A new survey of 400 residents of Pend Oreille County shows support and opposition of a proposed silicon smelter almost evenly split.
The Robinson Research poll was commissioned by the Pend Oreille Economic Development Council as a tool to be used for strategic planning.
The survey asked numerous questions related to the future of the county, with only a few related to the PacWest Silicon smelter proposal.
When asked whether they supported or opposed it, 39% of respondents said they opposed it, compared to 38% in favor.
Pollster William Robinson says, in this particular poll, there was no indication of a trend pointing in one specific direction, because in several instances, the survey showed contradictory answers on questions from some respondents.
“The single most important thing on the horizon was jobs, followed by smelter," Robinson said. "And then we asked people if they generally favored prioritizing environment or jobs, and environment came out on top. So, unaided, they favor jobs. Aided, they favor environment."
Robinson says awareness of the proposed smelter was widespread, with only about seven percent saying they had not heard about it.
The PacWest smelter has been proposed to be built near the city of Newport. Supporters cite jobs it will bring to the community. Those opposed worry about the environmental impact, and how appropriate such a facility would be in such a pristine area.
