One Million Voices: Taking a Stand Against Fossil Fuels

Today is a milestone for everyone who has raised their voices to protect their family’s health and safety, their homes and communities, our shared Northwest waterways and our shared responsibility to head off climate change. Governor Inslee was presented with more than one million messages asking him to say no to more coal and oil trains and terminals that threaten so much of what makes our Northwest home and way of life special.


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MEDIA ADVISORY

Huge show of opposition comes as Governor Inslee and state agencies are expected to decide soon on proposed fossil fuel terminals

May 9, 2017 (Olympia, WA) — On May 11 more than one million petition signatures and public comments against coal and oil terminals in the Northwest will be presented to the office of Washington Governor Jay Inslee. Tribal, environmental justice, fishing, labor, public health, first responder, faith, clean energy and conservation leaders will hold a rally on the capitol steps to show the widespread and diverse opposition to the impacts of fossil fuel trains, tankers, pipelines and terminals and call on the Governor to reject permits for proposed coal and oil projects.

Washington’s Energy Facility Siting and Evaluation Council is expected to submit its recommendation to Governor Inslee on the proposed Tesoro-Savage crude-by-rail terminal in Vancouver in the coming months. The Governor will make the final decision. Washington agencies will begin evaluating permit applications for the Millennium-Bulk Logistics coal export terminal in Longview now that the state’s environmental review is complete (released April 28, 2017).

WHAT:  Rally and delivery of petitions to reject fossil fuel terminals to the Governor’s office.

WHO: (Public rally speakers will include):

  • Tyson Johnston, Vice-President, Quinault Indian Nation
  • Bishop Kirby Unti, Northwest Washington Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  • Larry Thevik, Vice-President, Washington Dungeness Crab Fishermen’s Association
  • Glicerio Zurita-Pinacho, Organizer, OneAmerica
  • Tim Young, Chairman, Board of Commissioners, Skamania County Fire District No. 4
  • Cager Clabaugh, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 4
  • Jacob Swan, Vancouver 101 (business coalition against Tesoro-Savage Energy Project)
  • Dr. Bruce Amundson, President, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
  • Mary Lyons, Landowners and Citizens for a Safer Community (Longview, WA)

WHEN: 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2017. The gathered crowd will hear from speakers starting at 11 a.m. The million statements will be presented to the Governor’s office just before 12 Noon.

WHERE: Capitol Steps, 623 Eastside St SE, Olympia, WA 98501. Live-stream via Periscope from @powerpastcoal. Live-tweeting @powerpastcoal and @standuptooil.

VISUALS:  Large crowd holding colorful banners and signs, including a large “1,000,000” banner.

This landmark moment in the people’s movement to transition away from fossil fuels toward clean energy includes petitions and comments sent directly to the Governor’s office as well as public input to state agencies and federal and local decision makers during formal comment periods as part of the environmental study and review process of proposed oil and coal terminals.

The following are some examples of how the one million statements were gathered:

  • Millennium Bulk Logistics proposed coal terminal in Longview: 499,796 comments submitted opposing the project during the environmental review process by Cowlitz County, US Army Corps of Engineers and Washington State Department of Ecology.
  • Gateway Pacific proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point: 124,000 comments submitted opposing the project during the scoping of the environmental impact statement by Whatcom County, US Army Corps of Engineers and Washington State Department of Ecology.
  • Crude by rail proposed terminals in Grays Harbor: 153,296 comments submitted opposing the project.