Statement on President Obama and Secretary Sally Jewell’s Moratorium on Coal Leases on Federal Lands

Natalie Jamerson News

Statement from Beth Doglio, Co-Director of the Power Past Coal coalition, on President Obama and Secretary Sally Jewell’s moratorium on coal leases on federal lands

Contact: Kimberly Larson, 206-388-8674

“On the heels of collective climate action in Paris and Arch Coal declaring bankruptcy, this moratorium is yet more writing on the wall that it’s time to get off coal once and for all – both to using coal here at home and to plans to export coal abroad. We need to invest in the transition off of fossil fuels and to rapidly accelerate the clean energy economy. This is a victory for cleaner air, a stronger economy and a healthier climate.”

Of six coal export terminals proposed for Washington and Oregon, only two remain on the table: Millennium Bulk Terminals in Longview and Gateway Pacific Terminal in Cherry Point, Wash. Both coal terminals have suffered a series of financial and political setbacks resulting in extensive delays including most recently Arch Coal, one of the proponents of the Longview terminal, declaring bankruptcy on January 11th. Three other proposals were shelved or pulled, and in 2014, the Oregon Department of State Lands denied a critical permit for a fourth proposed facility at the Port of Morrow. The WA Dept. of Ecology will conduct a public engagement process for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Longview terminal later this spring.