Proposed Asphalt Plant Stirs Opposition in Washington

A proposed plan for a hot-mix asphalt plan in Nisqually Valley, Wash., has been reviewed by a regional environmental agency, according to a report in the Olympian (Olympia, Wash.).

The permit was requested by Lakeside Industries, Issaquah, Wash., proposing a plant that would produce 300,000 tons of asphalt per year. The operation would be fueled by natural gas, with diesel fuel as a backup and with no recycled asphalt used in the product, according to the report.

Some local residents have voiced concerns over the possibility of increased air pollution from the facility.

According to the report, the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency, the proposed plant could release more than 34 tons of air pollution per year.

The air agency staff is recommending approval of the air operating permit, saying the emissions would fall within state and federal standards, according to the report.

The plant would be located within Holyrod Co.’s 300-acre gravel mine in Nisqually Valley.