PUBLIC HEARING WEDNESDAY JULY 16 - 6:00 PM
SHUKSAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
2717 ALDERWOOD AVENUE, BELLINGHAM
A draft environmental impact statement is out for comment now -- the results of which could expand BP's oil shipping operations at the Ferndale refinery. Given the current pressure from incoming Bakken crude, it is critical that we act now to protect Puget Sound.
The construction and use of the North Wing pier has been heavily litigated in the past, and the current EIS is largely the result of
a lawsuit from 2002 that we filed along with Ocean Advocates, the North Cascades Audubon Society, Fuel Safe Washington and a fisherman named Dan Crawford.
Comments should address deficiencies in the EIS as they relate to:
- The cumulative impacts of oil and coal export projects -- BP Cherry Point is not operating in a vacuum. It is critical that the EIS do more to assess the combined effects of the north pier's operations in light of SSA Marine's proposal to build North America's largest coal export facility right next door and the potential for added traffic from fossil fuel exports throughout the region.
- The strength of vessel traffic mitigations -- Our vital fishing industry depends on a safe, clean Puget Sound and adjoining waters. The Army Corps has a duty to prevent oil spills, shipping accidents and disruptive activities that destroy the ecosystem supporting our way of life.
- Preventing the throughput of explosive Bakken crude -- The BP north pier must not increase the vessel traffic on Puget Sound. The various expansions of oil-by-rail and pipeline facilities put our community and our waterways at risk.
RSVP for BP North Wing Pier Public Hearing to add comments!
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