Council should overturn decision

I’m glad to see that Snohomish County officials are developing an economic stimulus plan to preserve local jobs and attract new businesses. If they are truly serious about rolling out a “welcome” mat for future employers, County Council members will also overturn a hearing examiner’s decision to deny a new radio station from being established here. After reading her 64-page decision, it’s clear to me that the examiner has zero evidence that radio antennas are harmful to human health. Instead, she claims that the “risk of potential harm” provides enough justification for her decision.

The truth of the matter is that if the same regulatory standard had been applied to the United States Navy, then the USS Abraham Lincoln would never have been allowed to dock in Everett due to the “risk of potential harm” from nuclear radiation. It’s easy to imagine other significant projects in Snohomish County that would have been denied if a hearing examiner had applied the same “precautionary principle” to them.

Far from safeguarding the well-being of Snohomish County residents, this decision threatens our welfare by subjecting all future projects and investments to an arbitrary and unreasonable standard. It creates a precedent that will make it harder and more expensive to generate economic development and living-wage jobs at a time when our community needs them. In the end, it’s just not enough for county leaders to spend taxpayer dollars to create new jobs. They must also ensure that regulations governing businesses are predictable and reasonable.

Future employers will take note of the council’s decision regarding the fate of Snohomish County’s newest radio station. Will they unfurl a welcome mat for new investment or hang up sign that says “go away”? For all our sakes, let’s hope they vote to overturn the hearing examiner’s decision.

Sean Straub