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Bill providing tax incentives for polysilicon
plant passes House
Plant would create hundreds of jobs in Walla Walla
and Tri-cities
Reps.
Bill Grant and
Maureen Walsh spoke
yesterday in favor of a measure they co-sponsored that would give a
tax incentive to a polysilicon plant that is looking at locating in Walla
Walla County. Public testimony on
House Bill 3303 in the Finance Committee stated the plant
would bring approximately 1,000 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs.
"Walla Walla, someplace in Alabama, Canada
and Iceland: they're the four places where this plant is looking to locate.
We're hoping that they can come to Walla Walla and bring that $1.2 billion
investment to the state of Washington and create good-paying family-wage
jobs," said Grant, D-Walla Walla.
The bill would require that a $500 million investment
be made by the manufacturing plant before the state provides tax
relief. "This plant
produces a substance that is then used to manufacture solar panels, so
it's good clean energy," said Walsh, R-Walla Walla. "It's very exciting
because it's a very low polluting plant. This project could also
potentially spur another project very similar to it in the same area. It
will be a great thing for the state, and certainly a great thing for our
area." The measure
passed the House unanimously and now goes to the Senate for
consideration.
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For more information, contact:
Laura Thoren, Public
Information Officer - (360) 786-7697
Sarah Lamb, Public Information
Officer - (360) 786-7720
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