Consulting firm EnviroIssues is a longstanding fixture of the Northwest’s sustainability community. Known mostly for its work with local governments, the company is generally well respected and considered “a white hat” in a field liberally populated with unscrupulous characters. Of themselves, EnviroIssues says: “Our names says it all—we help make the natural and built communities … Read more
The Northwest’s fight against an onslaught of coal, oil, and gas export projects—what Sightline calls the thin green line—has given rise to what is surely one of the most robust environmental movements in the region’s history. Cascadians have stood up in opposition to carbon fuel proposals in numbers unprecedented for any civic debate, repeatedly packing … Read more
Right now, Pacific Northwest residents have a chance to voice their views on last remaining coal export terminal proposed for Washington state. The project, proposed for Longview on the Columbia River, would be the largest coal terminal in North America, weighing in at 44 million tons annually. All of that coal would be delivered by trains traveling … Read more
A little-known company called Westway has big aspirations in the Pacific Northwest. If the firm gets its way, it will build and operate an oil terminal on the shores of Grays Harbor, Washington, that will bring in large quantities of crude oil by rail, store it in tanks on the shoreline, and ship it out … Read more
Editor’s note: Sightline commissioned this guest article from Bellingham-based writer Ralph Schwartz. We are honored to share more of the story of how Lummi Nation defeated one of the largest coal export terminals in North America, including exclusive video footage of Monday’s events, below. LUMMI RESERVATION—The chairman of Lummi Nation couldn’t sit still. Chairman Tim … Read more
Editor’s note 5/11/16: See exclusive video footage of Lummi Nation leaders receiving news of the Corps’ decision and their reflections on it here. Fabulous news: earlier today, the US Army Corps of Engineers preemptively denied a permit for the proposed Gateway Pacific coal export terminal outside of Bellingham, Washington. The reason: they determined that the project would … Read more
Several West Coast communities are considering whether to roll out the welcome mat for new coal export terminals. In evaluating the merits of these proposals in places like Oakland, California, and Longview, Washington, it’s useful to examine the industry’s real-world track record. As one study of coal port operations put it, “coal terminals by their … Read more
When, at the close of 2015, Congress killed the United States’ 40-year ban on exporting domestic crude oil, many wondered if the change would impact the Northwest, where the fossil fuel industry has been ramping up oil, fracked fuel, and coal shipment projects. In Washington, some observers asked about the so-called “Magnuson Amendment” to the … Read more
Cascadians south of the 49th parallel have heard for years about the Keystone XL pipeline, but many of them know little or nothing about the two pipelines proposed to cross British Columbia: nearly Keystone-sized pipes that would sluice tar sands oil from Alberta to Asia by way of the Pacific Northwest coast. Both projects have … Read more
In 2016, the debate over Northwest coal exports will heat up again. Of the six projects originally targeted for Oregon and Washington, all but two have died. And these two—terminals that would be the first and second largest in North America—will come up for public review this year when the government agencies reviewing them will … Read more
