Our correspondents in Sequim, Washington have sent us the following update on their battle with Wal-Mart: “Out here in the tiny town of Sequim, Washington, Wal-Mart and another developer are preparing to build
an incredible 600,000 square feet of retail space. You’ve probably never heard of Sequim, but you may have heard of our Dungeness Crab. These shellfish are one of the things at risk from these developments. These developments also pose a risk to the salmon in the Dungeness River, including three species that are already threatened. Speaking about this, Sequim’s city attorney said all that is really needed for approval of the Wal-Mart project is a non-discretionary building permit “even if it kills all the fish.”
Other impacts include water and air pollution, traffic jams, noise, crime, and reduction in emergency services. And of course, these developments will
drive the majority of our local merchants out of business. The impact of these developments on our area has never been properly studied because no Environmental Impact Study (EIS) was ever done. Sequim First, our grassroots organization, has gone to court to remedy this. Both trials are scheduled for late February. Until
then, we will be raising money and continuing to educate the public.”
For more information, or to make a financial contribution to this effort, you can visit Sequim First at: www.sequimfirst.org
Or drop them a note at: [email protected].
