Opponents were out in force over the past 120 days voicing
concerns about the Gateway Pacific coal export Terminal (GPT) proposed just
north of Bellingham. Agencies have received
over 20,000 comments and a final number is still pending. The Washington
Surfrider Chapters attended several of the 6 scoping comment hearings. Most notably, the Northwest Straits Chapter
made a strong presence at the first hearing in Bellingham and then the Seattle
Chapter turned out for the final hearing held at the Washington Convention
Center. Activists submitted comments
based on our love for marine recreation and passion for clean, healthy shorelines
and oceans here in Washington. All the issues raised during the last four
months must now be studied prior to the release of a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS).
For Surfrider Foundation, the issues we raised included impacts
to beach access cut off by intense train traffic, coal dust pollution on marine
waters and public health, and the threat of a major oil spill from increased
shipping of coal on coastal waters. Our comments were amplified the night of
the Seattle public hearing when Seattle Treasurer Nemesia Herzstein spoke in
front of over 1000 people at the Seattle hearing. Click here for the YouTube video.
The comment period officially ended on January 22nd
and the future timeline is not necessarily clear at this point. The DEIS was
expected to be completed by the end of 2013 but with such an outpouring of resistance
during the scoping period it may take longer to complete the required studies
identified through the scoping process. Once the DEIS is published then the
public will be invited again to comment.
After months of hard work on the ground and through various
media channels, opposition to the coal terminal was apparent. Please check back
here, through our newsletter, or attend a chapter meeting if you are interested
in continuing to follow the process. It
was a great effort by all those involved and now a little break is in order but
it’s important to remember all that was done so when it’s time to comment again
everyone with concerns is prepared.
2 comments:
Proponents of the terminal are spending thousands on TV ads touting its environmental safeguards. They claim that the coal dust will be controlled by wetting it. Yet studies show that 80 percent of coal dust from trains drops out of the bottom of cars, and there is little if any way to limit this. The terminal developer, Carrix/SSA Marine, was caught in the summer of 2011--before environmental impact statements were completed--destroying wetlands to begin construction before getting required permits.
Unfortunately, labor is divided on the issue. A number of unions and labor groups, including the Maritime Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, the Washington State Labor Council, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union–Puget Sound District Council, among others, have endorsed the GPT, according to the project's website.
Their rationale is the 200 permanent union jobs the project is expected to create. Proponents claim that the construction of the terminal will create 2,000 temporary jobs as well. However, a study by an independent nonprofit agency, Community Wise Bellingham, claims that the negative impact on businesses in Bellingham, in the short- and long-term, would destroy as many jobs as the terminal creates.
Dear - I read that you are a supporter of the Cherry Point coal terminal. And so are many other Democratic officials. How can you call yourselves Democrats, supposedly in favor of going to green energy sources for our needs and limiting destructive greenhouse gasses, and yet favor coal exports? I have voted Democrat all my life, but now am considering changing to Independent. I will not vote for anyone who supports oil and coal industries. You all wouldn't have to live in Bellingham if it went through. Proponents of the terminal are spending thousands on TV ads touting its environmental safeguards. They claim that the coal dust will be controlled by wetting it. Yet studies show that 80 percent of coal dust from trains drops out of the bottom of cars, and there is little if any way to limit this. The terminal developer, Carrix/SSA Marine, was caught in the summer of 2011--before environmental impact statements were completed--destroying wetlands to begin construction before getting required permits.
Unfortunately, labor is divided on the issue. A number of unions and labor groups, including the Maritime Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, the Washington State Labor Council, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union–Puget Sound District Council, among others, have endorsed the GPT, according to the project's website.
Their rationale is the 200 permanent union jobs the project is expected to create. Proponents claim that the construction of the terminal will create 2,000 temporary jobs as well. However, a study by an independent nonprofit agency, Community Wise Bellingham, claims that the negative impact on businesses in Bellingham, in the short- and long-term, would destroy as many jobs as the terminal creates.
We would be much better served to create jobs with clean energy projects, such as solar panel factories, wind turbine plants, hydrogen fuel cell plants, etc., than dirty coal terminals and trains, that have been proven to cause all kinds of health disorders, especially lung and asthma related.
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