Lummis block Bellingham coal port

[pscot]

This was also posted in E&E

The Tribe has a lot of leverage. They're rich and they have good lawyers. Good slide show at the link

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2013/08/02/lummi-indians-to-feds-no-coal-port-here/

The Lummi Indian Nation has formally informed the federal government of its “unconditional and unequivocal opposition” to the proposed Gateway Pacific coal export terminal, which would be located at Cherry Point in Whatcom County, just north of the Lummi Reservation.

Opposition from the Lummis, in a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, puts significant new issues on the table for a lightning rod project. Gateway Pacific faces opposition from Puget Sound mayors (including Mike McGinn), King County Executive Dow Constantine, state legislators, environmental and climate groups and other Indian tribes.

The coal port needs permits from the Corps of Engineers to proceed. In his letter, tribal business council chair Tim Ballew stated:

“Review of the known facts, data, site plans and the development and operational goals of the projects have resulted in a clear and convincing conclusion that the proposed projects, if built and operated, would have a substantial impairment on the Lummi treaty fishing right harvest at XweChiexen (Cherry Point) and thoughout the Lummi ‘usual and accustomed’ fishing areas

[KT2000]

1. Love the tribes!

and I love the way they operate. They are methodical and wait until the time is right.
They are sovereign nations and must be dealt with in that way. The bought and paid for politicians have no power over them.
Good for the Lummis

[eridani]

2. Now block the one in Longview

Coal Corporations have not given up in Washington--
Now they are focusing on the Longview port
(Millennium Bulk Terminal)

WHAT: Environmental Impact Hearing On the Millennium Bulk Terminal
WHEN: September 17th!! (Doors open 4:00 p.m.; Hearing starts at 5 p.m.)
WHERE: Cowlitz Expo Center (1900 7th Ave, Longview, WA 98632), Longview

==> Actions you can take to help stop the Coal Trains<==
1) SHOW UP at the hearing wearing RED! (RSVP)

http://www.powerpastcoal.org/longview_scoping/?cid=144

2) PREPARE a 1.5 minute statment of concern to deliver.
3) and/or SUBMIT a written statement.

We have information and talking points to help you submit your comments

http://www.coaltrainfacts.org/
http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5168/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=15125
http://www.involveddemocracy.org/Stop_the_Coal_Trains.html

We stopped coal exports from Cherry Point Terminal! NOW, let's do the same in Longview!!!

[eridani]

4. More info from another email

http://members.greenpeace.org/event/view/4561/

Longview, WA Scoping Hearing: Make your Voice Heard!


Date:
September 17th @ 4:00 PM


Description:
Join Greenpeace and allies at the important public hearing about the Millennium coal export terminal in Longview, WA. This project would bring 16 coal trains per day, each a mile and a half long. At the meeting you can give public testimony or simply attend to show your opposition to dirty coal.

Make sure to join us for the rally 4 pm before the hearing at 5 pm!

[eridani]

3. Seattle event: 9/21 NO fossil fuel exports!

In solidarity with our partners at 350.org we invite you to Draw the Line in Seattle with 350.org founder Bill McKibben.

When: Sat. Sept. 21st from 11 am -2 pm

Where: Myrtle Edwards Park, Seattle

What: 350.org National Day of Action. Climate Justice Ambassadors will present workshops, make art, and write letters to combat global warming, leading up to a rally with the Mayor and founder Bill McKibben as we draw the line to end fossil fuel exports and stop Keystone XL. Youth leaders from iMatter and from Plant-For-The-Planet will speak out for future generations.

We'll make this event inspiring and spectacular.

Visuals build party this Saturday,
Sept. 14, from 12:30- 5pm (drop-in)
Where: 2401 NE Blakeley St. Seattle, WA 98105--basically across from U Village, but look at the "street view".

Come join us and take part in lots of fun art-making: putting hand prints on a banner, painting signs, tying the letters onto our long deer fencing banners, making herring and paper salmon hats and plant for the planet trees, and sewing red cloth strips together for the line we "draw" between tracks and water for the group photo...and who knows what else!

Bring: friends and family and a snack to share. No skills required.

Thank you for drawing the line! Hope you can join us.

[eridani]

5. October 17 hearing in Tacoma

On October 17 we have the chance to tell the world that we that we don’t want Washington to become a coal conveyor belt! We deserve better.

This is our official public opportunity to say NO to the Longview proposed coal export facility and to voice our concerns about specific impacts. Please come to the hearing, submit a comment, and testify.

If approved, the Millennium Bulk Terminals proposal in Longview, WA would be the largest permitted coal export terminal in the United States with plans to export 44 million tons of coal annually. Right now, the three agencies involved in issuing permits are trying to decide which impacts to take into account in their decision making process. Our state would get an additional 16 extra trains every 24 hours!

In addition to saying NO to coal exports, this is your opportunity to provide input on what impacts you believe should be considered in the environmental analysis for Millennium’s coal export proposal. There are a myriad of potential impacts from increased train and shipping traffic, to our fragile eco-system, to our air quality and water quality, to global warming and more. What’s important is that you voice your concerns.

Please try to attend the hearing this Thursday, October 17, and absolutely everyone needs to comment whether you can attend a hearing, or not.

When: Thursday Oct 17, 5-8 p.m. (doors open at 4)
Where: Tacoma Convention Center, Tacoma

AND: please join us for a Rally at 3:30 PM at Tollefson Plaza Please wear RED!

At the hearing you can give oral testimony, submit written comments, or simply wear red to show your opposition to coal export.

Many of you stepped up in a powerful way last fall and there were over 124,000 comments submitted concerning the coal export proposal just north of Bellingham. And thousands of you attended in person! Your diligence paid off, and the agencies listened. This proposal is just as disastrous as the previous one. Please comment today, and consider attending the hearing on Oct. 17.

In addition to the noise, traffic congestion and air quality degradation, we’d get a new identity as one of the world’s largest exporters of climate-disrupting dirty coal. Learn more about the impacts here.

There are pre-hearing workshops next week in Seattle and Tacoma. See end of email for details.

We deserve better. Let’s stand up against these dirty plans and demand a better, cleaner future for our children and our communities.

http://www.powerpastcoal.org/tacoma-scoping/?cid=163

[eridani]

6. ==> Actions you can take to help stop the Coal Trains<==

1) SHOW UP at the hearing wearing RED! (RSVP)
http://www.powerpastcoal.org/tacoma-scoping/?cid=163
2) PREPARE a 1.5 minute statment of concern to deliver.
3) and/or SUBMIT a written statement. The scoping period for written comments goes until November 18th.
http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5168/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=15125