Scott S. asks about the updated plan for Whatcom Waterway cleanup, the marina and Cherry Point. My next post will cover the cleanup.
Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point.
That location has been on the radar for a very long time, no secret there. The fact that Whatcom County may finally have come of age in international shipping is good news and bad news.
The good news about Cherry Point is also the most obvious: jobs and outside money coming into our corner of the state.
A little noted fact, also, is that this is 2011 which means that as far as shipping terminals go, the facility will comply with state of the art standards in environmental protection -- if not I will be one of the loud voices against it.
I also believe that SSA 'should' utilize the latest hybrid tugs, if needed, such as the newest Foss Hybrid, which was also produced here in Washington.
See: http://www.foss.com/environment_hybridtug.html
While there is much talk about SSA shipping coal, which I oppose as a fuel for electricity production, there are also red herrings.
Red Herring 1. Coal dust from the rail cars in Bellingham -- some would say Cole dust -- shouldn't be a problem here. A quick look at Burlington Northern Santa Fe's (BNSF) own website shows they understand the dust problem. I took a quick look at their mainline in downtown Bellingham at F St. and found no dust like you see nearer the mines or you might find at a shipping terminal.
See:
http://www.bnsf.com/customers/what-can-i-ship/coal/coal-dust.html
http://daily.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2011/03/15/are-coal-export-terminals-good-neighbors
Red Herring 2....maybe. Literally, herring. The Cherry Point stock is a Pacific Herring which is struggling for survival, meaning it may go extinct, this is not small potatoes. I've looked to published research on the herring issue and it seems the bottom line is that no one really knows the reason for the decline. But is the decline a problem? You bet!
See: http://www.conservationnw.org/wildlife-habitat/cherry-point-herring
Anecdotally, I have a friend who works on the BP dock who constantly reminds me that if a person wants to find herring just look under their dock. So, it seems there is work to do and I hope it gets done to answer the herring problem/question.
And the bad news. More development means degradation. It comes with the territory, so don't beat me up, just face that fact with me and let's work for the best outcomes. This is our human condition.
Now, my opinion...right?
The opportunity SSA brings to the county is palpable, no doubt. They seem to be a strong company, they know what they are doing operations-wise and they work with their unions.
I'm not a big fan of more rail traffic in my neighborhood, so I sincerely hope my neighborhood association will have a seat at the City's table when Quiet Zones are discussed.
With my 'Port hat' on I can tell you I am concerned with the traffic increase affecting reconstruction along the waterfront. The local reps for SSA will tell you that rail traffic numbers will likely return to pre-GP closure levels. This would be fine but we all know that a couple things have happened since then.
The first shift is in land use planning. There hasn't been a great deal of heavy industrial thinking in the county for some time which would require high service levels for rail. This is evident in that every time we go to DC to request federal transit dollars for rail improvements we consistently slide down the list as time goes on because we just can't show Congressional budgeteers that we have the need. Even my little ol' hometown of Centralia got rail dollars.
The second thing that has happened is how we think about our waterfront. For almost a century the Bellingham waterfront has been the domain of private interests that allowed for a very minimal amount of public access. When the public docks fell into disrepair, even that small accommodation was lost. Now people see further opportunity.
The great benefit of time is that careful people learn from history and apply the lessons. What we now have is the opportunity to re-purpose our waterfront landscapes for more than one use, more than just private business interests. To do that we must build and maintain a close relationship with other governments and businesses, like Puget Sound Energy and BNSF that own property along the Bellingham waterfront.
Now, a quick aside here about coal.
It's no secret, as I pointed out above, that I dislike coal use for electricity generation. Most people will see a video or tour a mine and come away impressed that coal is OK. It's not. It never has been and never will be.
I grew up a few miles from Washington State's only coal mine and coal fired power plant.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_Power_Plant.
The mine has closed but the plant still operates. Due to our own state's concerns over the pollution this plant creates it will likely be closed in 2025 unless it can somehow meet a higher, air quality standard.
Years ago, my granddad worked the mine as a welder and got paid a small fortune every two weeks. Many men and a few women, a handful of whom I call friends, and what others would call 'this country's hardest working sons of bitches', earned nice paychecks at that mine. Some at the plant itself still do.
However, I do hope at least some of us have been paying attention, learning from history. I think I've tried to. I get curious when I go to new places. One fall I had the chance to walk-in hunt an area quite close to the plant on the downwind side. The forest, at first glance, seemed like every other managed forest in my home county.
A closer look, though, revealed subtle differences, most notably in the color of the plants. Now, this is going to sound a bit crazy but the 'green' just wasn't as green. I'm not an expert on 'green' but I grew up in Lewis County where there really isn't anything not green. Our playgrounds were the forests behind our houses. So, no, I'm not an expert on forest health but that forest downwind just isn't as healthy as others nearby. This wasn't a guided trip by company reps, it was just me slowly hunting the woods, noticing what was around me.
Read this and check the flash animation:
http://www.sightline.org/research/environment/trouble-at-paradise
The mining itself has problems but I believe the earth can recover if we just take a few precautions. The air we pollute, however, is the bigger problem and that's why I don't support coal for electricity. And before you go gettin' all cranky about me bein' all holier than thou, I did the research a couple years ago -- on the Western Intertie (where we give and get our electrons) roughly 55% of the production is from coal. The rest is mostly hydroelectric, then natural gas and renewables rounding out the portfolio. Half the electrons I used during this little blog session came from burning coal.
So...back on point. Whew!
The Cherry Point location has international implications. I've made it my mission to tell anyone who will listen that geographically this part of the United States, our county, is a big winner for shipping and fishing. The folks at SSA know that, too. SSA isn't just a group of bumpkins. Even though they started here in Bellingham as small, local stevedoring firm, they've become quite the major player.
See: http://www.ssamarine.com/
The plan SSA has rolled out, in its most basic form, suggests that our county can gain a great deal while giving up very little -- we all know every new development requires some change, some give and take. And that's the gist of my hope for this project.
I hope that SSA finds it unnecessary to ship coal overseas from here. I hope that they take advantage of our geography to ship a mix of products that don't have such poor environmental side effects. I hope they do manage to put this facility together and that we have a chance to work with them toward keeping Whatcom County on a sustainable track for our current and future workforce.
At the end of the day, it's a pretty decent project. I think we can support the terminal, push back against the coal, but overall team up with SSA and BNSF to help them bring forth a good project.
The 3BL or Triple Bottom Line business model is one that I like to follow, if we can use the synergies here, across the country and around the world that will help SSA be a modern player up here then I say let's do it, let's push for it. Let's hold ourselves to a high standard and help new business come here to play on our court where they can be responsible and profitable.
PS - Get educated on this issue, please. The Gateway Pacific project will be pushing above a half-billion dollars. This isn't just a local developer wanting to build a 6 unit condo next door, it's big and complicated. Do some research, so that when you come out for or against you make sense, that's how we get better outcomes. Thanks!
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