Tribes, UW and governor take stands on fossil fuels

It’s not just kayakers that are mobilizing to tackle fossil fuels in Washington.

In the news shadow of the Polar Pioneer’s Seattle arrival Thursday, were three other organizations each taking action on local fossil fuel issues.

Related: Polar Pioneer arrives in Seattle to an unwelcoming of kayativists

Tribes object to coal export terminal

Washington’s Lummi Nation, along with eight other Native American tribes are urging the Army Corps of Engineers to deny permits for a proposed coal-export terminal near Bellingham.

The leaders from Washington, British Columbia and Montana met in Seattle on Thursday to oppose the Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point. That project would export as much as 48 million tons of coal each year from Montana and Wyoming to Asia.

The Lummi Nation and others say the project would disrupt treaty-protected fishing rights and harm sacred sites.
Bob Watters with project developer SSA Marine says the tribe has refused to participate in the federal environmental review and he urged the corps to continue its work.

The corps is reviewing the environmental impacts of the project, while state and local regulators also doing a review.

The tribes include the Lummi, Lower Elwha, Spokane, Quinault, Yakama, Tulalip, Northern Cheyenne and Swinomish tribes. Tsleil-Waututh, from British Columbia, is also included.

University of Washington divests all coal-related companies

University of Washington regents have voted to eliminate the university’s investment in coal companies and prohibit such investment in the future.

In a statement, regents chairman Bill Ayer said Thursday’s decision “reflects the seriousness of the climate change problem.” He says it’s the latest element of the university’s commitment to improving the environment.

The vote means the UW’s investment managers will have until Dec. 31 to eliminate direct coal holdings. The regents are defining a coal company as a parent company whose principal business is the mining of coal for energy generation.

In March, a student campaign called Divest UW made a presentation to the regents in support of coal divestment in the university’s endowment fund.

Gov. Jay Inslee signs oil transportation safety law

Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into a law a measure that attempts to improve the safety of oil transportation as a sharp increase in trains carrying volatile crude oil poses new safety and environmental risks in the state.

A compromise reached on the last day of the regular legislative session resolved differences between competing bills in the Senate and House.

The bill signed by Inslee includes some provisions he wanted, such as requiring railroads hauling crude oil to show their ability to pay for oil spill cleanup and requiring facilities that receive oil by trains to provide weekly notice of the type and volume of oil shipped. Under the measure, more limited information will be made public on a quarterly basis.

All three stories are separate Associated Press articles, compiled by Richard D. Oxley with MyNorthwest.