 The NESCO proposal was withdrawn in 2004 over local concerns about air pollution and environmental degradation that would pose a risk to the national forestlands.The town lacks natural gas service and relies on wood-burning stoves for building heat, some of which have been replaced by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency due to their impact on air quality.Frontier Communications is the only land-based provider of internet and telephone service to Darrington, using a fiber-optic cable laid along State Route 530.