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by Tracy Wiegman
On Might seventh, 2018, Totem Ocean Trailer Specific (TOTE) decided
to delay the conversion of their ships, the Midnight Solar and the North
Star, to burn Liquefied Pure Fuel (LNG). The adjustment to the
conversion schedule aligns their ship’s LNG-readiness to the most recent
completion date for the Puget Sound Vitality LNG challenge.
TOTE goes on to say they’re totally dedicated to transform. We,
the rising opposition to Puget Sound Vitality’s LNG refinery, know they
shouldn’t be so positive of themselves at this level!
A Celebration
A bunch of us determined we might present our gratitude and throw a thank
you get together for TOTE. We wished to let dock employees and
over-the-road truck drivers know we help the delay and the canceling
of the conversion all collectively. We wished them to know there are
higher alternate options to enhancing air high quality in Tacoma and the
surrounding space. And we wished them to know we stand in
solidarity with the Puyallup Tribe whose land and treaty rights the LNG
refinery immediately and negatively impacts.
On the night of June eighth we gathered exterior the TOTE gate, the place
a lot of the dock employees enter, with our lovely ‘balloon’ indicators,
sound system with get together music and informational fliers. The guards
on the gate had been amused and type and allow us to arrange with none
problem. We additionally had cupcakes – it was a celebration in spite of everything – made by
Marilyn Kimmerling, one of many Tremendous Six who locked themselves right down to
the auger on the LNG development web site in Might of 2017.
As dock employees began streaming in most had been centered on getting
into work however just a few did cease for a second. We rewarded them with
cupcakes and fliers explaining why we had been there and why PSE’s LNG is
harmful, poisonous and never wanted. We even had just a few over-the-road
truckers honk as they drove by, displaying their help.
We had a TOTE-ALLY superior time, waving our indicators, waving at
everybody, speaking to a couple, dancing to the music and having fun with every
different’s firm.
A Rising Resistance
We could have been enjoying up our celebration a bit however, in truth, we
actually do have quite a bit to have a good time. There was nice progress
in rising consciousness with all of the folks and organizations who’re
actively stepping up and talking out in opposition to this polluting and
harmful LNG monstrosity.
Our strain vastly influenced the Washington Utilities and
Transportation Fee, who’s now requiring PSE to contemplate the
prices of utilizing fossil fuels for energy era of their 20 12 months
plan. This features a suggestion from the fee that PSE
do a “supplemental evaluation of the Tacoma LNG terminal given PSE’s
faulty assumption that this challenge is a achieved deal.”
The Puget Sound Clear Air Company (PSCAA) is now making ready a
Supplemental Environmental Influence Assertion (SEIS) on the LNG
facility. The SEIS will handle the air and cumulative impacts
particularly associated to greenhouse gases all through the life cycle of
“pure” fuel.
Simply final week, on June seventh, the Washington Physicians for Social
Accountability, representing over 800 Washington physicians and well being
professionals, standing in solidarity with the Puyallup Tribe, despatched a
letter to Governor Jay Inslee calling for a halt within the development of
PSE’s LNG facility. A quote from the letter says, “Flammable
emissions launched as a traditional and every day part of LNG bunkering
could be in shut proximity to sparks and different ignition sources
produced on the extraordinarily busy container port, in opposition to the protection
suggestions of each the American Bureau of Delivery and the Society
of Worldwide Fuel Tanker and Terminal Operators. As recognized
by impartial researchers, together with Sightline Institute, the Metropolis of
Tacoma’s Environmental Influence Assertion lacked rigorous evaluation of
these security dangers.”
That letter goes on to speak in regards to the important dangers of all of the
extra pipelines required by the ability. Actually, simply final
week, on June seventh, the Leach XPress pure fuel pipeline, constructed by
TransCanada, exploded. Fortuitously nobody was damage as a result of the
explosion occurred in a distant a part of Moundsville, West Virginia.
In 2010, a Pacific Fuel & Vitality owned pipeline in San Bruno,
California, exploded killing eight folks and destroying a complete
neighborhood. “The U.S. Geological Survey registered the (San
Bruno) explosion and ensuing shock wave as a magnitude 1.1
earthquake. Eyewitnesses reported the preliminary blast had a wall of
hearth greater than 1,000 ft excessive.” (Wikipedia)
The Leach XPress pipeline was solely 6 months outdated. In an article
by Sharon Kelly, on her DeSmogBlog , she writes how TransCanada
emphasised that it was constructed shortly however safely. “Leach XPress was
achieved in lower than a 12 months,” Scott Castleman, supervisor of U.S. Fuel
Communications for TransCanada, mentioned in a January assertion. He
added, “that is actually a best-in-class pipeline and we sit up for
a few years of secure, dependable and environment friendly operation on behalf of our
clients.” Does this sound acquainted?
