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WEDNESDAY, November 7, 2012 VOL. 45, NO. 45 75¢
Islanders say no to coal at public hearing by SCOTT RASMUSSEN Journal editor
Scott Rasmussen photo
Audience members at the scoping hearing voicing their opposition of the coal terminal.
The bleachers inside the gym were awash in a sea of red, the color of choice of the anti-coal crowd. Outside the high school, the sidewalks were rimmed with placards touting the jobs and economic opportunities that an export facility built for coal would bring if permitted as proposed to nearby Cherry Point. Battle lines were drawn early on as more than 450 people crowded into Friday Harbor High School, Saturday, to learn more about the Gateway Terminal Project, or to ensure that their opinion will be considered when state, federal and local officials determine “the scope” of impacts that the controversial project might have and just how far a mandatory environmental review should go in addressing them. An increase in shipping traffic – as many as 480 super-sized container ships carrying coal each year through the San Juans – was on the mind of most. “These are constrained waters with many hazards,” said Lopez resident Ken Burtness, a retired ferry captain. A spill of coal or fuel “would be catastrophic to the San Juans,” possibly “worse than Exxon Valdez,” he added. John Brash, a retired merchant sailor, echoed Burtness’
concerns. “We’re going to be in real trouble if a maritime disaster occurs,” Brash said. If approved, the $650 million Gateway Terminal would be the largest bulk export facility on the West Coast, perhaps in the nation. At full capacity, it would be capable of exporting up to 54 million metric tons of coal a year from the plant that SSA Marine, which operates an export terminal at the Port of Seattle, and others worldwide, is seeking to build at Cherry Point, just north of Bellingham. The facility, as proposed, would store coal transported by rail from Montana and Wyoming’s Powder River Basin on coaltrain caravans, each more than a mile long, circulating daily through the plant. The coal would then be shipped through the Salish Sea and San Juans by cargo ships, many of which measure more then three football fields in length, to Asian markets, where it would be sold as fuel. Critics contend the increase in shipping and rail traffic the facility would demand will produce air and noise pollution, greater traffic congestion and environmental risks, and undermine the region’s quality of life and possibly its draw as a tourist destina-
SEE COAL, PAGE 8
‘Health is a choice’
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Christian School students competing in online health contest for $45,000 by COLLEEN SMITH ARMSTRONG Editor/Publisher
The students were given a choice. They could write about medieval history or how to improve their school’s health program. They chose the latter. The seventh and eighth grade class at Orcas Christian School has entered into the “Healthy School Makeover Contest,” competing against schools from across the country. The kids first wrote about how they would use
the $45,000 grand prize money and then created a video for the online contest. “The subject of health is something that our society is going through right now,” said eighth grader Stephanie Harris. Added seventh grader Aliza Diepenbrock: “It’s important for us to be aware of health at this age.” For the video, the class went to Orcas Spa and Athletics, where they lifted weights, rode stationary bikes and did push-ups and
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vice; participating in classes at the health club like spinning, weight lifting and swimming; purchasing exercise equipment for the school; and sponsoring a 5K run/walk for the community. The finalists will be chosen by
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The seventh and eighth grade OCS girls working out at the gym. sit-ups. They also presented statistics about diabetes and heart disease related to obesity. Their message: “Health is a choice and it has to begin with me.” If they win, the students outlined four areas of improvement to the school’s programs: offering healthy breakfast options and maintaining the hot lunch ser-
SEE HEALTH, PAGE 8