Pacific Northwest Governors Jay Inslee and John Kitzhaber have joined together to asking the federal agencies reviewing proposals for 5 new coal export terminals in their states to include the consequences resulting from climate change the terminals would be exacerbating.
2 governors wade into coal-export controversy
Washington’s Jay Inslee and Oregon’s John Kitzhaber want the Obama administration to study the impact of Western coal exports on greenhouse-gas emissions.
By Hal Bernton
Gov. Jay Inslee has joined with Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber to ask the Obama administration to review the climate-change consequences of leasing and exporting Western coal.
“Increasing levels of greenhouse gases and other pollutants resulting from the burning of coal ... are imposing direct costs on people, businesses and communities in the U.S. and around the world,” said the letter sent Monday to Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality.
The letter also called for the Obama administration to undertake a review of coal lease rates on federal lands to determine if they are too low and helping to subsidize coal exports.
See:
Taxpayers are subsidizing US coal exports to fuel America's industrial rivals in Asia
So far federal agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers have been trying to avoid looking at the larger climate issues involved. A united front by forward thinking Pacific Northwest Governors will make federal reluctance to look at the larger climate picture less tenable.
Washington and Oregon are coastal states and all coastal states will be subject to the dramatic effects of sea level rise. This new interactive tool shows what could be in store for our coasts.
Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts