Tagged: Coal Terminal

This week we’re bringing you our special EarthFix series, "Voices of Coal."

Each day we'll hear from someone with a personal stake in the Northwest's debate over coal export terminals.

Today we visit with a rancher who runs cows near the epicenter of open pit mining in America - the Powder River Basin near Gillette, Wyoming.

Hundreds of people attended Tuesday's public hearing in Spokane about a proposed coal export terminal in the Northwest. The meeting brought out strong emotions, and raised a moral question about how the hearings are run. Paige Browning reports the event focused on the proposed Gateway Terminal for Whatcom County, which would ship coal to Asia.

The environmental review process for the largest coal export terminal on the West Coast is underway. Public meetings are being held around the state to get feedback from citizens. EarthFix’s Ashley Ahearn was at the most recent hearing in Ferndale, Washington, which took place Thursday night.

The Lane County Board of Commissioners decided not to vote yet on a resolution supporting a proposed coal export terminal in Coos Bay. Still, the board took public comment on the resolution from about two dozen people at their meeting Wednesday.

There are now 5 ports in Washington and Oregon considering building export terminals to ship American coal to Asia. The coal would come from mines in Wyoming and Montana and would travel by train through the Northwest. That has governmental agencies, environmental groups, tribes, labor unions and industry in an increasingly fierce debate. As part of EarthFix’s ongoing coverage of coal in the Northwest, Ashley Ahearn brings us this story from Wyoming coal country.