Seattle meeting for proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal EIS changed to accommodate high public interest

Published Nov. 8, 2012

Agencies gathering input before review of Cherry Point export terminal proposal

SEATTLE – To accommodate high public interest, the three agencies gathering public comment on the scope of an upcoming environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposed bulk-cargo shipping terminal and rail spur improvements at Cherry Point, have rescheduled a public meeting originally set for next week in Seattle.

The new location will have room for a larger number of participants.  The Seattle meeting is now set for Dec. 13, 2012, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Washington State Convention Center, 800 Convention Place, Ballroom 6F. 

Pacific International Terminals, a subsidiary of SSA Marine Inc. (SSA), proposes to build and operate the Gateway Pacific Terminal between Ferndale and Blaine. The terminal would provide storage and handling of exported and imported dry bulk commodities, including coal, grain, iron ore, salts and alumina. BNSF Railway Inc. proposes to add rail facilities and install a second track along the six-mile Custer Spur.

Whatcom County, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) together are conducting the EIS process for the proposed terminal projects and will jointly produce one EIS. Whatcom County and Ecology must follow the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and the Corps must follow the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Scoping is a preliminary phase of the EIS process when the agencies identify potential adverse impacts to decide what impacts to analyze in the EIS. The three lead agencies are gathering input from other agencies, tribes and the public. After considering comments, the lead agencies will decide what should be included in the EIS.

The EIS will evaluate the adverse impacts of various alternatives and explores possible mitigation to reduce the impacts.

In all, the lead agencies are hosting seven scoping meetings, during which staff will be available to answer questions and people can view information about the proposed projects and have opportunities to provide oral or written comments. There is no formal presentation, and people may arrive and leave as they choose during the meeting hours. 

A 120-day comment period for the NEPA/SEPA EIS scoping process began Sept. 24, 2012, and ends Jan. 21, 2013. So far, the three agencies have received more than 6,000 comments.

The first three meetings, in Bellingham, Friday Harbor and Mount Vernon, drew 1,800, 450 and 1,000 attendees, respectively. The remaining four meetings are scheduled as follows:

  • Ferndale: Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012; 3 to 7 p.m.; Ferndale Events Center, 5715 Barrett Road
  • Spokane: Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012; 4 to 7 p.m.; Spokane County Fairgrounds, 404 N. Havana St., Spokane Valley
  • Vancouver: Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012; 4 to 7 p.m.;  Clark College, Gaiser Student Center, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way 
  • Seattle: Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012; 4 to 7 p.m.; Washington State Convention Center, 800 Convention Place, Ballroom 6F

People can comment at any time during the comment period:

The official website, http://www.eisgatewaypacificwa.gov, provides additional details about the scoping process and meetings, the project proposals, and displays the comments received. 

The joint NEPA/SEPA EIS process enables the co-lead agencies to avoid duplicated efforts where the two laws overlap, while meeting each statute’s separate requirements.  Parts of the joint EIS process described on the website apply to both statutes and parts apply to one or the other.    

In scoping, the lead agencies seek comments that will guide their decision on how the EIS will address:

  • A reasonable range of alternatives for the proposals.
  • Potentially affected resources and the extent to which the EIS should analyze those resources.
  • Identifying significant unavoidable adverse impacts.
  • Measures to avoid, minimize and mitigate effects caused by the proposals.

The scoping process does not address whether the proposal should receive permits.  Scoping only helps define what will be studied in the EIS.  Decisions about issuing permits to construct the proposed projects will not be made until after the EIS is complete.

Later in 2013, after the comment period, the lead agencies will issue a scoping report and begin work on a draft EIS, which may take at least a year to prepare. The lead agencies will seek public comment on the draft EIS, and then produce a final NEPA/SEPA EIS.

For more information:

Official website for the Gateway Pacific Terminal/Custer Spur EIS and scoping process: http://www.eisgatewaypacificwa.gov

 


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Release no. 12-043