Citizens voice concerns with REC annexation

Neighbors worry about chemical releases

MOSES LAKE - Three Moses Lake residents asked the Moses Lake City Council to consider creating a committee to review an REC Solar Grade Silicon annexation.

Council approved the 95-acre annexation and may consider creating a committee if local qualified people can be located to review chemicals and safety procedures used by the company.

The three residents who made the request all live close to the plant and said they were speaking to council during the public hearing for help because they claimed REC Silicon ignored their concerns.

In an interview following the council meeting, REC Vice President Tor Hartmann said he isn't aware of any recent concerns about the plant but does work with neighbors to resolve issues. There have been several open houses and neighborhood meetings since the plant's construction, he said. The last meeting was approximately six months ago.

Neil McDowall told the council he was worried there is not a large enough buffer zone between the industry and the surrounding residents. He said he is concerned with how multiple chemicals located at the plant are contained. McDowall said some the chemicals are known to cause reproductive defects if passed along to humans.

"I'm sure there are some chemicals out there to that nature," Hartmann said.

He said many similar hazardous chemicals used at the plant can also be found at other businesses in Moses Lake and can be harmful if used inappropriately.

"When we start risking our children's children, it scares me to death," McDowall told the council.

He asked the city to consider creating a committee to review what is being created and what chemicals are being used at the plant.

Hartmann said REC follows guidelines mandated by state and federal agencies to manage hazardous chemicals. Independent audits are performed regularly to test safety programs in case of a chemical spill. He said there are various programs in place to enforce safety including checking pipes and pressure vessels containing hazardous materials.

If there is a chemical vapor or cloud released to the atmosphere a siren goes off warning nearby residents, Hartmann said. He said the procedures were explained at neighborhood meetings. Neighbors were also given pagers to exchange warning information, Hartmann added.

Megan Fielding read a list of chemicals used at the plant to council. The list is a document called Tier Two Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory reported from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 in 2007. The document was signed by REC Director of Operations Kent Stephens on Feb. 4, 2008.

The list includes argon, calcium chloride, calcium hydroxide, calflo, chlorodifluoromethane, cuprous chloride, depositrol, dichlorosilane, hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen, nitric acid, nitrogen, polyalkylene glycol, silane, silicon, silicon tetrachloride, sodium hydroxide solution, sodium hypochlorite, sodium metabisulfate, sulfuric acid and trichlorosilane. The physical and health hazards range from fire to delayed chronic health effects, according to the inventory documents.

She asked the council to consider making REC Silicon create a larger buffer zone to protect surrounding residents from chemical releases.

"It scares me to death, I've seen releases from the plant," Feilding said.

Hartmann said there were several documented chemical releases. The company tracks the incidents, but he admitted to not remembering the last release or its severity.

Feilding asked council to table the annexation to review their concerns.

Bonnie Stepner lives approximately 40 feet away from the facility and claims to have experienced several chemical releases.

She recalls the most serious experience was when she was confined to her home in the late 1990s. Stepner claims a chemical release damaged the paint on her vehicles and she had to stuff wet towels under her doors to prevent the chemical from seeping into her home. She claims she can no longer sell her property due to the allegedly diminished value caused by the location near the plant, when it was owned by Solar Grade Silicon.

"We have been hit and hit and hit," Stepner said.

Hartmann said there was a pipe explosion in 1998 that killed two people at the plant. He confirmed the rupture led to paint damage at nearby homes.

At the time of the explosion the plant was owned by Solar Grade Silicon, when the company was nearly bankrupt.

REC Silicon purchased the company in 2005 and a year later began constructing a new $600 million plant. Soon after finishing, REC Silicon announced plans for two expansions worth more than $1 billion.

Stepner said she is in favor of annexing the property so the city is able to have some control over the plant.

After her comments, council closed the public hearing.

"There is nothing more sacred and more valuable than human life," Mayor Ron Covey said.

He said undoubtedly, the plant is economically valuable for the city but he wouldn't want to place the safety and welfare of the citizens in jeopardy.

Covey said he also remembers chemical releases from the plant site in the last 20 years.

The chemicals, handling processes and industries in the Wheeler corridor have changed over the years, he added.

"There are all kinds of chemicals in today's world," Covey said.

Within tolerable ranges of use there can be positive effects, he added.

"(Like) the best steak dinner, if you overdo it, you're going to get sick," Covey said.

Community Development Director Gilbert Alvarado said all industrial projects in the Wheeler corridor are required to go through an environmental review process before they can operate. The city receives an analysis of all accepted permits.

In addition, REC Silicon and similar industries are required to obtain land use permits and state Department of Ecology permits, he said.

Hartmann confirmed Alvarado's statements.

Councilmember Richard Pearce said the discussion during the meeting doesn't concern the annexation process. He said if the annexation is halted, the process starts over and REC Silicon might not be interested in being reviewed by a committee.

Pearce said the only way council could create a committee to review the plant and assist citizens is to annex the property so they have jurisdiction.

Councilmember James Liebrecht said he is in favor of creating a committee to review REC Silicon. He said there are so many technological advancements that maybe 20 years from now, the processes used might be obsolete and ruled an inappropriate practice.

Councilmember Jon Lane said decisions can only be made on current technology, not on what future technology might be.

Councilmember Brent Reese said he is in favor of annexing the property. He said council should consider viewing the REC Silicon emergency response plans.

McDowall claims the plant polices itself and told the council REC Silicon is not required to report any chemical releases to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that do not leave the property, he said.

Hartmann agreed saying REC Silicon is not required to report all chemical releases but they do. He said they follow a procedure requiring them to report releases within minutes in some cases.

Pearce motioned to accept the annexation on the second reading and Councilmember Bill Ecret seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.

Covey said a committee to review the plant practices may be considered in the future.

No one spoke on behalf of REC Silicon at the meeting.

During the interview with the Columbia Basin Herald, Hartmann pledged to hold an additional neighborhood meeting to address concerns. A date was not set.