Hundreds attend coal terminal hearing in Vancouver
SEATTLE (AP) - A series of public hearings around Washington on a proposed coal export terminal near Ferndale are ending with the arguments clearly drawn.
Supporters at Wednesday night's hearing in Vancouver said it would be a boost for the economy and create jobs. Opponents are concerned about long coal trains, dust and environmental risk.
The Columbian reports about 650 people attended the hearing at Clark College on the Gateway Pacific Project.
Thousand were expected at the seventh and final hearing Thursday night at the state convention center in Seattle.
The $600 million terminal proposed by SSA Marine of Seattle is the largest of five proposed terminals in Washington and Oregon to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to power plants in Asia.
The public comment period remains open through Jan. 21.
Supporters at Wednesday night's hearing in Vancouver said it would be a boost for the economy and create jobs. Opponents are concerned about long coal trains, dust and environmental risk.
The Columbian reports about 650 people attended the hearing at Clark College on the Gateway Pacific Project.
Thousand were expected at the seventh and final hearing Thursday night at the state convention center in Seattle.
The $600 million terminal proposed by SSA Marine of Seattle is the largest of five proposed terminals in Washington and Oregon to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to power plants in Asia.
The public comment period remains open through Jan. 21.
We need to get China to stop using coal. Much of the Chinese population lives far away in rural areas where electric grids are primitive or non-existent, they should be using decentralized power which is cheaper, or sart deploying and marketing small solar rigs to their outlying rural population.Â
 @NorthwestEconomist We need to encourage them to up the usage of alternative energy, not assist them to continue to pollute.Â
 @Darn it!  @NorthwestEconomist The Chinese already blatantly stole American solar panel technology and started manufacturing them - why aren't they using those?
 @UtterReality  @NorthwestEconomist Maybe because some people have a hard time adapting to change. Also, it would take a committment from their government to encourage the switch. Much the same as it is here getting us off of fossil fuels. Also, see NorthwestEconomist post regarding rural areas being off their grid.
 @APenny4MyThoughts  @UtterReality  @NorthwestEconomist I'd say great! We should stop using oil or else we're headed toward Venusification.Â
 @UtterReality  Cause it is still cheaper not to but it is profitable to sell the technology to us.@NorthwestEconomist How would you like it if nations we imported oil from started encouraging us to use alternative sources of energy.  Â
No need to worry they'll only be shipping clean coal through Ferndale..
 @Windowseat "clean coal"...Is that some new punk group? It's not something that exists in the real world...
I say do it! Coal is one thing we have plenty of and can still be a huge export for us, giving our nation manufacturing jobs, and a general economic boost to our region.
 @virtual anomaly How do you get manufacturing jobs when we would be shipping raw coal straight out of the ground?
@Darn it!
Yeah I guess they wouldn't be manufacturing, but blue-collar, union jobs (mining and railroads workers).
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Unless China signs some sort of environmental protection agreement they are going to keep on polluting anyways.
 @virtual anomaly  @Darn So...if an arsonist refuses to sign a "no burning" pledge, we should just continue to enable them?
Keep in mind that the West coast of the US is a major recipient of their pollution.
Does anybody know why we are shipping coal to China, other than pursuit of the almighty buck? Prevailing winds will carry their pollution right back to the US and we will not generate any power out of the deal.
WHY?
 @Glassman Glassman - Nope. It's just the almighty buck. Coal is ugly from the time the first bulldozer hits the ground to the time it pollutes the air. Leave it in the ground!
@Glassman Well glassman to give the short answer to your question is this. How much do we owe China? That is one Idea, maybe not the real answer. Here is the most correct. Under the Obama EPA we as a nation can not use coal for our energy any more. That is why.
 @wynooheeman You meant Nixon EPA didn't you?
@T_BONE_WALKER I think you been smoking way to much legal pot here are some links to read. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/on-energy/2012/11/05/president-obama-is-trying-to-destroy-the-us-coal-industry http://www.examiner.com/article/epa-planning-new-anti-coal-regulations-for-after-election
 @wynooheeman The EPA that the Nixon put in place was out of a political move due to a river being on fire from chemicals back east and nothing more.
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Would you care to outline for us the "Morphing" that has taken place at the EPA under Obama? I dont care for Obama at all as he leans too far right for me so dont take this as blind support of the man or the party but, Obama is the one that gave the green light to coal as being a clean energy clear back at the beginning of his first term. Where were you at?
@T_BONE_WALKER The EPA the Republicans put in to place. has morphed in to something completely different now. The current Director has said that they want the American people fear the EPA as much as they do the IRS. Bunch of Jack booted brown shirts of regulation Nazi's if you ask me.
 @wynooheeman  @Glassman "How much do we owe China?"
But how does this help that? We damage our environment, distribute coal dust through our towns, cities and open ares, ship a dirty fuel to them - and they return the pollution to us? Not exactly a "fair exchange" in my book.
 @wynooheeman  @OrcasThunder That might have helped clear the air - with all the coal dust it's hard to be sure...
@OrcasThunder I should have phrased that better with a preface. I agree with you. The EPA has a double standard.
 @wynooheeman  @OrcasThunder  @Glassman "what you just wrote can be called hypocritical! double standard,"
What part of what I wrote is not true?
@OrcasThunder @Glassman what you just wrote can be called hypocritical! double standard, The pigs of the animal farm? All are equal but the pigs are more equal.