This is likely the first time that Climate Change has been included. Not sure this will withstand court challenge, but it’s likely to end up at the Supreme Court as precedence. This has wide ranging ramifications, including here on the Peninsula with the biomass projects, for example.
The state Department of Ecology on Wednesday announced it was launching an environmental review, unprecedented in scope, of a proposed coal-export terminal near Bellingham. The scope of the review will range from other Western states that would see increased numbers of coal trains, to Asia, where coal combustion will create greenhouse gases. The state review of the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point in Northwest Washington is expected to take some two years to complete. It will be coordinated with more limited reviews conducted by Whatcom County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Hal Bernton and Brian M. Rosenthal report.
State to undertake sweeping review of coal-terminal plan http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021513819_coalterminalxml.html
See also: Climate Change & Rail Transport Will Be Included When Measuring Coal Export Project’s Impact http://earthfix.kcts9.org/energy/article/climate-change-rail-transport-will-be-included-whe/
Filed under: Around the Sound, Government | Tagged: bellingham, cherry point, coal, coal port | Comments Off on Major News: Climate Change to be included in Coal Export EIS – Earthfix and Seattle Times
