Riverkeeper’s Theresa Labriola & Dan Serres were interviewed about this mismanagement at Hanford. See their interview here:

And, continue to follow Riverkeeper and KING 5′s investigative report series, Hanford’s Dirty Secrets, on the latest news at Hanford.

June 17, 2013

St. Helens, OR – After receiving overwhelming testimony in opposition to the expansion of the Port Westward industrial area near Clatskanie, today the Columbia County Planning Commission recommended denial of land use changes that would have more than doubled the size of the Port Westward Industrial Park. During hearings in May, the Planning Commission received detailed, passionate testimony from Columbia County farmers, business owners, and residents who are concerned that the expanded industrial zone would be used for coal exports, oil shipments, or both. The Port of St. Helens, which has supported multiple coal export proposals, requested the proposed changes.

Read Riverkeeper’s legal comments opposing the industrial land grab at Port Westward here.

“The Port is pushing for coal and oil exports, proposals that are completely at odds with the health of the Columbia River and the residents of Columbia County,” argued Dan Serres, Conservation Director of Columbia Riverkeeper. “We are heartened to see that the Planning Commission is taking the concerns of Columbia County residents seriously.” 

During public hearings, local residents and business owners expressed serious concerns about the impact of increased unit train traffic in Scappoose, St. Helens, and Rainier. “The Planning Commission heard a clear message from its constituents: we don’t want dirty industry at Port Westward,” stated Nancy Ward, with local activist group Clean Columbia County. “The prospect of a dozen or more unit trains – whether for oil or coal – bisecting our communities is something that will impact every resident and business owner in Columbia County.”

Local farmers offered testimony to the Commission that was highly critical of the proposed expansion of Port Westward’s industrial area, noting that local farms use the rich local soil to produce high-value crops such as berries and mint.

“We create local jobs and support the local economy by growing high-value crops and producing value-added products in the Port Westward area,” said local mint farmer Mike Seely. “The Port is bending over backwards to try and bring in industries that are totally incompatible with our agricultural sector here. At the very least, we agree with the Planning Commission that the Port should use the existing industrial site before swallowing up more good farmland.”

The Planning Commission’s decision can be reviewed by the Columbia County Board of Commissioners. The County Commission may decide to open up the rezoning issue for additional public input before making a final decision.

##

DEQ has opened a public comment period on draft air quality permits for the controversial Morrow Pacific coal export project proposed by Ambre Energy. The comment period runs through Friday, July 12 at 5PM.

How can you help?

Sign the Petition

Tell DEQ to use their authority to protect Oregon from dirty coal export by signing this petition.

Attend a Public Hearing

Public hearings will be held on July 9 in both Portland or Hermiston. Click here for details about the public hearings. Pre-registration is required for public testimony at both hearings. And, there will be a rally at 5:30PM outside the Portland hearing.

Riverkeeper’s suggested talking points & questions for DEQ

Ambre Energy’s proposed Morrow Pacific coal export terminal would result in coal dust and diesel emissions that would likely exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards and worsen pollution in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, where air quality is currently suffering from air pollution. The proposal would result in doubling barge traffic on the Columbia River, harming salmon, river recreation and navigation. Due to concerns over these likely impacts, local governments, tribes, federal agencies and elected officials, including Congressmen Earl Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio, have called for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement on the project.

Read more about this bad move that could make Oregon the first state to break ground for coal export.

Oregon LNG’s new proposal represents a significant departure from its previous LNG import scheme. As part of its project, Oregon LNG intends to supercool and export North American natural gas, some of it sourced through the newly proposed Williams Washington Expansion Project – a proposal for 140 miles of new, 36-inch, high-pressure pipelines through Washington.

You can help! Scroll down to learn how you can take action to help stop LNG export proposals.

