Sadly, there are about a dozen or so bad bills that I’m watching right now. Here’s one that needs IMMEDIATE action from you all.
The WA House of Representatives will be voting in the next few days on HB 2162, a bill that would amend the Shorelines Management Act to make it easier to develop coal export terminals on our coasts.
Coal export terminals present serious risks for our communities – from coal dust hurting our families’ health and the environment to coal trains clogging our roads (surely you’ve heard me talk about coal trains on this blog before). Coal companies know that the more people learn about coal exports, the more they are concerned about impacts to their communities. Now they’re trying to change the law to make it easier to move coal export projects forward.
We need to let our elected leaders know that Washington says NO to coal export by calling them and telling them to reject this bill unless it is amended to not apply to coal export projects.
Please call the state’s Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and leave a message for your representatives to
“oppose HB 2162 unless it’s amended to not apply to coal export projects.”
HB 2162 would impact our ability to stop or at least mitigate nasty industrial developments, like coal export terminals. I am one of the thousands of citizens from across Washington who have come together to say no to coal export proposals and it is unacceptable for our elected leaders in Olympia to promote a bill that will make the permitting process easier for these polluting projects. Peabody Coal, the world’s largest coal company, is known for using their money and power to influence the democratic process. We need to stand together to tell Peabody “not in our state!”
Please call the Legislative hotline right now at 1-800-562-6000 and say no to HB 2162.
