Sequim Gazette staff

Members of the Clallam County Healthy Air Coalition rallied Monday night for Sequim city councilors to rescind their decision not to hold a forum about the biomass-fueled cogeneration facility at the Nippon Paper Industries USA mill in Port Angeles.

During the public comment section of the council meeting, five members of the group spoke, including rally organizer Rose Marschall.

“Why do you feel you have no power?” she asked.

“I don’t know why you’d think that. You can write a letter to the (Clallam County) Board of Health and ask for a moratorium.”

Robert Sextro, a member of the group, asked councilors to get both sides of the biomass debate and said that education is the best thing councilors could provide for residents.

When asked after the meeting if the city council would pursue a forum, councilors said no.

City manager Steve Burkett reinforced previous comments from Mayor Ken Hays that the issue isn’t a Sequim issue, but regional and for agencies that monitor air quality.

“There have been quite a few forums and councilors have attended quite a few of those and are fairly well educated in the issue,” Burkett said. “People are free to put on forums whenever and wherever they want.”

For more information on the Clallam County Healthy Air Coalition, visit www.biomassclallam.com.