March 23 - 29, 2023
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
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ISSUE
Whatcom PUD study on electric system, page 5
Cause determined in Blaine house fire, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
BPRI to research travel restriction impact, page 6
Elfo announces Wings Over Water festival celebrates 20 years retirement after 20 years as sheriff By Ian Haupt
(See Sheriff, page 3)
s People watch for birds during the 20th annual Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival that took place March 17-19 in Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo. More photos on pages 8-9. Photo by Chuck Kinzer / CKimageart.com
Alcoa announces permanent Intalco closure By Grace McCarthy Alcoa Corporation announced it would permanently close the Intalco aluminum smelter in Ferndale. In a March 16 news release, Alcoa announced the closure and said AltaGas would subsequently develop the area. AltaGas is a Calgary, Alberta-based energy infrastructure company and owns Petrogas Ferndale Terminal at Cherry Point. Alcoa curtailed Intalco in 2020, laying off nearly 700 union workers, because low aluminum prices made operations unprofitable. The Ferndale plant opened in 1966. “The Intalco smelter site operated for nearly 55 years, and we’ve spent significant time evaluating options for the asset, including a potential sale,” said Alcoa president and CEO Roy Harvey in a statement. “Our analysis, however, indicates that the facility cannot be competitive for the long-term.” In 2021, AltaGas acquired the rights to own and develop about 1,600 acres at the Intalco site, including the plant, transportation and utility infrastructure. AltaGas also purchased Intalco’s wharf and pier in 2016. “AltaGas is currently exploring potential development which would align with Washington state and Whatcom County’s
climate ambitions and provide long-term, sustainable benefits to the community and the local economy,” said Randy Toone, president midstream at AltaGas, in a statement. Toone added that AltaGas understood the importance of the site to the community and would work with stakeholders, tribes and Alcoa to ensure the development positively contributes to the energy transition and is beneficial to the community. AltaGas spokesperson Stephanie Cook said she was unable to give detailed information on the projects as they are still in the early stages of development. “We are still evaluating how the land can be used in a way that supports the ongoing energy transition, potentially utilizes existing infrastructure and is consistent with the community’s values,” Cook wrote in an email. AltaGas hopes to release more information on its plans for the area in mid-April, Cook said. Blue Wolf Capital Partners, a New York City-based private equity firm, was interested in restarting the smelter but ultimately could not secure an energy contract with Bonneville Power Administration for a large supply of power at low rates. Blue Wolf abandoned negotiations with BPA last December after it obtained contracts with Alcoa and union workers. Alcoa’s announcement comes nearly two
months after a January 18 letter in which union leaders asked Harvey to halt plans to demolish the smelter. Intalco workers said they saw a change in smelter activity that pointed to the facility closing. An Alcoa spokesperson had said the company was evaluating its options at the time. Some of the site’s 19 employees will stay to close the plant, according to Alcoa. Luke Ackerson, a representative for the remaining union workers, said he didn’t know when the layoffs would occur. (See Intalco, page 3)
INSIDE
Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo announced he would not seek a sixth term in November and plans to retire after 20 years as sheriff. Elfo said in a March 20 statement it has been an honor to serve Whatcom County but that he intends to retire after nearly 50 years in law enforcement. His term ends January 2024. “The current environment presents many challenges moving forward that will require extraordinary leadership,” Elfo said. “My departure, however, will not result in any voids. Our highly developed and capable leadership team is fully prepared to meet all challenges and propel the sheriff’s office to new heights in excellence, integrity and teamwork.” Elfo is the 37th sheriff to hold office since Whatcom County’s founding in 1854. He joined Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) in 2003 from the Blaine Police Department when he was appointed interim sheriff. He was elected sheriff later that year and four consecutive four-year terms since. “I have deep admiration and respect for Sheriff Elfo’s many years of service and dedication to our community,” county executive Satpal Sidhu told The Northern Light in an email. “I have seen firsthand his steadfast commitment to public safety and the well-being of his deputies. His retirement is well earned and he will be missed.” Elfo told The Northern Light it was a difficult decision to make but he felt it was time to retire. “I’ve been working since I was 12 years old with no breaks between jobs,” he said. “We have a great organization here at the sheriff’s office and I think it’s come time to pass the torch.” Elfo, who will be 68 in April, started his career with the Pompano Beach Police Department in Florida where he rose to the rank of captain. He holds bachelor and master degrees in criminal justice as well as a law degree. He is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and federal bar of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. He served as a prosecutor and assistant city attorney. As sheriff, Elfo oversees 212 department positions, including 95 law enforcement officers and 78 corrections officers, and a budget of $21.5 million. One of the highlights of Elfo’s career was when WCSO established probable cause to arrest Mandy Stavik’s killer in 2019, he said. The case went unsolved for nearly 30 years, after the 18-year-old vanished November 24, 1989 and her body was found three days later in the south fork of the Nooksack River. “It was a great feeling being able to tell
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