Another Green Monday: Coal terminal gets Spokane hearing tomorrow
Time to speak up or forever hold your peace.
It seems like we've tracked coal export facilities in the northwest and the impacts from trains passing through Spokane forever. But the moment we've all been waiting for goes down tomorrow when Spokane hosts a hearing as part of the Environmental Impact Statement. Here are the details for the Spokane hearing: Tuesday, Dec. 4th, 2012, from 4 pm to 7 pm, at Spokane County Fairgrounds, 404 North Havana Street, Spokane Valley.
Get there early for a rally and press conference at 3pm.
At this scoping meeting, the Army Corps of Engineers will decide which impacts to take into account as it considers the permit proposal for a new deep-water coal export facility at Cherry Point. If approved, the Gateway Pacific Terminal north of Bellingham would be the largest coal export terminal in the United States.
In the proposal, up to 62 coal trains will rumble through Spokane on their way to the coal terminal. The first hearing in Belligham drew about 2,000 people.
If you can't make the hearing and want to comment, after the jump are details regarding the Environmental Impact Statement.
The scoping period starts September 24, 2012 and ends January 21, 2013. Written comments regarding the scope of the EIS - including the environmental analysis, range of alternatives, and potential mitigation actions email: comments@eisgatewaypacificwa.
EIS process: www.eisgatewaypacificwa.gov.
Scoping meetings include:
project-specific and cumulative effects on navigation (e.g., vessel
Written comments concerning the project and requests to be included on the EIS notification mailing list should be submitted to:
Mr. Randel Perry
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District
Care of: GPT/BNSF Custer Spur EIS Co-Lead Agencies
1100 112th Avenue Northeast, Suite 400
Bellevue, Washington 98004.
Tuesday December 4th, 2012 from 4-7pm at Spokane County Fairgrounds, 404 North Havana Street, Spokane Valley.
A continuous “on-line scoping meeting” will be hosted on the EIS website at www.eisgatewaypacificwa.gov.
Potentially significant issues to be analyzed in the EIS include but are not limited to:
traffic and navigational safety); marine aquatic habitats, including State-designated aquatic reserves; marine aquatic species, including Endangered Species Act listed species and Washington State species of concern; Tribal treaty rights; wetland and riparian habitat and wildlife; railroad and vehicle traffic; cultural, historic, and archeological resources; air and water quality; noise; recreation; land use; and aesthetics.
Proposed Action. The construction of a new pier in marine waters and associated rail and cargo handling facilities in adjacent wetlands and plans and the expansion of an existing rail spur line into wetlands and across streams. The Corps is preparing an EIS to analyze the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts associated with authorizing the actions.
Project Description. The project sites are located in Whatcom County, Washington, northwest of Ferndale and south of Birch Bay in an area called Cherry Point.
Pacific International Terminals, Inc., is proposing the GPT project to be developed on approximately 350 acres and would include a three-berth, deep-water wharf. The proposed wharf would be 3,000 feet long and 105 feet wide, with access to suitably deep water provided by an approximately 1,100 foot-long by 50 foot-wide trestle. Upland facilities will include open air and covered commodity storage, each serviced by an on-site rail loop.
A system of conveyors would connect the commodity storage areas to the trestle and wharf. The upland facilities would also contain rail unloading facilities, roadways, service buildings, storm water treatment facilities, and utility infrastructure. Development of these facilities will result in impacts to approximately 145 acres of wetlands and numerous drainage features (ditches).
Mitigation for proposed unavoidable impacts to waters of the U.S. will be required to comply with the Corps' 2008 mitigation rule (33 CFR 322.1). Commodities would be delivered to the GPT by rail via the existing BNSF Railway's Custer Spur line from the Bellingham subdivision main line. BNSF Railway is proposing to upgrade its existing Custer Spur line with additional tracks and sidings, which will impact approximately 17 acres of wetlands and involve modifications to two creek crossings and several ditches. Mitigation for proposed unavoidable impacts to waters of the U.S. will be required to comply with applicable Corps requirements.
To date, more than 40,000 residents have written to Washington State Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark opposing coal export, 27 cities, counties and ports, over 160 elected officials – including U.S. Senator Murray, 573 health professionals, over 400 local businesses and 220 faith leaders, and some Northwest Tribes have either voiced concern or gone on record against coal export off the West Coast.
Dr. Frank James, a family phyiscian in Bellingham commented: “These trains would go through the most populated parts of our state, including downtown Bellingham, Seattle and Spokane and the rail-line communities in between. What would this mean to emergency responders, safety along the rail line, and exposure to toxic pollution in our communities? Citizens need to weigh in and make sure our state agencies and the Army Corps know that the costs are not worth it.”
