Statement on WA Supreme Court Decision That Blocks Proposed Grays Harbor Crude Oil Terminal

Grays Harbor area leaders from the Quinault Indian Nation, Friends of Grays Harbor, Grays Harbor Audubon, Citizens for a Clean Harbor, Sierra Club, and Coalition of Coastal Fisheries – as well as the entire Stand Up to Oil movement – are celebrating a victory in protecting our shared waters and shared future today. The Washington Supreme Court breathed life into the Ocean Resources Management Act (ORMA), a state law that protects coastal ocean resources, and ruled that the law’s strict permitting requirements apply to crude oil shipping terminals.  The ruling will effectively block a proposed crude-by-rail terminal in Hoquiam.

Today’s ruling is a win for communities across the Northwest that have been fighting for their health, safety, and right to a voice in decisions that affect their future. Even as the incoming federal administration vows to prioritize oil and fossil fuel development, Northwest communities and leaders are charting a future that invests in clean energy and puts the health and safety of our families and our shared waters first.

The Supreme Court’s decision comes just over a week after Commissioner of Public Lands, Peter Goldmark, denied a lease for the proposed Millennium Bulk coal terminal in Longview, Washington.

Contact: Rebecca Ponzio, rebecca@wecprotects.org, 206.240.0493