Al French
SPOKANE – A newly established coalition of community members and environmental organizations filed recall charges against Spokane County Commissioner Al French, accusing the long-standing commissioner of attempting to conceal polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination in West Plains drinking water on Aug. 27.
The charges were filed by the Clean Water Accountability Coalition, which includes West Plains residents, the progressive advocacy group Fuse Washington, and the nonprofit Washington Conservation Action. The coalition announced the recall effort during a press conference on Tuesday morning.
These substances are known as "forever chemicals," which are linked to serious health issues such as cancer, heart disease, and thyroid disease.
In 2017, members of the Spokane International Airport board, where French served as a board member, became aware that firefighting chemicals used at the airport had contaminated groundwater in the West Plains and Airway Heights areas.
While Fairchild Air Force Base had already announced these substance contamination and initiated testing and clean water provision for nearby residents, contamination results from Spokane International Airport were not made public until last year. Testing for residents near the airport only began earlier this year.
French, who is seeking a fifth term as county commissioner, has denied any cover-up, asserting that the criticism is politically driven. He cited the complexity of the situation, involving multiple agencies like the Department of Ecology and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to French, some contamination resulted from FAA directives.
Molly Marshall, a retired member of the Washington Air National Guard and French's Democratic challenger, has repeatedly criticized his handling of the PFAS issue during her campaign.
Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton, who received the recall charges, commented on the challenges of recall elections, noting that they are often complicated, divisive, and emotionally taxing for the community. Dalton, who has overseen Spokane County elections since 1999, recalled the last recall election in 2005, when 65% of voters opted to remove Spokane Mayor Jim West from office amid sexual abuse allegations.
Dalton outlined the recall process: if approved by the court, the recall sponsors would have 180 days to gather 11,535 signatures, representing 25% of the total votes cast in the last election. If the threshold is met, a special election will be called, which cannot occur between the primary and general elections, according to state law.
If French is recalled, the Spokane County Republican Central Committee would nominate three candidates, from which the remaining County Commissioners would choose a replacement. If French loses his reelection bid in November, the recall petition would be canceled. However, if he wins, the recall could proceed, pending court approval, with a 200-word synopsis of the charges and a 250-word rebuttal from French on the ballot.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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