Come to a letter-writing workshop this Saturday at Island Hoppin’ Brewery
Saturday, Nov. 24, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Island Hoppin’ Brewery, 33 Hope Lane, Eastsound
Take a few minutes to write your own letter about concerns over the impact the transport of coal through the Salish Sea will have on our community. Join your island community in a letter writing campaign on November 24.
If not stopped, coal exports from the Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point, Washington would ship 500 container ships annually around Orcas through the Rosario and Hario Straits to China.
The public will NOT get to vote on the approval of the Gateway Pacific Terminal.
This is your opportunity to make your concerns about the transport of coal on the Salish Sea heard. Public comments regarding the impacts of the terminal on our community will be accepted until January 21, 2013.
Materials to help guide you through the letter writing process will be available. Please take 20 minutes to make your voice heard. We are the stewards of the island — it’s up to us to ensure its safety.
For more information about the letter writing campaign, please visit https://www.coaltrainfacts.org/scoping.
Cathleen McCluskey
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At the IIMHO annual meeting last week, Russell Barsch discussed the effects of coal transport on local marine and bird population. The Marbled Murrelet, an official Endangered Species, protected by our guvmint, nests on the western shore of Lopez Island. Precisely where the most drastic effects of a fuel spill from one of the ships would be felt. Though the air contamination from dirty coal being transported by rail is certainly a concern, one oil spill from a ship carrying a LOT of fuel, would be terminally disastrous…perhaps the marbled murrelet is our canary? Protecting this bird would mean disallowing more ships thru our difficult , teeming with wildlife, waters.
Thank you to Kwiaht!