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Letters – 7/7
Demand data center protections
Soon the Department of Ecology will hold two important Public Hearings on Quincy industry.
The data centers were granted tax benefits from the State for coming to town, plus tax breaks for building on Port District property. Each and every one of your elected officials from the governor on down are so sad that the tax breaks were not extended. Your elected officials want the money generated by the data centers. Meanwhile, the data centers make profits and we get the cancer. The problem is not the data center, the problem is the lack of diesel exhaust emissions controls on the generator. The Department of Ecology is not protecting your health. All 141 generators will be installed without any control devices on the diesel stack.
Quincy’s 141 generators will emit 280 tons of diesel exhaust over town. Dell will have 28 generators at 3 MW each or 20 percent larger than the 37 Microsoft 2.5 MW generators. The permitted 155 run hours of testing means that each and every day 5 generators will be running, without controls. Quincy residents must show up at these hearings and demand diesel controls to protect our community.
The data centers are using up PUD electrical power and local water resources. The Quincy facilities will require 340 MW of power, the equivalent of 300,000 homes. Greg Hansen, former PUD commissioner, reported that the PUD is running out of power. Meanwhile, your energy bill will rise significantly and county residents will be subsidizing industry. Also watch the water and wastewater problems that Quincy must resolve to have these industries in town.
The Dell Public Hearing is July 13, information and questions at 5:15 and 6:30 for public comment. The meetings are in the small room above City Hall. Come early to get a seat. The Sabey meeting is August 3, same time and place. Your attendance really matters.
— Danna Dal Porto
Question the impact of data centers
Wednesday, July 13 Ecology will hold a public hearing at City Hall to determine if residents of Quincy are willing to accept the health and environmental consequences from Dell’s operation of twenty-eight (28) 4400 hp diesel engines. If you are concerned about increased diesel emissions, rising electrical costs or are opposed to this kind of growth for any reason, please attend the hearing. Ecology equates your absence at the hearing as your approval of the project.
Over the past five years we as a community have sat idly by while greed dictated the direction of our community. Landowners hopeful of making huge profits on their land; city administrators eagerly anticipating tax revenues and realtors expecting the next housing gold rush. No one questioned the impact of these data centers on area resources, the environment or our health. But there are consequences.
First, the data centers use huge amounts of electricity, for which they pay 2.25 cents/kw while homeowners pay 3.75 cents/kw. Microsoft, Yahoo and Intuit together use 168 MW (enough power for 150,000 homes); Dell and Sabey – if not contested — will use an additional 172 MW.
As former PUD commissioner Greg Hanson pointed out in last week’s letter to the editor, the Grant County PUD has used up its capacity. In order to accommodate new users the PUD must purchase electricity on the open market at higher rates than they sell it.
Second, and most importantly to the health of Quincy residents, are the uncontrolled emissions from what will eventually be over 140 diesel engines with a permitted fuel allocation of 1.9 million gallons. Requisite monthly engine testing alone will require 5 hours of engine operation per day every day at an average fuel consumption rate of 100 gallons/hr per engine.
As a community we can reduce the electrical and environmental impact by attending the July 13 public hearing at City Hall and making it clear that we do not want more data centers in Quincy. It’s your town. Your PUD. Your decision.
— Patty Martin
Proud of ambulance service
In 1988, I was proud to join a group of volunteers that provided ambulance service to the Quincy Valley. There were many that volunteered before I joined, and over the years, I saw many more volunteer with me. As volunteers, we had wonderful employers that would allow us to leave work in an emergency to help provide the much needed service. We advanced our skills to improve the quality of care and had a good reputation around the state. By 2001, the volunteers faded out and the hospital hired full-time paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMT) to improve coverage, response times and patient care. I continued to serve my community as much as I could to insure there was always an ambulance available. July 11 marks the end of a very professional and well respected ambulance service known to most as “Quincy Valley Ambulance.” In my 20 plus years with the service I had the privilege of providing care to many of your friends, neighbors and family members.
Each and every one of the patients I cared for, and their families, touched my life in such a way that I will be forever grateful to them. To the volunteers and paid staff that I had the pleasure of working alongside of, I am honored to say that you will always be part of “my family.” To all the wonderful doctors and nurses that I have assisted, you are not only my co-workers but also my friends and my mentors. Through your wisdom my knowledge grew immensely and I am grateful to each of you.
I am truly saddened to see the service end like this and am not completely convinced it is best for the hospital but the decision has been made and there is no reversing it. Both the City of Quincy and Grant County Fire District #3 are working to ensure that you will continue to receive the same high quality of care that the members of Quincy Valley Ambulance have provided over the years.
Thank you for your support over the past years. I hope that I will have the honor of continuing to serve the community I love in the future.
— Nancy E. (Naigle) Schanze
Thanks from choir
It was the distinct pleasure of our Greater Snohomish County womens’ choir, Sonus Boreal, to visit, tour and concertize in the Quincy Valley.
Excellent food at The Grainary (espresso at the smaller Grainary too), The Idle Hour lunch, and Zack’s — banquets at all three. The consistent comment I heard as we toured Cave B and the farmland between town and the Gorge was: “the people are so genuine, so friendly and really fun to be around.” I think Quincy is such a refreshing contrast to wherever they came from that the difference is glaring.
It was pure joy to again be in the valley and see so many wonderful friends and all of the surprises we had were pleasant. Special thanks to Harriet Weber for opening the beautiful white church for us to sing and experience.
God bless you all for your love and encouragement. Twenty-eight “Coasties” will all consider returning for more of what you are — beautiful.
— Much love,
Stuart Hunt, Northern Sound Choirs, Sonus Boreal
4 Comments
#2
PROUD to Be a Naigle commented, on July 10, 2011 at 11:57 a.m.:
I am proud to use my maiden name so that my mother friends and anyone who doesn't know me by my married name knows who wrote the letter. No alterior motive was involved. Just wanted to Thank the community for their support.
#3
Karen commented, on July 10, 2011 at 8:37 p.m.:
Just a thought - obviously your comment regarding the names has nothing to do with the fact that Nancy has been an amazing volunteer for a number of years. Most of those years were before she was married - therefore most of the people that she provided amazing service to knew her as Nancy Naigle. I would be very curious of the amount of volunteer service you have provided to the community. I am grateful for all of the amazing volunteers we have had in both the ambulance and the fire department. It is nice to have local individuals taking care of those that matter to us. So sorry for that to end. Thank you so much Nancy for your service!!!
#4
Scott Allsbrook commented, on July 10, 2011 at 8:46 p.m.:
Having the PLEASURE of working along side of Nancy for 15 plus years, and not being from Quincy,part of the ambulance/fire service, If you would have asked me who Nancy Schanze is, I would have said no. Ask me who Nancy Naigle is, and I would say you bet I do. She is a hard working, dedicated person. I have in recent years met her husband and do know her by Schanze now... In todays world, more and more women include their maiden name. What difference does the including of the maiden name make... Isn't the importance, the content of the letter. Nancy worked her way up from a beginning volunteer to a highly respected professional... WB... looks like you are pushing an agenda... Nancy, it is not you that needs to say Thanks... it is us, the people of Grant County, that need to Thank You for your many years of dedicated, professional, careing service.
wb commented, on July 8, 2011 at 3:33 p.m.:
Why are the Naigle girls inconsistent with the use of their maiden names? Neither one attaches their maiden name on a regular basis unless they are running for office or pushing an agenda. Their self-importance is so obvious that it's nauseous, detracts from their message and causes the opposite effect of their intended goal, but don't tell them that. We always need a comic relief.
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