A Grim Reminder

"I love dioxins!"

Submitted to Shelton Blog by Tom Davis

Amy and I attended the meeting the city of Shelton held in conjunction with representatives of ORCAA and Simpson to explain to us, the public, how the ORCCA process will address Simpson’s application to introduce yet another biomass fueled plant into our community.

Although representatives from the city seemed sincerely intent on encouraging questions about the permitting process, I couldn’t help thinking how we, the public, were intentionally excluded from the process at its most critical stage, before our elected officials committed to expose us to two major sources of pollution.

Just before the meeting began, I was approached by a man who offered me a business card that read Dave McEntee Vice President, Operational Services and External Affairs for Simpson Lumber Company, LLC. He extended his hand and invited me to call him, should I have any questions about the Simpson proposal.

My first impulse was to ask him how he could work for a company capable of jeopardizing the health of an entire city and still manage to keep from hanging himself in his garage. But my wife was sitting beside me, so I simply said, “Thank you, I will do that.”

The meeting itself was civil and predictable in that most of the questions centered around how much or how little the Simpson proposal was going to harm us. There was, however, some ambiguity over whether both of Simpson’s bio-fueled plants would run simultaneously, and for how long. In the end, I was left with the feeling that any confusion was by design.

At this point the air suddenly went out of the room and Amy and I felt a cold chill run up the back of our necks. Apparently many of the other attendees had a similar sensation, and turned their attention to the rear of the room.

The source of our collective discomfort was a large image dressed completely in draping, hooded black robes, holding a scythe. My first impression was that Jay Hupp had taken his tendency toward “Godfather” style garb to it’s obvious conclusion. But Mr. Hupp was still seated in the front row; two fingers of his right hand now pressed firmly against his left wrist, apparently checking for a pulse.

What we were all looking at was The Grim Reaper- Death! I remember thinking, “Wow did you ever come to the right place; there’s a few people in this room Mason County would be better off without.”

It was a grim reminder that, when all the smoke presented by the proponents of biomass settles, many of us will be left with the consequences of decisions made by a few.

Tom Davis

Photo by Christine