PacWest backs out of Lakes meeting,cites zoning problems

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

PacWest Silicon, the company behind the controversial Newport smelter project, will no longer be presenting at Thursday’s Lakes Commission meeting due to zoning troubles with Pend Oreille County.

Mike Welch, a representative for the company with Thompson Consulting, said that until the county amends its Comprehensive Plan to “reform the current county zoning laws,” PacWest is unable to apply for a conditional use permit. Welch said this affects the “overall timeline of the project” and prompted the company to cancel their presentation, which would have entailed an overview of the proposed silicon smelter.

“Unfortunately, we have offtake agreements that incorporate stiff financial penalties if deadlines are missed,” Welch told the Reader Tuesday. “Given the inability of the Planning Commission to act, all ‘outside activities’ have been canceled to focus on internal discussions and planning for the immediate future.”

In a statement Monday, the Lakes Commission apologized for any inconvenience the PacWest cancellation caused and encouraged people to attend the meeting for the remaining scheduled presentations from Idaho Fish and Game, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.

The meeting is slated for 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, at the Priest River Event Center: 5399 US-2, Priest River.