Hundreds attend Spokane hearing on coal exports
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Environmentalists and business interests have been competing to pack public hearings on a proposed coal export terminal near Ferndale, eager to build up a record of comments for or against.
Many public meetings are lucky to get a handful of interested people to show up. But hundreds have attended the meetings at Ferndale, Bellingham, Mount Vernon and Spokane on the Gateway Pacific Project at Cherry Point.
A smaller crowd was understandable at the Friday Harbor hearing on San Juan Island, but another big crowd is likely next Wednesday in Vancouver. And, the turnout for the Dec. 13 hearing in Seattle is expected to be so large it was moved to the state convention center.
SSA Marine of Seattle hopes to build the $600 million terminal. It's the largest of five proposed terminals in Washington and Oregon to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to power plants in Asia.
The arguments were familiar from about 800 people at Tuesday's hearing at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. Opponents are concerned about train traffic, coal dust and damage to the environment, including climate change. Supporters in unions and business groups say the terminal and coal exports will boost the economy.
A trade organization in favor of coal shipments hired about 30 temporary workers to stand in line from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. to hold speaking spots for its representatives, The Spokesman-Review reported Wednesday.
Some environmentalists also showed up early to ensure that people traveling from near the coal fields would have a chance to speak.
"My land is beautiful. The river is clean," said Alaina Buffalo Spirit, a member of the North Cheyenne Tribe living near Colstrip, Mont. "I would like to see it stay that way."
Spokane City Councilman Ben Stuckart warned about increasing coal train shipments through Spokane and north Idaho.
"We are the choke point for the rail traffic that will come through," he said.
Business representatives said trade is responsible for 1 in 3 Washington jobs.
"We believe in exporting," said Matt McCoy, of the International Trade Alliance in Spokane.
The Northwest Alliance for Jobs and Exports, an industry and union-backed group, hired temporary workers who stood in line in green T-shirts to hold speaking spots.
"We are not ashamed of that in any way," said spokeswoman Lauri Hennessey. Testimony is allocated on a first-come basis.
A small number of environmentalists had already grabbed the first places in line, witnesses said.
Environmentalists rallied before the start of the meeting with music from Spokane's Community School Drummers and the Spokane chapter of Raging Grannies singing warning songs.
Some held a large sign that read, "Do we need 60 more trains per day?"
The Western Organization of Resource Councils earlier this year estimated that an additional 28 coal trains a day would go through Spokane by 2017. The number of trains could rise to 63 a day based on proposals for other port facilities across the Pacific Northwest.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe estimated that eight to 16 trains are possible each day through Spokane.
The meetings are convened jointly by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington State Department of Ecology and the Whatcom County Council to identify issues to be studied. The public comment period remains open through Jan. 21, and then an environmental impact statement will be drafted.
Many public meetings are lucky to get a handful of interested people to show up. But hundreds have attended the meetings at Ferndale, Bellingham, Mount Vernon and Spokane on the Gateway Pacific Project at Cherry Point.
A smaller crowd was understandable at the Friday Harbor hearing on San Juan Island, but another big crowd is likely next Wednesday in Vancouver. And, the turnout for the Dec. 13 hearing in Seattle is expected to be so large it was moved to the state convention center.
SSA Marine of Seattle hopes to build the $600 million terminal. It's the largest of five proposed terminals in Washington and Oregon to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to power plants in Asia.
The arguments were familiar from about 800 people at Tuesday's hearing at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. Opponents are concerned about train traffic, coal dust and damage to the environment, including climate change. Supporters in unions and business groups say the terminal and coal exports will boost the economy.
A trade organization in favor of coal shipments hired about 30 temporary workers to stand in line from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. to hold speaking spots for its representatives, The Spokesman-Review reported Wednesday.
Some environmentalists also showed up early to ensure that people traveling from near the coal fields would have a chance to speak.
"My land is beautiful. The river is clean," said Alaina Buffalo Spirit, a member of the North Cheyenne Tribe living near Colstrip, Mont. "I would like to see it stay that way."
Spokane City Councilman Ben Stuckart warned about increasing coal train shipments through Spokane and north Idaho.
"We are the choke point for the rail traffic that will come through," he said.
Business representatives said trade is responsible for 1 in 3 Washington jobs.
"We believe in exporting," said Matt McCoy, of the International Trade Alliance in Spokane.
The Northwest Alliance for Jobs and Exports, an industry and union-backed group, hired temporary workers who stood in line in green T-shirts to hold speaking spots.
"We are not ashamed of that in any way," said spokeswoman Lauri Hennessey. Testimony is allocated on a first-come basis.
A small number of environmentalists had already grabbed the first places in line, witnesses said.
Environmentalists rallied before the start of the meeting with music from Spokane's Community School Drummers and the Spokane chapter of Raging Grannies singing warning songs.
Some held a large sign that read, "Do we need 60 more trains per day?"
The Western Organization of Resource Councils earlier this year estimated that an additional 28 coal trains a day would go through Spokane by 2017. The number of trains could rise to 63 a day based on proposals for other port facilities across the Pacific Northwest.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe estimated that eight to 16 trains are possible each day through Spokane.
The meetings are convened jointly by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington State Department of Ecology and the Whatcom County Council to identify issues to be studied. The public comment period remains open through Jan. 21, and then an environmental impact statement will be drafted.
It's "jobs," not "job's," (pet peeve) and this poisonous coal train and its effects in the long run will cost us a LOT more than however many jobs it would bring. Besides, coal is dead. It's a fossil fuel which must go the way of the dodo, whether you know it or not, JFR. My question is where is the Army Corp of Engineers address and email so we can send out comments ahead of time? Thanks much.
 @Seattle voter It's not jobs - it's just a blow job!  Don't you feel that smoke blowing up your hind quad?
It's funny how you all complain about the economy and lack of job's and then fight everything out there trying to create job's. Too many people with a bad view on how the world works. I say anyone caught fighting against a company that will create job's should be banned from ever collecting unemployment benefits.
 @JFR Like everything in life, there is a cost/benefit analysis to be had. The benefits of this coal exporting are small. Sure, a few more jobs but we're talking in the hundreds, MAYBE a thousand or so. However, the costs are HUGE. Massive increase in train traffic that slows down lots of other commerce, coal dust in the air is a health hazard, and the environmental cost.
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We could also create a lot of jobs by shipping all the water from the Columbia river down to CA. We don't do that either. There are lots of ways to create jobs that have too high a cost for society as a whole, and society gets to decide on that.
I watch the commercials on how the coal industry will create thousands of jobs. I call BS on this. It's just more propaganda.
With the climate change battle brewing, they should wait a year or so. Then we will have more numbers to prove conclusively(?) whether it's a good idea to pump more coal smoke into the air. We could be helping Asia destroy the environment. That's worth looking into.
@Elvis It's not going to make any difference if Wa. doesn't allow it, the trains will just go elsewhere and take the jobs with them. As far as Asia is concerned they are not going to just quit using coal because we wish it so. For every venture we turn down there is someone waiting in the wings to cash in on it.
 @Jatok  @Elvis The coal exporters have chosen this method because it's cheap. If we don't allow them to ship via WA then they will likely pick other methods, hopefully with less impact, but they will be more expensive. That will raise the price of coal, make it less desirable to buy, and less will be used overall.
@nwbackpacker @Elvis You and I are not even on the same page with this issue.
 @Jatok  @Elvis I know, it's worth a fortune. If the US decides that coal sent to Asia was not a good idea, I'd be happy.