Thumbing Its Nose at County and State Laws

As reported in The Oregonian and the Daily Astorian, Oregon LNG is hoping that it can ignore local and state laws while seeking FERC’s approval. Oregon LNG spent two years attempting to sidestep the authority of Clatsop County’s Board of Commissioners after the Board took a preliminary vote to reject the pipeline project in 2011. Now, with a final vote looming this summer, Oregon LNG is arguing that a federal approval should override local and state authority. Despite spending years to seek the County’s approval, Oregon LNG CEO Peter Hansen now says, “It’s quite clear that a local county does not have jurisdiction over an interstate pipeline.”

Regardless of Oregon LNG’s newfound distaste for county land use rules and the Coastal Zone Management Act, local activists and Columbia Riverkeeper plan to continue our fight to hold Oregon LNG responsible for meeting Oregon’s laws, including those that protect our water quality, forests, public safety and salmon. Riverkeeper will continue to work with landowners and community groups who are impacted by the Oregon LNG project. We plan to intervene in the FERC process, and we continue to urge the states of Oregon and Washington to stand up for our communities and to defend vigorously the rights of each state to review and, if appropriate, deny the Oregon LNG proposal.

See Riverkeeper’s comments on the Oregon LNG and Washington Expansion Project proposals.

TAKE ACTION

Tell the Governors of Washington and Oregon to protect farms, forestland, and salmon from the Oregon LNG terminal and pipelines. Urge them to defend the right of Oregon and Washington to review proposed LNG projects and their pipelines!

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber

Click here to send an email

PHONE: 503-378-4582

ADDRESS:

Washington Governor Jay Inslee

Click here to send an email

PHONE: 360-902-4111

ADDRESS:

GET INVOLVED

Donate Today – support the fight against LNG exports in Oregon & Washington

Contact Dan Serres, Riverkeeper’s Conservation Director, at 503-890-2441 or dan@columbiariverkeeper.org for more information or to get involved.

On June 5, 2013, Columbia Riverkeeper and allies filed a Clean Water Act lawsuit to stop toxic coal discharges from trains into Northwest waterways.

Watch this 2 minute video of Riverkeeper’s Brett VandenHeuvel revealing illegal coal pollution in the Columbia:

We took to the water this winter to investigate how much coal pollutes our river. Riverkeeper and allies documented significant amounts of coal pollution along the tracks and in the water.

We are holding Big Coal and the rail company Burlington Northern Santa Fe accountable for the illegal discharge of coal from trains traveling through the Columbia River Gorge and beyond.

Coal is toxic. It contains heavy metals that pollute our water and harm aquatic life. Coal trains can lose 500 pounds of coal from each car, according to Burlington Northern’s own calculations. Riverkeeper and allies documented significant amounts of coal pollution along the the tracks and in the water.

The Clean Water Act is a powerful tool that allows citizens to stop illegal pollution. The lawsuit filed today by Riverkeeper, Sierra Club, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, North Sound Baykeeper (RE Sources for Sustainable Communities), Spokane Riverkeeper, and NRDC against Big Coal and Burlington Northern is a step towards curbing the amount of toxic contaminants currently entering our rivers, our communities, and our lungs.

What’s next?

We filed a complaint with the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. We expect an answer from the defendants within the next two months. Get the latest on this important legal case by joining the Columbia Riverkeeper mailing list.  

How can I help?

Share this big news by posting our revealing 2 minute video on your Facebook and Twitter accounts. For Twitter users: #NoCoalExport

How does coal get in the river?

From this video, it is not difficult to see how the overfilled coal cars spill coal on windy days. The coal protrudes above the rim of the uncovered coal cars. In addition, it is likely that coal leaks out the bottom of the cars because there are “weep holes” that allow water to drain. In many places, the trains travel right along the Columbia River and cross dozens of  tributaries on trestles.  

How many coal trains are currently in the Gorge?

We don’t know exactly, but the estimate is 2 or 3 coal trains per day. The trains are taking coal to the coal-fired power plant in Centralia and to Canadian Ports for export.

How will the current coal export proposals affect coal pollution in the Gorge?

If built, the proposed export terminals will bring up to 20 new trains full of coal (and 20 empty trains) through the Gorge every day. This would create stunning impacts from coal and diesel pollution, blocked traffic, noise and dust in communities, and derailments.

