Letter to the Editor: League of Women Voters of the San Juans Comments on Coal Terminal

To: Proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal/ Custer Spur EIS c/o CH2M HILL
Re: Comments regarding proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal EIS Dear CH2M HILL,

The League of Women Voters of the San Juans, an organization of over 50 residents of San Juan County, wishes to express its concerns about the environmental and human health effects of the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal project and the many coal shipments it would generate through the waters of the Salish Sea. Our comments relate to the impacts of this project on the well-being of the waters surrounding our archipelago within the Salish Sea and of the residents — human and other species — of those waters and islands.

Our comments are underlain and supported by the adopted Legislative Priorities of the State of Washington League of Women Voters. One of our 2013 priorities is to “consider environmental quality and public health impacts when making decisions about transportation and exports.”

First and foremost, we would like to note that the impacts of the proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point do not just exist within a few miles of the Cherry Point site. The impacts will be visited on the people of the Salish Sea which includes the San Juan Archipelago. The impact of increased numbers of vessels in our local waters has the potential to do irreversible harm to the fragile marine ecosystem and the health and livelihoods of the people that inhabit these islands. Therefore, we ask that you assess the impact of increased vessel traffic, the increased potential for spills, the ensuing ecologic damage and the effect on human health and well-being in the San Juan Archipelago.

The economic health of our county depends upon protection of the pristine quality of our waters and the sustainability of the population of marine creatures. We rely upon tourism; and tourism relies upon the scenic beauty here and our healthy ecosystems which include the resident birds, fish and marine mammals. As you assess the environmental risks and impacts of this project, please carefully analyze the risk of collisions or groundings of the single hulled bulk carriers maneuvering through the narrow passages of the San Juans especially considering that storms and poor visibility are commonplace here. Please assess the risk of release of coal and propulsion fuel from single hulled ships. Should a hull breech release propulsion fuel or coal, the whole marine food web would be at risk. Mercury, cadmium, lead and arsenic are among the heavy metals associated with coal. What steps would be taken to mitigate contamination of our marine food web or impact human health with toxic substances in the event of a spill? Also, much research has been done regarding the impact of the noise of shipping on our resident Orca whales; please pay attention to this.

The dumping of ballast water from ships from foreign ports is permissible if bad weather threatens shipping safety. Ballast water often contains non-native aquatic species. These invasive species may cause harm to fish and shell fish consumed by humans and marine dependent creatures. The fishing and shellfish industries are at risk from invasive species. The potential release of invasive species increases as the number of foreign ships increase. Please study the impact of invasive species on our region’s marine ecosystems including the economic impact to the associated industries.

Bulk carriers emit harmful particulate resulting from burning propulsion fuel. Please evaluate the impact of exhaust particulate on our residents and visitors with chronic pulmonary disease, the impact on our marine dependent species and on our soil, pastures and food crops. Please note that in cases of high winds blowing from the direction of Cherry Point, coal particulate could also be deposited in the waters and on the soils of the San Juan Islands. The impact on human health and the environment from this type of particulate should also be considered.

Waters of the San Juan Islands are on the verge of being declared a National Conservation Area and it would be a travesty to put them at the additional risk posed by hundreds of transits of super-sized, single hulled coal transport ships.

Our County Council has submitted a detailed comment letter on the Gateway Pacific Project which we have publicly endorsed. We urge you to pay close attention to the points it raises. A copy of the San Juan County Council letter is enclosed for your convenience.

Thank you for considering our concerns.

Board of Directors, League of Women Voters of the San Juans