"This adds to a long series of findings and permits that clearly indicateour project can proceed while protecting the environment," said Mark Leatham,general manager of Glacier Northwest's Washington operations. "It once againshows that the regulatory agencies and the courts have concluded that we havemet or surpassed environmental protection requirements for rebuilding a newdock and resuming mining at our Maury Island site."

The proposal to resume mining and replace the dock at Glacier's existingMaury Island mine has been reviewed by local, state and federal regulatoryagencies in more depth for a longer time than any similar project in thestate. It has been approved at each step in this long, complex and stringentenvironmental review and permitting process. Legal reviews by the ShorelinesHearings Board and the state Court of Appeals also determined unanimously thatthe project could proceed. The Washington State Supreme Court denied withoutcomment an appeal of the lower court decisions, in essence upholding theirprior rulings.

All of the environmental, land use and building permits needed toconstruct the dock have been issued. Material from the island will be used toreplace material that in the recent past has been imported from Canada bybarge or from other locations by truck. Leatham said, "Barging will be muchmore efficient, because one typical barge hauls as much material as 186 truckand trailer loads."

King County has issued Shoreline Substantial Development and ShorelineConditional Use permits and a Building Permit; the Washington Department ofFish & Wildlife has issued a Hydraulic Project Approval; the WashingtonDepartment of Ecology has issued Coastal Zone Management ConsistencyDetermination and Water Quality Certificate; the Corps of Engineers has nowissued a Section 10 permit under the Rivers and Harbors Act and a Section 404Permit under the Clean Water Act that allows dock construction. The Corpspermits were issued after concurrence letters from the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService and National Marine Fisheries Service that the project is not likelyto adversely affect threatened or endangered species and designated criticalhabitat.

"For more than 10 years local, state and federal agencies and the courtshave weighed the scientific studies, the evidence and the arguments for andagainst our proposal," Leatham said. "These reviews have considered local,state and federal environmental protection and growth management laws. Inevery instance the regulatory agencies and the courts have determined that theproject can proceed, and that the environment will be protected."

For more than 40 years King County has maintained zoning for the MauryIsland site that allows it to be mined. As part of complying with the GrowthManagement Act, King County also designated the site as a mineral resource oflong term commercial significance.

Glacier Northwest now must obtain a lease of state tidelands from theWashington Department of Natural Resources where a portion of the new dockwill be located.

SOURCE Glacier Northwest