Dec. 22, 2022 - Jan. 4, 2023
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IN THIS
ISSUE
Blaine HS sports action over holidays, page 6
Plover undergoes repairs to become seaworthy again
Pacific Highway $1 million upgrade page 7
Latest news from Blaine City Council, page 13
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Snowstorm blankets the region
By Grace McCarthy
(See Plover, page 8)
s Birds flock Semiahmoo Bay during Blaine’s first snowstorm of the year on December 20. Areas of Blaine, Birch Bay and Custer reportedly received at least one foot of snow. Photo by Louise Mugar
Future of Ferndale smelter unknown as BPA and prospective buyer fail to reach energy deal By Grace McCarthy Blue Wolf Capital Partners, the private equity firm that was trying to restart the Alcoa Intalco smelter in Ferndale, ended its energy contract negotiations with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). A union worker close to the negotiations said Blue Wolf agreed to the power rates but BPA didn’t offer enough power to restart the aluminum plant. BPA spokesperson Doug Johnson told The Northern Light in an email that Blue Wolf Capital Partners, prospective buyers of the idled smelter, paused negotiations on December 15 after a year-andhalf of discussions. “At any point we are ready to resume discussions to provide a portion of the electricity Blue Wolf needs to restart the plant,” Johnson said in a statement. “BPA
and the Department of Energy are supportive of the effort to reopen the facility.” Alcoa announced in April 2020 it would curtail the smelter’s operations due to low aluminum prices affecting the smelter’s profitability and started layoffs of about 700 union employees shortly after. Blue Wolf contacted BPA in July 2021 in an attempt to reach a power contract, which many of the smelter’s supporters thought to be the last major hurdle to restarting the smelter. BPA told Blue Wolf it could provide 20-25 percent of the energy required to restart the smelter, which equaled 100 of the 400 megawatts needed (BPA provides the city of Seattle about 1,200 megawatts annually.) BPA gave 75 megawatts to Alcoa in its last contract, but that number varied throughout the years, Johnson previously said. Alcoa’s energy contract with BPA, which
allowed Alcoa to purchase large quantities of discounted power, expired before Blue Wolf became interested in the smelt(See Smelter, page 5)
INSIDE
The historic Plover ferry will undergo repairs expected to make it seaworthy by spring. The city carved out $30,000 to pay for the repairs, which are the first of this extent in over 25 years, while city council will consider approving additional funds for the vessel’s 2023 operations. “Our goal, without compromising the quality of the work, is to meet all of our obligations beginning in March,” said Plover captain Richard Sturgill, adding he hoped to have it finished in time for the Wings Over Water Festival. Sturgill helms Drayton Harbor Maritime (DHM), which operates the city-owned vessel. The 78-year-old Plover ferry has transported passengers between Semiahmoo Spit and Blaine Harbor nearly every summer since 1996. The U.S. Coast Guard performs a yearly in-water inspection and hauls the boat out of the water every two years to examine its hull and propeller, among other areas. In September, the U.S. Coast Guard found soft spots on the wood planking of the vessel’s hull as well as on the stem post on the front of the boat. Sturgill said the repairs were significant enough to require fixing the boat before it could carry passengers again. “It’s like if you have an old house, you have to take some of the boards out to see what’s underneath there,” Sturgill said. He added these are the boat’s first major repairs since returning to sea in 1996. Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee (BTAC) increased its original budget recommendation for the Plover ferry by $13,000 during its December 13 meeting. BTAC first asked Blaine City Council to approve $25,000 for the boat’s 2023 operations, but after community pushback, increased it to $38,000, the amount Sturgill initially requested. Council will consider approving the recommendation at a future meeting. DHM plans to raise supplemental funds to meet the boat’s total 2023 operating costs of $45,000, said Sturgill’s daughter Anna Johnson during the November 28 city council meeting. Johnson said the boat’s insurance is half of the annual cost and the captains are paid a discounted rate. She added that Sturgill and other supporters
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ThisFLYERS Week’s
Celebrate New Year’s in Birch Bay! Ring of Fire & Hope
December 31 • 7 pm
@TheNorthernLightNews
40th Annual Polar Bear Plunge
January 1 • Plunge at Noon
For more details, see ad on page 8 or visit birchbaychamber.com
Rite Aid