[Originally published in the OTHER paper, Eugene, Oregon December, 1995.]

Friends of Eugene, a local group concerned with land use and urban planning and design, filed a Notice of Intent to Appeal with the state Land Use Board of Appeals on November 21st claiming that the proposed Hyundai plant does not meet the Metro Plan criteria for "Campus Industrial" in the fragile Willow Park wetlands.

An early version of the Plan listed "semiconductor" as an appropriate use for the site; this was later changed to an industry producing "electronic components and accessories." However, in describing such uses, the Plan stipulates that they will not "generate offensive external impacts ... pollution or substantial emissions" and will "have minimal environmental impacts."

Appellants maintain that the Hyundai plant will have a large environmental impact, citing the heavy water use (3.3 million gallons/day) and air pollution emissions entailed in the operation, plus the transportation, use and storage of a variety of toxic chemicals and hazardous substances.

City Attorney Glenn Klein, in a nine-page opinion, maintains that the proposed plant is an "outright permitted use," largely, it seems, because electronic component production is specified as a use. He quotes the 1989 Metro Plan revisions stating that designation of "clean" industry does not mean "wastewater emissions may be free of pollutants, but that the external characteristics of the buildings ... be attractive." Klein states further that the precision required in producing computer chips is not compatible with the air pollutants, noise and vibration associated with heavy industry.