Possible wood pellet mill and other green jobs in Humboldt's future?

Harbor Commissioner Chair, Richard Marks, who represents the 4^th Division, said the Humboldt Grand Jury took a tour of the Samoa Pulp Mill site today. They wanted an update on the cleanup which is being done by Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard strike Force.

The Grand Jury heard about the possibilities of future jobs. "After the environmental clean up is approved,  there is a possiblity of a wood pellet mill located in existing footprint” said Marks. Currently, Taylor Mariculture is a tenant and is growing oyster spats. The possible wood pellet mill could be supplying wood pellets to a coal burning plant overseas. The overseas plant is retrofitting to burn wood pellets instead of coal.

“It is an exciting time to be on the Harbor Commission and seeing creation of green jobs,” said Marks. “Our area needs job creation and living wages for a blue collar workforce that has been displaced due to closing of the Pulp Mill in 2008.”