Letter to the Editor: Orcas NoCoalition Marks Red-Letter Day

The Orcas No Coalition contingent at Friday Harbor’s scoping meeting on Saturday. Photo courtesy Donna Riordan

Yesterday—Saturday—was absolutely FABULOUS day from beginning to end.
Yesterday—Saturday—was absolutely FABULOUS day from beginning to end. The picture captures the spirit of the Scoping Hearing in the gym at Friday Harbor High School.

We were 430+ strong, including more than 100 community members from Orcas, Shaw and Lopez who arrived in Friday Harbor on the same ferry at 11:15. What a ferry ride that was! The energy, the commitment, the passion. We were easy to spot, since we all “got the memo” somehow to wear red (or maroon, or red socks, or shoes, or scarves or hats). There were many homemade, heart-felt posters, too. We made a pretty interesting sight walking up to the high school with our red clothing, signs and flags. Then, when we got there we were met with red t-shirts and more signs. Thx to Friends of the San Juans (Katie) and Power Past Coal (Joelle, from Climate Solutions) for those.

Three of six San Juan Council members spoke, including both Patty Miller and Richard Fralick from Orcas. Thanks so much to them for coming, wearing red, and saying in no uncertain terms how concerned they were about significant adverse impacts on our community.

We had a chance to deliver 82, 2-minute comments. Three comments were pro-terminal, for a total of 85 comments. The youngest speaker was an 8-year-old boy from Orcas. Our community was incredibly impressive, and delivered thoughtful, substantive comments from people who knew what they wanted to say and how to say it. The rest of the audience raised their hands in respectful, silent support of each other’s comments for three hours straight. It was an AWESOME SIGHT!

Here’s just a sampling our favorite comments of the day — all delivered in 2 minutes. We’re sure others who were there had their favorites, so feel free to comment on our ONC blog.

· A retired ferry captain from Lopez who spent his career navigating our waters commenting on how treacherous our narrow channels can be — in contrast to the assertions of a retired coast guard captain.

· An Orcas High School student who quickly and concisely listed significant impacts and requested specific studies. Wow.

· A Spring Street International School student from China who commented on the reality of environmental destruction in her native land.

· Our Council members each commenting on the impacts on the San Juan Islands.

· A physicist on San Juan Island who studies vessel traffic noise talking about impacts on marine life.

· A teacher and fisherman San Juan Island talking about both marine impacts and the future of his students.

· Another biologist talking about the large number of species already at risk that could be further distressed or destroyed by marine impacts.

· Our San Juan Islands resident talking seal.

· Our local National Park Service director who reminded other agencies about their mandates to protect our lands and waters.

· And while not a comment, per se, an Orcas Islander’s powerful recitation of David Whyte’s poem “Song for the Salmon.” (see the full text at https://abbeyofthearts.com/blog/2008/09/23/visual-meditation-salmon-homecoming/)

Many thanks to all who helped make yesterday happen—you know who you are. And especially to all of you who came!

And a very special thanks to Terry Wechsler from Bellingham, who not only came to Orcas a week ago to help us wrap our heads around what scoping comments are — she also came to the hearing yesterday and worked with many of us on the ferry and at the hearing, including students, to sharpen our thinking.

This kind of grassroots organizing and ongoing mutual support across the islands is what it’s about up here. That’s why we live here. Cheers, cheers, cheers to all of our fellow citizens who volunteer their time to this effort and made a huge impact yesterday.

We don’t know if our comments will make a difference as this process grinds forward, but we’re hopeful. Our spontaneous and extended standing ovation at the end of the hearing, to thank agency personnel for coming to listen to our concerns, sent a powerful message. As noted by a Lummi tribal leader recently, we’re all in this boat together, rowing the same direction. Indeed.

As for next steps, stay tuned. We’re going to plan a few “scoping comment writing sessions” here before January 21, 2013 — the deadline. In the meantime, be thinking about what your major concerns are about “significant adverse impacts” of the proposed terminal.

If you’re not yet a member of our coalition, send an email to info@orcasnocoalition.net or visit our website, www.OrcasNOCOALition.net.

Donna Riordan, Jan Ehrlichman, and Sharon Abreu