REALITY CHECK?

Can Intalco be saved? Is the departure of the G-P tissue plant a real possibility? Is there anything our local officials can do to ease the strain on industry caused by the West Coast energy crisis? Most importantly, what can WE do to help save these jobs?

In these uncertain economic times, the future of Whatcom County's industrial and economic health are in question. With the closure of Georgia-Pacific's pulp mill in downtown Bellingham, continued rising energy prices and the resulting possible closure of Alcoa Intalco Aluminum Works near Ferndale, economic and political leaders have been working overtime to solve the problems surrounding the current power crisis.

In response, The Bellingham Business Journal had head-to-head meetings with five of the top political and economic leaders in the county, and asked about the future of industry in this county, and what businesses can do to help save the jobs now in place.

Each leader -- Mark Asmundson, mayor of Bellingham; Mike Brennan, Bellingham/Whatcom County Chamber of Commerce president; Jim Darling, Port of Bellingham executive director; Pete Kremen, Whatcom County executive; and Fred Sexton, president of the Economic Development Council -- was asked the same five questions. These are their responses.

BBJ: Do you see the closure of the G-P tissue mill and Intalco as inevitable?

Asmundson: Certainly not. What G-P is telling me is the operation is viable. They've made it abundantly clear that they want to be in tissue, and I think the tissue mill is on solid footing. The economics are right for tissue, whereas they're not right for pulp.

With Intalco, I guess you need to wonder how long "inevitable" is. In 100 years, both G-P and Intalco will be gone. With Intalco, it's my hope that what the Bonneville Power Adminstration will do is come up with a proposal allowing them to save …