NoMethanol360 ~ Archives

2018

See Columbia Rivekeeper's list of press releases, comments, legal actions, and other campaign information at CRK's Fracked-Gas Resources.

July/August 2018: Summer events: booth with LCSC at Go 4th in Longview, Folly of Frack play, booth at Kalama Fair, walk in Kalama Chamber of Commerce Parade, No Methanol Mural Reveal, silent protest to get Inslee's attention at Port of Vancouver rail ribbon cutting event, National Night Out community event, Picnic along the Pipeline, canvassing at the Untouchables Car Show, more!

May 2018: Another victory in the fight against fracking and fossil fuel export! On May 8^th the Cowlitz County Superior Court upheld the Washington Shorelines Hearings Board’s decision that the Port of Kalama and Cowlitz County broke the law by failing to disclose and evaluate greenhouse gas pollution from the proposed Kalama methanol refinery. However, it was not all good news for our side as he also reinstated the two key permits, pending the new SEIS. Keep the pressure on Gov. Inslee to protect our climate and go 100% renewable now!

Cowlitz County Superior Court Affirms Port Broke Law by Ignoring GHG Pollution 5/8/2018

Related News Articles:

- Columbian: Methanol plant review will include emissions
- TDN: Judge restores methanol permits, but rules environmental review inadequate
- Sustainable Life: Massive fossil fuel export plant proposed in Kalama faces setback in court

Port of Kalama must now choose: appeal court decision, admit true environmental cost of methanol refining and export; or abandon this dirty fossil fuel project as NWIW did in Tacoma when faced with strong public outcry.

March 2018: Scoping comment period during February was a grand success! 19,000 comments received, 100 new yard signs in 3 weeks, 250 people attended one of four public information meetings, 10+ letters to the editor, solid editorial from the Columbian (Conundrum in Kalama), phone banking to 500 people, and 11 organizations representing local, regional, national, and tribal concerns signed on to the technical scoping comments.

February 2018: Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Report on GHG emissions from Kalama methanol refinery. [Press Release | CRK Blog Post]

- EcoWatch: Fracked Gas Project Could Undermine Washington’s Clean Energy Goals

January 2018 "Climate Countdown Day 1" rally in Olympia with like-minded groups.

2017

December 2017 "No Methanol" Lighted Sign Waving at Festival of Lighted Boats.

November 2017: Port of Kalama and Cowlitz County (using tax payer $$) filed appeals to the State Board's decision on behalf of NWIW. [POK appeal]

- TDN: Cowlitz County joins lawsuit over methanol permit decision
- TDN: Port of Kalama challenges reversal of methanol permits
- AP News via Washington TImes: Port of Kalama appeals order nixing methanol project permits
- AP News via Tacoma News Tribune: Kalama port to do environmental review of methanol plant

September 2017: State Shorelines Board rules two key permits invalid! Orders EIS must include all GHG emissions upstream and downstream, ie. from "well-to-wheel".

State Shorelines Board Rules Fracked Gas-to-Methanol Refinery Permit Invalid

Summary judgment in our favour:

Shorelines Hearing Board Summary Judgement Order 9/15/2017

2016

December 2016 Sign Waving on the rail overpass at Festival of Lighted Boats.

November 2016 Cowlitz County Planning Commission Special Meeting on the Shoreline Master Program Update and three Methanol Refining and Export Forums (Vancouver, Kalama, Longview).

October 2016 Tabling at coal hearing at Cowlitz Expo Center and at Halloween in downtown Kalama.

September 2016 Rally at Toteff Park & "OverPass" March to Port of Kalama.

August 2016 Methanol Explosion Risks & Eminent Domain Workshop at the Kalama Community Center. Also information booth and flyering at the Untouchables Classic Car Show.

July 2016 Letter-to-the-Editor Writing Party and Mailer Assembly Party.

June 2016 Well attended meeting of the cemetery board with William's Pipeline. Famous for activist Diane Dick being told they can't answer her well-formed question because the answer would go "over your head little lady." Ha! Also "Family Fun BBQ" at the Kalama totem pole park.

May 2016 Josh Fox movie "How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change" and discussion at the Kalama Veterans Hall.

April 2016 First major organizing meeting at the VanDe Krol home.

March 2016: Estimated 800 people attended the public hearing on the draft EIS (environmental impact statement) held at the Kalama High School on March 22^nd and 3000 comments on the DEIS were received by Columbia Riverkeeper (CRK). The CRK informational presentation on the methanol refinery 2 days prior were where many of us first became actively involved in the fight.

Environmental Impact Statement & Permits

Final EIS of NWIW Methanol Refinery (click "Project Library")
Released 9/30/2016. Still ignores greenhouse gases emitted during fracking process and pipeline leakage and the fossil fuel burned by ships hauling methanol to China. We deserve a full and accurate accounting! [APPEAL]
Updates: 9/2017 State board deems FEIS illegal! 5/2018 Court upholds that decision. NWIW must write new EIS that includes GHG emissions "from well to wheel".
Clean Air Permit approved by SWCCA 6/7/2017. [Tech | Com | Resp]
Shoreline Substantial Development and Conditional Use Permit
Ecology approved 6/8/2017. Initially denied, then revised application (not shared with the citizenry) approved with conditions. [APPEAL]
Update 9/2017. Permits invalidated by courts b/c based on the original flawed FEIS.
Update 5/2018. Permits reinstated by Cowlitz Supreme Court but pending SEIS.
The chart of permits required, below, is taken from original FEIS.
CRK's permitting process document provides additional information.