Whatcom County Council vote changes the future of industry at Cherry Point

||| FROM BELLINGHAM HERALD |||

Whatcom County Council unanimously approved a series of Comprehensive Plan amendments for the Cherry Point industrial zone, adding tougher environmental and development rules for the region that’s home to two of Washington state’s five oil refineries.

Tuesday’s vote was hailed by environmental groups as a landmark policy change to regulate the fossil fuel industry and protect the Salish Sea.

“These regulations could usher in a new era of fossil fuel policymaking in the U.S., where local municipalities can use existing regulatory power to restrict the growth of the fossil fuel industry in an era where the U.S. must swiftly transition to renewable energy sources,” Stand.Earth and RE Sources for Sustainable Communities said in a joint statement.

“In Whatcom County, this means no new fossil fuel refineries, transshipment facilities, or certain types of other infrastructure expansions can be built, while upgrade projects at existing refineries and terminals will also be subject to more rigorous environmental review and permitting processes. Upgrades that reduce pollution and improve safety will still be allowed if they meet these improved standards,” the statement said.

Whatcom County Council on Tuesday, July 27, approved a series of Comprehensive Plan amendments for the Cherry Point industrial zone, home to two of Washington state’s five oil refineries.

Tuesday’s action was the result of more than five years of effort as Whatcom County staff and appointed and elected officials examined the kinds of industry and manufacturing that will be allowed in the 7,000-acre area west of Ferndale.

That time period included 11 six-month bans on filing, accepting or processing new applications for most new or expanded facilities for shipping unrefined fossil fuels that won’t be processed or used at Cherry Point, as part of an effort to limit refinery expansion.

It was a divisive process that often pitted the oil industry against the environmental movement.

And it fueled expensive battles for political control of the Whatcom County Council and the County Executive’s Office.

But talks took a key step forward after the appointed county Planning Commission approved the Cherry Point amendments and a “stakeholder group” of business and environmental interests began meeting to build a consensus over its final wording.

RE Sources spokesman Simon Bakke called the code amendments a blueprint that local governments can use to limit the expansion of the fossil fuel industry.

As submitted, the Cherry Point amendments allow the two refineries to continue operating.

It defines the Cherry Point region’s importance to the environment and to its indigenous peoples.

And it spells out a broad range of manufacturing sectors that would be allowed, from textiles to boat-building and marijuana farms, and which ones would require special consideration, such as a conditional-use permit.

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