About eight months ago, the Herald spoke up on an issue that it quickly took heat for. This paper came out against Fred Hill Materials’ Pit-To-Pier project in July because it felt, despite promises to the contrary, the local company could never give the total assurance that an environmental disaster would not occur there.

We also questioned impacts on the Hood Canal Bridge and marine life.

Pretty much immediately, FHM officials were on the horn and wanting to explain their side of things. They did this during a few occasions since the summer and while they’ve done an excellent job educating the public about the project, there are still no environmental guarantees.

When we first questioned the plan,we were chastised by officials at Fred Hill for siding with the “special interest” Hood Canal Coalition. The HCC, they said, uses the July 26, 2003 editorial in its opposition movement. At that time, the Herald was the only paper against the project, they pointed out.

We still may be.

Even so, others are also unsettled by the proposal. Last week, despite assurances from the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Chair that the group did its homework and did not come to take its stand against the project on a whim, the tribe’s position was down-played by a FHM spokesman who said the group had “rattled off” its concerns.

The risks are too great, the chairman stated. We agree. Just because barge-to-bridge collisions are rare doesn’t mean they still don’t happen.

Certainly, the tribe may not have been “fully briefed” as the spokesman asserted but — in light of the recent catastrophe at Indianola — should it not still be concerned? While the tragedy of the oil spill near Edmonds was bad enough, having the slick slip across the Sound only to wash up on our pristine shores raised serious questions locally. If an accident that far away can wreak so much havoc, what impact would one in our own backyard have?

Hopefully, we’ll never find out.

Fred Hill Materials officials can make all the promises they want to, run tests from here til sunset, build state-of-the-art facilities and take all the environmental precautions known to mankind but they can’t plan for the human element of errors. No one can.

Given this, officials there should continue their admirable efforts to educate the public but they shouldn’t feel the need to criticize those who are concerned and question their project.