Legal action looming against training center, Jefferson County official says

PORT TOWNSEND — New legal action is expected to be taken against a Discovery Bay-based homeland security training operation early next week.

Jefferson County Department of Community Development Director Al Scalf said Wednesday that legal counsel had advised him not to specify what actions could be taken against Security Services Northwest’s Fort Discovery Training Center.

“In view of the stop-work order, we’re looking at our legal avenues,” said Scalf.

“We have attorneys involved … and they are applying the law.”

Four notices have been issued against Joe D’Amico, Security Services Northwest president.

Those notices include a July building stop work order, an environmental stop-work order, a notice that D’Amico has 60 days to present more information and Scalf’s stop work order based on the county code. The latter two notices were issued last week.

Scalf said all orders but the environmental notice can be appealed by D’Amico through the county hearing examiner.

The environmental stop-work order would have to be appealed through the county Board of Health, Scalf said.

The controversy pits neighbors organized at the Discovery Bay Alliance and county planning and zoning officials against Security Services Northwest’s training center.

The training facility includes various shooting and explosives ranges on Discovery Bay Land Co.’s 3,400-acre property.

The site extends from the bay’s western shore into the Olympic foothills.

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