Corps halted all permitting for Ambre

Power Past Coal Statement re: Army Corps Stops Permitting Process for Ambre Energy’s Morrow Pacific Coal Export Terminal

Decision deals another heavy blow to coal exports in state, continuing a regional trend

(Sept. 15, 2014) PORTLAND, Ore. – Today the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will stop all permitting for Ambre Energy’s floundering Morrow Pacific coal export project along the Columbia River. Ambre needs Army Corps permits for an industrial coal dock in order to build and operate its proposed export terminal near Boardman, Ore.

The federal agency’s decision to stop all permit reviews, including a highly anticipated Environmental Assessment, comes on the heels of Oregon’s August 18th decision to deny a critical state lands permit for Ambre’s proposed coal dock. Ambre Energy would use the terminal to ship over 8 million tons of coal annually along the Columbia River and through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

In response, the Power Past Coal coalition released this statement from Brett VandenHeuvel: “Ambre’s coal export proposal is dead in the water. Without federal and state permits, Ambre cannot start exporting U.S. coal on uncovered coal trains that will pollute land and water along the Columbia River.

Today is a good day for Northwest communities, but we aren’t finished yet. Even as domestic and global coal demand falls, coal companies will push their financially shaky projects in Washington state, Gulf states, and abroad to Canada and Mexico. But events in Oregon show that communities do not want coal, period. Together, we will continue to fight Ambre Energy and other coal companies like Ambre’s subsidiary, Millennium Bulk Terminals, which wants to force a coal export facility into Longview. Wherever coal companies try to push their product, communities will lead the charge against their special interests in order to protect our health,
safety, economies and natural resources.”


PDF of Press Release