CHIMACUM — They may not agree on how to fix the budget or plan growth in the Port Hadlock/Irondale area, but all four county commissioner candidates are close on the proposed “pit-to-pier” project.

The candidates — Dan Titterness and Phil Johnson in District 1, and Glen Huntingford and David Sullivan in District 2 — expressed their opposition to the gravel barge plan before a crowd of about 80 at a voter forum Wednesday night at the Chimacum Grange.

Superior Court judge candidates Craddock Verser and Joan Best also squared off during the forum. The winner of that election is most likely to be determined in the Sept. 14 primary election.

During the forum’s commissioner candidates’ segment, Titterness, R-Port Townsend, indicated he favors extracting gravel from the Shine area mine operated by Fred Hill Materials Inc., but doesn’t agree with the plan to load the gravel onto barges and ships.

Higher level of decisions

The county commissioners don’t have a vote in deciding if the pit-to-pier idea moves forward. The permitting process will go through state and federal agencies.

“I would vote against it in that location,” said Titterness, the incumbent District 1 commissioner.

He suggested there might be a different way to export the gravel from the Shine mine but didn’t elaborate.

Democrat Johnson, Titterness’ opponent, called the pit-to-pier project “dangerous” and said he would lobby against the industrialization of Hood Canal.

Johnson, a Port Townsend resident, also questioned the safety of moving barges and ships through and around the Hood Canal Bridge.

Huntingford, R-Chimacum and the incumbent in District 2, also noted the possibility of damaging or disabling the floating bridge as his main reason for opposing pit-to-pier in the Shine area.

A long time

Huntingford said he doesn’t think a final decision on pit-to-pier will be made for a long time.

He also defended the commissioners’ approval of a 640-acre mineral overlay zone at the Shine pit, saying it would move the operation behind a ridge and lead to reclamation of land currently being mined.

Sullivan, a Democrat and Huntingford’s opponent, said he wouldn’t have voted for the 640-acre mineral overlay zone because the forestry land designation on the Shine property protects mineral lands.

Sullivan said he would have favored limiting Fred Hill’s mining operations to 10 acres a year.