Editorial: Don't approve Spokane Tribe off-reservation casino

Monday, February 4, 2013
Filed Under: Casino Stalker | Opinion
More on: bia, off-reservation, spokane, washington

"The Spokane Tribe is but two signatures away from approval of its decadelong effort to build a casino in Airway Heights. May those pens run dry.

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs said it would support the tribe’s plan for a casino, hotel, spa and associated retail outlets despite vociferous objections from local government and business officials worried primarily about the project’s impact on Fairchild Air Force Base.

Alternative proposals included a scaled-down casino, or none at all, and one version without the 300-room hotel. Alternative 4 – no action/no development, would be our preferred option.

The preliminary BIA decision could not have come at a worse time for Fairchild. The base is among four finalists for receiving the first new-generation air-refueling tankers based on the Boeing 767. And just over the horizon is another likely Pentagon base-closure review in 2015."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Spokanes’ casino hopes nearer, but need dashing (The Spokesman Review 2/3)

Also Today:
BIA backs proposed casino (The Spokesman Review 2/2)

Federal Register Notice:
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Spokane Tribe of Indians West Plains Casino and Mixed Use Project, City of Airway Heights, Spokane County, WA (February 1, 2013)