Dear Secretary McHugh, Assistant Secretary Darcy, General Bostick, Colonel Kern, Colonel Eisenhauer, and Mr. Gagnon:

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Vivian Amice Andrews
5 years ago
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1 August 13 th, 2013 VIA The Honorable John McHugh Secretary of the Army 1400 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) 108 Army Pentagon, Room 3E446 Washington, D.C Lieutenant General Thomas P. Bostick Chief of Engineers and Commanding General 441 G Street NW Washington, DC Colonel John S. Kern Commander Northwestern Division 1125 NW Couch Street Portland, OR Colonel John W. Eisenhauer Commander and District Engineer Portland District 333 SW First Avenue Portland, OR Mr. Steve Gagnon Project Manager, Portland District 333 SW First Avenue Portland, OR Dear Secretary McHugh, Assistant Secretary Darcy, General Bostick, Colonel Kern, Colonel Eisenhauer, and Mr. Gagnon: The waters of the northwest have provided us with a rich and sustaining legacy, serving as a basis of trade that has powered our economy, and as a source of food that has nourished our families for generations. The coal industry is currently seeking permits to traffic 117,000,000 tons of coal per year through the Columbia River Basin 1, along side now an additional 30,000,000 ton coal project newly connected to Vancouver, WA just this month. 2 That s more coal than the entire US has ever exported altogether. 3 That s enough coal to fill over 1,300 Panamax-class bulk cargo vessels annually, 4 and enough to make coal the largest export on the Columbia River. 5 That s enough coal pollution to release 10,000 pounds of mercury directly upwind of our waters every year, 6,7 generating as much as 300 million tons of CO2 and potentially tripling the carbon footprint for the entire states of Oregon and Washington combined. 8,9,10,11 1

2 The trans-pacific deposition of coal pollution into the waterways of the northwest is as well known as the prevailing winds, but we ve never faced volumes like these before. 12 We are concerned about the habitat and access impacts these coal projects could bring here to the northwest including: Increased dredging of rivers and harbors, detrimentally impacting our forage fish, the salmon, and countless other creatures 13 Increased vessel traffic of hazardous cargo 14 from coal shipping, impairing river and harbor access and increasing potential collisions at traditional anchor and harvest locations for salmon and sturgeon fishing, crabbing, shellfish harvest, as well as for other uses 15 Increased habitat and wildlife exposure to cancer-causing and reproduction-impairing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons introduced by coal dust escaping from rail cars, rail unloading, storage, vessel loading and transport 16 Increased habitat and wildlife contamination from mercury deposited into our watersheds and bio-accumulated into our food web from the upwind coal combustion 17,18 Increased ocean acidification resulting in direct harm to shellfish, phytoplankons, and relating food web disruptions resulting from the increased carbon saturation 19,20 The ecology that sustains the fisheries of the northwest creates tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars for our economy every year. 21,22,23 With such huge stakes at play we can t afford any less than our best efforts to understand and evaluate these risks. Please join our call to support the following: Commission the National Academy of Sciences to fill in current information gaps with new baseline and dynamic studies on coal-habitat interactions 24 Update the joint US Coast Guard / EPA/ NOAA / OR DEQ / WA ECY Northwest Area Contingency Plan to reflect best practices adopted by the International Maritime Organization with respect to maritime coal fire prevention and to coordinate maritime coal fire training, supply, and response 25 Require complete Environmental Impact Statements for each proposed coal terminal that review cumulative airborne, marine, and ground impacts from the facility sites and the areas that they would impact as a direct result of their use, as well as an area-wide programmatic study of the collective impacts of the multiple projects throughout the region 26 Please take these necessary actions to ensure we evaluate the most accurate information on potential impacts prior to deciding whether to introduce a high-risk industry that may prove incompatible with our ecology and our economy. 2

3 The waters of the northwest are known for their beauty and their bounty and are a way of life for us. Help us preserve this legacy for generations to come. Respectfully, National Wildlife Federation Pacific Regional Center 2100 Westlake Ave N, Suite 107 Seattle, Washington Association of Northwest Steelheaders Milwaukie, Oregon Northwest Guides and Anglers Association Oregon Council of Trout Unlimited Hillsboro, Oregon Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen s Associations Save Our Wild Salmon Wild Salmon Center A Better Catch Guide Service Ancient Mariner Guide Service Amato Publications Anderson's Outdoors Welches, Oregon Berkley Conservation Institute Spirit Lake, Iowa Bill Monroe Outdoors Gresham, Oregon Bob Rees Fishing Guide Service Caddis Fly ClackaCraft Drift Boats Clackamas, Oregon Cold Springs Resort and RV Park Camp Sherman, Oregon Dean's Guide Service Tualatin, Oregon Dick Sagara Outdoor Products Boring, Oregon Fish Fever Guide Service Albany, Oregon Fish The Swing LLC FishEng Products Eagle Creek, Oregon Flying Fish Seafood Frank Ness & Associates Lake Oswego, Oregon Kast 'Em Fishing Adventures Ken Anderson Fly Fishing Joe Domenico Insurance Milwaukie, Oregon 3

4 Little Creek Outfitters Sandy, Oregon Low's Fishing Adventures, LLC St. Helens, Oregon New Water Media Northwest Angling Experience Northwest River Guides O2BFISHN Guide Service Oregon River Trail Outfitters Oregon Flyfishing Blog Pat Abel Guide Service Garibaldi, Oregon Pavati Marine White City, Oregon RB Boats Beavercreek, Oregon Red's Guide Service Corbett, Oregon Roger Goodwin Guide Service Dallas, Oregon South Coast Tours Gold Beach, Oregon Steve s Guide Service LLC The Guide s Forecast Western Fishing Adventures West Linn, Oregon World Class Fishing Astoria, Oregon cc: The Honorable John A. Kitzhaber, Governor, State of Oregon Ms. Mary Abrams, Director, Oregon Department of State Lands Mr. Dick Pederson, Director, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality The Honorable Jeffrey A. Merkley, United State Senator The Honorable Ron Wyden, United States Senator The Honorable Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality Mr. Dennis McLerran, Regional Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency Mr. Michael P. Tehan, Assistant Regional Administrator, NOAA Fisheries Ms. Christine Lehnertz, Regional Director, National Park Service , , 9, 10,

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