On June 11, in a historic victory for a safer, healthier future, Northwest Innovation Works canceled its lease and withdrew its shoreline permit appeal, ending the threat of the world’s largest fracked gas-to-methanol refinery in Kalama! I’m thrilled to leave another fossil fuel project behind as Washington transitions toward renewable energy.
This methanol proposal disrespected Washington’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Gov. Inslee and the Department of Ecology exemplified respect for science in their opposition to the refinery, and we’re grateful to them for protecting our health and environment. Their rejection of this dirty project, combined with pushback from the community and climate defense organizations, caused the company to walk away from Kalama, like it did in Tacoma.
With the world slipping deeper into a climate emergency, we must transition to clean, renewable energy. Projects that increase fossil fuel reliance are misaligned with this vision, and our communities and coalitions will continually remind legislators that coal, oil and fracked gas have no place in a healthy future. I’m exuberant that the Kalama refinery is joining the Millennium coal terminal and Tesoro-Savage oil terminal in the dust and I am excited to support future clean energy proposals.
