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Issue link: https://coal.epubxp.com/i/123548
transport tips continued waterways, and ensure a better quality of life for present and future generations." Futurewise has gone on record as opposing all coal terminals in the state, but in the comments following, its position statement has presented a set of concerns that covers literally every impact conceivable. Position Statement "Futurewise works to protect our state's shorelines and to build healthy communities so the next generation can inherit a better world. But corporate interests looking for a quick profit are fighting hard to export dirty coal through Washington state, threatening our communities and disrupting the world's climate. That's why today Futurewise staff, with the support of its board, filed a comment letter to Whatcom County, the state Department of Ecology, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to recommend that a programmatic Environment Impact Statement (EIS) be prepared to assess the individual and cumulative impacts of all of the potential coal ports in Washington and Oregon and to identify the mitigation necessary to maintain the region's built and natural environments, human health and our state's economy. In our comment letter, we call for the lead agencies to evaluate more than 35 key issues that will probably have adverse impacts. These issues were broadly categorized into the follow impacts: • Water Quality • Air quality • Fish and Wildlife • Transportation • Public Safety • Downtown Bellingham • Planned Industrial Capacity • Cultural Resources • Land and Shoreline Use • Public and Environmental Health Whether it is coal dust's impact on local farms, increased ocean acidification that kills our shellfish industry, bisecting our cities and towns with dozens of mile-long coal trains, or blocking high-value manufactured goods and Washington-grown wheat and barley to be exported out of our ports—the proposed coal terminals and trains are likely to have a big impact on Washington state communities." Bitter invective comments against "quick" corporate profits suggests Futurewise's reaction is considerably more emotional than it is informed. There is no guarantee of any profit; if and when there is a profit, it certainly would be painstakingly slow. The Futurewise request described would guarantee that nothing would happen quickly, and that project developers would be required to pay contractors for preparing 35 differ- ent EIS studies. Gateway developers would wind up spending millions before the first ton of coal would be loaded on a vessel, and many would have their careers on the line. For those interested in seeing the complete list of Futurewise's EIS concerns, go to http://futurewise.org and click on the breaking news section. The reader will find it thorough and well-conceived, lacking the emotion of the position letter while providing a clear path for EIS studies. It is over-reaching in several places. The Washingtonian View Except for a few summer months the weather in Seattle is usually rainy. Sometimes the clouds lift and one can see the Olympic Range across Puget Sound, Mount Baker to the north, Cascades to the east and Mount Rainier to the southeast. As a former Washington state citizen, the author implicitly understands why Washingtonians do not want anyone or anything to spoil their state. At one time Washingtonians were even adamant about not allowing Californians into their state. That idea lacked both common sense and Constitutional support, but it did illustrate their love of the land. Many Washingtonians need jobs, and that inevitably leads to change. Unfortunately, they are told things about proposed new developments that are not true by people who do not share their concerns, and many of them wind up fighting against the very companies that have the vision, desire and funding to create new jobs. The economic fallout from the 2007 closure of the Georgia Pacific plant in Bellingham is still being felt throughout Whatcom County. Does it help matters when out-of-county or out-of-state protesters are bused in or fill the blogs with all kinds of scare statements? Most of them have little to nothing at stake in Whatcom County. Commenting on a Few of the More Common Concerns Figure 2: Washington State Rail System, 2011 (Source: Washington State DOT) 24 www.coalage.com Selling Coal to China—Some people fear selling U.S. coal to China will result in air pollution that will come back to them in just a few days. Will Washington's exporting policies prevent the Chinese from burning coal? Assuming we conclude the obvious—that the Chinese will keep on doing what they are doing now— operating coal-fired plants, we have to April 2013