Copy
The Washington State Department of Ecology has completed its Secondary Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. They have taken public comments, reviewed the comments and addressed them in their Final SSEIS. The result is that the project would, under some difficult to predict assumptions, produce less global greenhouse gas emissions than if those uses of the methanol were provided using existing coal energy and processes. The project study also shows that it would also be among the major polluters in the state of Washington. 
We have been asked to contact Gov. Inslee and DoE Director Watson to let them know that we don't want this polluting and revenue demanding project to derail our attempts to reduce our state's GHGs. China can continue to pursue reducing their own GHGs within their own country using their own financial resources. And Washingtonians can move towards creating industries that truly reduce GHGs both globally and locally, while providing more sustainable jobs and economic stability.
Here is the information from Columbia Riverkeeper,  our partners and fellow patriots working to protect our Columbia River as well as our region.
From: Miles Johnson <miles@columbiariverkeeper.org>
Date: Mon, Dec 28, 2020 at 1:13 PM
Subject: last chance to help stop the Kalama fracked gas-to-methanol refinery
To: Miles Johnson <miles@columbiariverkeeper.org>
 
Howdy everyone! Hope this finds you well. 
 
I'm reaching out to ask for your help on an urgent matter: stopping the fracked gas-to-methanol refinery in Kalama, WA. A decision from the Department of Ecology on the permit for the methanol refinery could come any day. Please take a moment this week to let Ecology and Gov. Inslee know that your organization opposes this project.   
 
Unfortunately, the Seattle Times just reported that: "Proposed Washington state methanol plant would likely slow rise of global greenhouse gas emissions, says new study." This isn’t the whole truth, of course, but it could give Governor Inslee and the Department of Ecology cover to pretend that building new fossil fuel infrastructure is somehow part of a healthy climate future. 
 
By any account, the methanol refinery would be a top polluter in Washington, emitting 1 million metric tons of CO2e every year. And Ecology's most recent study found "inherent uncertainty" in Northwest Innovation Works' claim that it would displace dirtier forms of methanol for the next 40 years. The methanol refinery is a threat to Washingtonians’ health, the Columbia River, and our climate.
 
Can your organization reach out to Gov. Inslee and Ecology this week to tell them to deny permits for Northwest Innovation Works' methanol refinery? Please let me know if you are willing to send a quick note to keep the pressure on. 
 
- Contact Laura Watson, Director of the Washington State Department of Ecology at: laura.watson@ecy.wa.gov
 

Whether you have been fighting Kalama methanol for years or are just getting involved, your voice is critical and your work is deeply appreciated! 

Best, 
Miles

Miles Johnson (he/him/his) | Senior Attorney | Columbia Riverkeeper | 407 Portway Avenue, Suite 301, Hood River, OR 97031 | cell: 541.490.0487  | home: 541.436.3625  
LCSC General Meetings 
Meetings currently moved to the ZOOM platform
We had been meeting at Lower Columbia College, in the Student Center conference room STC 120 A, B, C. This had been our venue as of March 2019. We meet online now;  the meeting times  will  change only slightly (6:00 PM, every 3rd Wednesday of the month). The meeting starts at 6:00 PM and the discussion goes to approximately 8:00PM
Online members' meetings resume in January 2021, third Wednesday at 6PM,
See you all then when we catch up and talk about our region's issues.
Copyright © 2020 Lower Columbia Stewardship Community, All rights reserved.