impacts of certain decisions before they make the decisions.
“Our purpose is clear” says Prescott. “Our government agencies should be aware of the environmental impact of decisions before they make them. The result of environmental review may impact their decision: They might change their mind and say “no” based on the ultimate conclusion of environmental review or they might decide to add conditions so that certain impacts are mitigated. The Port has inappropriately made the decision to obligate itself to lease land before knowing what the environmental impacts of that decision will be.”
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