Statement on Trump’s Executive Order to Expand Coal, Oil, and Gas Extraction and Transport

Residents of the Pacific Northwest have long been a bulwark against coal and oil corporations, defeating destructive mega-projects like the Gateway Pacific coal terminal in Whatcom County, Washington and the Waterside Energy oil refinery in Longview, Washington. Today’s executive order only strengthens our resolve to protect our region against fossil fuels and transition to clean energy.

The Power Past Coal and Stand Up to Oil coalitions will continue to resist coal and crude oil. Legislators in Oregon and Washington are currently taking up bills to protect communities, even as the President and fossil fuel executives attempt to turn our region into the doormat for their dirty, dying industries. In a few months Washington’s state leaders can deal a blow to Trump and his fossil fuel cronies by saying “no” to the largest oil-by-rail terminal in North America (Vancouver) and the last remaining coal export project (Longview) on the West Coast of the United States.

“Washington, DC clearly isn’t listening to Washington state. Even before the pause on new coal leasing, Millennium’s future was bleak. Today’s news only signals that a dead-end project will continue to tie up valuable waterfront property with a controversial coal export project that the community rejects,” said Chris Hill, board member of Landowners and Citizens for a Safe Community in Longview, WA.

“Trump’s fossil fuels offensive is an attempt to pour oil down the throats of communities like Spokane who have already said enough. We will stop to the Tesoro Savage terminal in Vancouver and fight to ban oil trains that put our neighborhoods at risk from hazardous and explosive crude oil,” said Ben Stuckart, Spokane City Council President.

“Without safeguards, the polluting oil and gas industry will continue to recklessly release toxic chemicals into the air, harming our health, wasting taxpayer-owned resources, and damaging the climate,” said Lisa DeVille, Chair of Ft. Berthold Protectors of Water and Earth Rights (POWER), an affiliate of Dakota Resource Council on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. “We will continue to oppose efforts by the greedy oil and gas lobbyists and their allies in Congress to roll back protections for taxpayers and public health.”

“Our communities are put at risk every day for the benefit of the fossil fuel industry,” said Whatcom County Council Chairperson Barry Buchanan.”Given this federal administration, we must take leadership here in the Pacific Northwest to protect against export facilities and fight for a clean energy economy. Whatcom County has already taken a stand by reaffirming a moratorium against export facilities and we plan to expand this for the long term.”

Working together, our coalitions will resist Trump’s orders by blocking approval of coal, oil and gas terminals, pipelines, and rail projects which would trample communities throughout Washington, Oregon and the region on their way to overseas markets. At the same time, we stand poised and ready to advance the transition to a clean energy economy, leaving fossil fuels in the ground.

 

Press contacts

Kevin Dowling, Communications Director, Western Organization of Resource Councils, (406) 252-9672

Cesia Kearns, Deputy Regional Campaign Director, Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, (503) 757-7546

Regna Merritt, Co-Director, Power Past Coal campaign, (971) 235-7643

Rebecca Ponzio, Director, Stand Up To Oil campaign, (206) 240-0493