In a very wordy public comment section of the Sumner City Council’s meeting June 21, citizens continued their opposition to the proposed Northstar chemical-storage facility.

“The DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) chose to really cherry pick nominal impacts,” Jack Hicks said.

Hicks said according to Northstar’s statement in the DEIS, a major earthquake would lead to a failure of the storage tanks.

“This is a damning admission,” he said.

Mayor Dave Enslow said the next steps in whether the storage facility is built is not in the council’s hands.

“It’s not a political process now,” he said. “Sumner’s not in a position now to stop this.”

While the city council doesn’t have the power to prevent the property owner from selling his land for use as a chemical-storage facility, the citizens may prevent the project if they are able to prove there exists a “probable, significant, adverse” impact. These terms have legal definitions which must be proven in court.

“Right now this is in your hands,” councilman Randy Hynek said.