NoMethanol360 ~ Archives

2018

See Columbia Riverkeeper's list of press releases, comments, legal actions, and other campaign information at CRK's Methanol Resources.

October 2018: The IPCC published a special report Global Warming of 1.5° that confirms the dire need to stop using fossil fuels immediately, including "natural" gas. CRK and LCSC co-hosted a community forum on the massive PCF anyhdrous ammonia plant proposed in Longview. Final recommendations were made regarding Cowlitz County's Health Impact Assessment (HIA) that could have consequences well beyond the main focus on the Millenium Bulk Coal Terminal.

Summer 2018: Summer events included 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, making of "No Methanol" movie clip for People's Climate Movement Day of Action, 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 Judgment 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 (supplemental?) 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.

Misc. Agencies/Docs/Sites Related to Project

Warning: Slick sales jobs abound in some of these sites/docs.

Audio and Video Useful to the Campaign

2018-06 Webinar from Food and Water Action "Plastics, Pipelines, Fracking and Our Planet"

2018-03 Webinar from Physicians for Social Responsibility "Methane Pipelines: Dangers to Health"

2017 Audio Podcast from Making Contact. Will we allow petrochemical export terminals to turn the PNW into a Sacrifice Zone? [Part 1 and Part 2]

Fracked-Gas is NOT a "Bridge" Fuel!
Adverse Health Effects of Fracking and Methane Pipelines. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Studies.

2018-06 Science Magazine: Assessment of methane emissions from the U.S. oil and gas supply chain (Abstract only. Contact me regarding access to full article.)
2018-06 Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Brochure: Measuring Methane: A Groundbreaking Effort to Quantify Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Industry Note: While this document has some useful facts regarding CH₄ vs. CO₂, take caution with EDF as it has at times in the past promoted fracking and/or dismissed its dangers.
2018-04 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): 2018 Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks 1990–2016 [Plus: EPA's Fast Facts] Note: These versions are post Trump's censoring of EPA documents and terminology provided here FWIW.
2018-03 Concerned Health Professionals of NY & Physicians for Social Responsibility: Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking and Rolling Stone's article upon release of the Compendium ‘The Harms of Fracking’: New Report Details Increased Risks of Asthma, Birth Defects and Cancer
2018-02 Stockholm Environment Institute's report on GHG emissions from Kalama methanol refinery Towards a Climate Test for Industry: Assessing a Gas-based Methanol Plant
2018-02 Physicians for Social Responsibility: The Health Co-Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation in Washington State
2017-11 Oil Change Institute: Burning the Gas Bridge Fuel Myth
2017-02 Physicians for Social Responsibility: Too Dirty Too Dangerous: Why Health Professionals Reject 'Natural' Gas [Plus: webinar | video]
2017-02 Environmental Science & Technology Journal: Assessing the Methane Emissions from Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants and Oil Refineries [Plus: Correction]
2015-04 Still a Bridge to Nowhere (powerpoint presentation)
2014-04 Bridge to Nowhere: Methane Emissions and the GHG Footprint of 'Natural' Gas
2013 IPCC IPCC Report on Climate Change [Plus: FAQs]