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Olympic
Peninsula Audubon Society Joins Fight
On December 15, 2004 the Olympic Peninsula
Audubon Society, on behalf of its 500 members,
sent the Hood Canal Coalition a letter opposing
the Fred Hill Materials pit-to-pier project.
The text of their letter follows.
" We oppose the proposed project because of the
environmental risks it brings to the area. We
do not oppose gravel mining when done in an
environmentally sensitive manner; however, we
believe there are several environmental risks
from gravel mining on the scale that Fred Hill
Materials proposes.
We see those risks as follows:
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1. |
Potential impacts on the region’s aquifers.
We believe that removing rock and
overburden to within 10 feet of existing
aquifers irresponsibly threatens aquifers.
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2. |
Potential impact on the nearby eelgrass
beds. Eelgrass beds shelter baby salmon and
provide a place for herring to lay eggs.
Beds along Hood Canal are in decline and
this project will likely destroy the beds at
the loading terminal with no indication that
they plan to replace or replant them.
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3. |
Potential air pollution from the proposed
increased ship traffic.
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4. |
Potential oil spills from dockside
operations and from ship collisions with the
Hood Canal Bridge.
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5. |
Locating a 9-story high, 300-yard long pier
and associated activities within a
“Shoreline of Statewide Significance.” The
Shoreline Management Act determined that the
interests of the people of the State shall
be considered in the management of
shorelines of statewide significance. The
Canal is an area of statewide significance.
Native Americans have a compelling and
traditional dependence on salmon and
shellfish from the Canal as a food and
income source.
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6. |
Negative impacts on plants and animals. The
following statements come directly from the
Jefferson County Department of Community
Development Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement, May 2004 —Final, (MLA
02-235: Fred Hill Materials): “There
are several small streams within the
proposed MRL…,” and “Implementation of the
Proposed Action MRL could result in direct
impacts to plants and animals from clearing
existing vegetation. Clearing results in
increased edge habitat, effectively
excluding species that rely on more heavily
forested areas. Clearing can also disrupt
migration routes of some species. ·
Increased human activity and machinery
operation can disrupt both reproduction and
foraging activities for some species and
will cause others to relocate. · Direct
impacts to wildlife and their habitats could
occur as a result of improperly managed
stormwater runoff from mining sites. · A
conveyor corridor could disrupt wildlife
movement. “ |
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