Lately Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Energy & Gentle
challenge, despatched a request to clergy and spiritual leaders to please be part of
them in signing onto a letter to Governor Jay Inslee. Within the
letter they state, “In February of this 12 months, 14 Northwest Tribes joined
with the Puyallup and wrote you (Inslee) a request in your management
in halting development on this harmful challenge because it undergoes
additional evaluate. As clergy dedicated to being good allies to Native
Nations, we ask that you just respect tribal sovereignty and honor this
request. Please encourage the Metropolis of Tacoma, Division of Ecology, Puget Sound Clear Air Company and U.S. Military Corps of
Engineers to situation a Cease Work Order to Puget Sound Vitality.”
They go on to say, “The Metropolis of Tacoma and Port of Tacoma bypassed
regular regulatory processes and rushed by an EIS with out correct
session with the Puyallup Tribe and all of the Tribes who’ve an
curiosity within the treaty protected sources which are threatened by this
challenge. The protection of the encircling group is jeopardized
as a result of the Blast Zone of the Tacoma LNG plant consists of Puyallup Tribal
homelands, Tacoma residents, colleges, daycare facilities and an immigration
detention middle.”
So as to add to this rising record of opposition, the Washington State
Democratic Central Committee (which units priorities for his or her get together)
joined the Native American Caucus of Washington State Democrats in
voting to help a cease work order and to face with the Puyallup Tribe
asking that their treaty rights be honored. Different Washington
Democratic Caucuses to affix this ever growing lineup are the
Setting and Local weather Caucus, the Progressive Caucus, the Federation
of Democratic Ladies and the Separation of Church and State Caucuses.
The Seattle Metropolis Council, the King County Democratic Central
Committee and the Snohomish County Democrats all handed related
resolutions opposing PSE’s LNG in Tacoma together with a rising variety of
Legislative District Democrats together with the forty third, thirty second, thirty sixth, forty sixth,
thirty eighth, twenty seventh and the thirty third.
There at the moment are over 60,000 individuals who have signed onto a petition
requesting that Governor Jay Inslee Stand with the Puyallup Tribe – No
LNG Fracked Fuel within the Salish Sea! In case you haven’t signed this
petition but please accomplish that by clicking right here.
There’s additionally a petition calling upon the Metropolis of Tacoma to satisfy
its duties to guard residents by opening a Supplemental Environmental
Influence Assertion in regards to the insufficient security evaluate for the LNG
challenge. Click on right here to signal the petition.
The way to Actually Enhance Air High quality
I wish to go away you all with just a few different concepts to assist enhance
air and water high quality apart from the extremely green-washed Liquefied
Pure Fuel refinery, which actually is simply one other soiled fossil
gasoline. Initially, TOTE involves the Port of Tacoma for one 8
hour shift, twice per week, plugging into shore energy electrical energy whereas in
port. The Port and Metropolis of Tacoma may very well be investing in shore
energy electrical energy at ALL the terminals within the port. The Port, Metropolis
and TOTE may very well be investing in electrical terminal vehicles and different
electrical powered tools. They may very well be investing in photo voltaic and
wind to make sure the facility for all this isn’t coming from fossil gasoline
sources. We may all be actively lobbying our state and federal
politicians to cease subsidizing the oil and fuel profiteers to the tune
of billions of {dollars} a 12 months. As a substitute we are able to redirect this cash
in the direction of all of the superb and progressive options being developed proper
now that doesn’t maintain us touring down this fossil gasoline useless finish
freeway. And naturally decreasing our power consumption and
investing in additional environment friendly applied sciences to assist us do that must be
on the high of the record.
And at last, in a letter to Jay Inslee the place the founding school for
the College of Washington Tacoma specific their opposition to PSE’s
LNG, their last paragraph drives the purpose house:
“China, Norway, and others are growing utterly electric-powered
cargo ships producing zero emissions impartial from fossil gasoline use.
There’s additionally nice potential for wind and solar energy for freight
ships. What if our space, with all its scientific, engineering, and
entrepreneurial expertise and advantageous geographical place, had been additionally
to put itself on the forefront of those actually clean-energy
developments? May the teachings realized from ASARCO and different industrial
holdovers from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries rework Tacoma right into a
actually twenty first century mannequin metropolis? It hurts to see our area so compromised
by the lure of short-term achieve, the seduction of company false
guarantees, the continued marginalization of its first peoples, and the
energy of massive enterprise on the expense of public well being, security, and actual
creativeness. We are saying no.”
Study Extra
To seek out out extra and discover methods to become involved please try:
PSE LNG Spoof Web site
Redefine Tacoma
No LNG Tacoma
Native Each day Community
Tacoma Direct Motion
Different Sources
Washington Physicians for Social Accountability letter to Jay Inslee
Earth Ministry: Stand with the Puyallup Tribe Towards LNG
DeSmogBlog: Xpress Pipeline Explodes in West Virginia
UWT Founding School Letter Towards LNG
Sightline Testifies at Listening to for Tacoma LNG Protesters
No Tacoma LNG – Starter Equipment
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