Read the complaint filed in the lawsuit.

Read the press release about this lawsuit.

See the April 2, 2013 60-day notice of intent to sue.

Riverkeeper is represented by the Law Offices of Charles M. Tebbutt, P.C. of Eugene, Oregon and Andrea Rodgers Harris of Seattle, Washington.

Riverkeeper is a proud member of the Power Past Coal Coalition, an ever-growing alliance of health, environmental, businesses, clean-energy, faith, and community groups working to stop coal export off the West Coast.

Riverkkeeper extends a great thanks to Carl Jameson and Craftmaster Productions for video production services.

In the News:

Sierra Club sues over coal dust from uncovered trains in Columbia River gorge. Oregonlive. June 5, 2013.

Environmental Groups Sue Railway, Others For Dumping Coal. EarthFix. June 5, 2013.

Environmental Groups Sue Railway And Coal Companies For Clean Water Act Violations. Northwest Public Radio. June 5, 2013.

Sierra Club sues railroad over coal dust from trains. KOMO News. June 5, 2013.

Taking Big Coal to Court. EcoWatch. June 5, 2013.

Environmental groups file suit against coal shippers. Portland Tribune. June 5, 2013.

In from the coal: Sierra Club files new dust suit. Sustainable Business Oregon. June 5, 2013.

Sierra Club files coal dust suit to ‘block exports’. Wyoming Business Report. June 6, 2013.

Environmental groups sue BNSF Railways and coal producers. Wyoming Public Media. June 5, 2013.

Sierra Club sues railway, coal producers, claiming they pollute waterways. The Globe and Mail. June 6, 2013.

Suit says coal dust hurts state. The News Tribune. June 6 ,2013.

Environmental groups sue BNSF, coal companies for dust discharges into waterways. The Bellingham Herald. June 5,2013.

Sierra Club sues BNSF over coal dust from trains. The Seattle Times. June 5, 2013.

Berkshire’s BNSF Violated Water Act, Sierra Club Says. Bloomberg. June 5, 2013.

Sierra Club Sues BNSF Over Coal Spillage From Railcars. Law 360. June 5, 2013.

The Columbia River’s public beaches are where you swim, launch a boat, cast a fishing line, and enjoy the river’s beauty with friends and family. Worrying about toxic debris should be the last thing on your mind. Yet toxic contamination is threatening one such public beach.

You can help! See details below on how you can take action.

Photo Courtesy of Carl Zitsman, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Marine Park provides a sandy beach along the Columbia, and a public boat launch, in the midst of Vancouver’s heavily-developed waterfront. In 2010, sand and soil samples from the beach contained dangerously high levels of lead. In 2012, public complaints about rusty metal and garbage in the beach prompted the City of Vancouver to excavate some 50 tons of soil and debris. The lab results show a beach contaminated with lead and other toxic substances.

How did this toxic trash get to our public beach?

It turns out the waste has been there a long time. In the 1940s, Kaiser Shipyards built large military vessels in Vancouver. The industrial and domestic wastes from shipbuilding operations were dumped along the riverbank and covered with dredge spoils. Erosion and human disturbance gradually uncovered the once-buried debris.

What is being done?

The City of Vancouver removed some contamination, but much more remains buried. The City’s latest plans call for leaving the remaining debris, placing a fabric over the beach, and covering the fabric with rocks and soil (the cap). According to the City, this plan will keep the toxic debris from resurfacing. Design details are sketchy, to say the least, but the cap would apparently cover a large portion of the public beach and extend below the waterline, exposing it to wear and tear by the river. And, the cap would likely be a temporary solution; in a few years or decades, people could re-discover the toxic debris.

TAKE ACTION

This winter Riverkeeper met with the Washington Department of Ecology and explained why the Vancouver Marine Park cleanup should ensure the beach is safe for public use for generations to come. Now Ecology needs to hear from you! Contact the Washington Department of Ecology and share your thoughts: Scott Rose at (360) 407–6347 or sros461@ecy.wa.gov.

Wetlands Along the Columbia at Marine Park. Photo by Perry Manluv.