Satsop Nuclear Plant Cooling Tower
As attention turns to the aftermath of the Japanese nuclear meltdown—and how to rebuild-the Pacific Northwest has a valuable lesson to offer the world.
Back in the 1950’s, the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS, or Whoops as it became commonly known) was launched to guarantee electric power to homes and businesses in the Northwest. Construction on nuclear plants #3 and #5 in the WPPSS system began in Satsop, Washington in Grays Harbor County in the 70’s, but as inflation, design changes, community opposition and construction schedules drove costs to nearly four times the original estimates, the projects were shelved leading to the largest municipal bond default in the history of the United States and left participating utility consumers on the hook to the tune of $12,000 per customer.
For years, Satsop’s nuclear cooling towers stood as a testament to this mothballed debacle–until green shoots started to emerge recently with the purchase of an empty factory in the shadows of one of the towers.
NewWood Manufacturing is taking locally sourced wood and plastic waste out of the landfill and bringing it to this 275,000 square-foot facility Elma to turn it into recycled building materials that are redefining the construction industry.
At full production, NewWood will employ 150 people in an economically distressed area to turn refuse into waterproof Backerboard, floor and counter underlayment, bins and pallets that can be ground up again and again, creating an endless life cycle.
“Putting workers and materials that were considered ‘throw-aways’ by others into a recycled product at a re-opened factory is the very definition of the 21st Century sustainability economy,” said NewWood CEO, John Bowser.
And those empty cooling towers? They’re being used to supply the factory the water it needs.
“While we all hope and pray for the people of Japan, the takeaway lesson from NewWood is that a meltdown–whether it be financial or nuclear (or both)—doesn’t have to be the end of a community,” Bowser said. “Out of tragedy, something even better can emerge to benefit both the people and our planet.
