• What: Vancouver hearing on proposed coal export facility.
• When: 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday.
• Where: Clark College’s Gaiser Hall, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way.
• The project: Gateway Pacific Terminal, near Bellingham, one of five coal facilities on the table in Washington and Oregon.
• Can’t make it? Comments can also be sent to the lead agencies at http://eisgatewaypacificwa.gov, which also has additional information.
Few issues this year have generated more interest and debate in the Northwest than coal exports. Public meetings on the subject have drawn bigger crowds than some local sporting events.
This week, Vancouver gets its turn in the spotlight.
A Wednesday hearing at Clark College will invite residents to weigh in on one of the proposed coal projects in Washington. And for the first time, face time at the microphone will be determined by luck of the draw. That’s because a first-come, first-served model used at other meetings prompted people to show up hours early to get a coveted speaking slot (or, reportedly, pay stand-ins to wait in line for them).
The meeting will focus on the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point near Bellingham, one of five coal export facilities now proposed in Washington and Oregon. Among other commodities, the facility would handle coal that’s shipped through the Northwest mostly by rail, on its way to energy-hungry markets in Asia.
• What: Vancouver hearing on proposed coal export facility.
• When: 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday.
• Where: Clark College's Gaiser Hall, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way.
• The project: Gateway Pacific Terminal, near Bellingham, one of five coal facilities on the table in Washington and Oregon.
• Can't make it? Comments can also be sent to the lead agencies at <a href="http://eisgatewaypacificwa.gov">http://eisgatewaypacificwa.gov</a>, which also has additional information.
Commenting is no longer available on Columbian.com. Please visit our Facebook page to leave comments on local stories.