By John Stark
After the uproar over the use or misuse of the public comment period at the Nov. 29 environmental impact statement scoping meeting in Ferndale, as well as at the Dec. 4 meeting in Spokane, the regulatory agencies have announced a different approach.
This week, at the Wed. Dec. 12 meeting in Vancouver, Wash. and the Thursday, Dec. 13 meeting in Seattle, a lottery system will be in place to decide who gets one of the limited number of two-minute speaking opportunities before a live microphone. No need to show up hours early to get a chance.
Read the details here in a joint press release from Whatcom County, Washington Department of Ecology and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Details on the meetings themselves:
Vancouver: Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012; 4 to 7 p.m.; Clark College, Gaiser Student Center, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way; meeting room capacity is 800.
Seattle: Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012; 4 to 7 p.m.; Washington State Convention Center, 800 Convention Place, Ballroom 6F. Capacity is 3,500.
In an email last week, Whatcom County Planning Manager Tyler Schroeder reiterated that the three agencies aren’t giving any extra credit for comments spoken into a microphone. Mailed and emailed comments get the same consideration:
“Yes, the agencies will be giving the the same significance to oral
comments as written comments. All comments, regardless of how
submitted, are transcribed and posted on the website for review. There
are many avenues for people to submit comments and thousands of people
are commenting on line, either via the website, or by email: http://www.eisgatewaypacificwa.gov/get-involved/comment . We will be reviewing all comments received during the 120-day comment period.”
The comment period ends Jan. 21, 2012.
I still think that it would be more beneficial for the anti-coal terminal people to hold their own meetings, allowing only comments warning against the coal terminal, allowing people with real, serious concerns to share those concerns with others.
The meeting could be taped and the comments transcribed. The comments could also be grouped and submitted in that form.
It would also be beneficial to show that film, Coal at the Crossroads. There are just too many people out there who believe all the slick presentations and propaganda that is being put out by SSA and Craig Cole.
Why not simply send your comments by email. It works just as well and does not waste time. So if it’s a lotto, the more people come the more the pro/con. This will be interesting. Sort of like stuffing the ballot box!
My first thought was that this lottery system would decrease attendance, but that was completely wrong. This lottery system appears to be a real solution, one that will give commenters the best opportunity to be heard, if they are willing to stick around for the later time slots. I think that county and regulatory agencies have given this a lot of thought and come up with the best solution.
That said, it doesn’t preclude the benefit of separate organizing meetings to more widely expose the public to the real dangers of bringing all that coal to Whatcom County and the greater Northwest coast.
glad they have decided to change their approach. While all scoping comments may be equal, the speaking slots are more about who is perceived to have more support at the meetings, and that perception being relayed to the public through the media. That’s why the GPT people hired people to wear identifiable shirts and go to the meeting. Its all a marketing scheme to tilt the agencies that one side or the other represents the majority.
Are there a larger bunch of whiners than these coal opponents. The first two hearings they dominated the proceedings and outworked the proponents. When in the next two meetings, the proponents show up in force, all of sudden it is a fixed and there needs to be a new system.
Typical liberal wingnuts. IT is only fair if they win.
Too bad they aren’t giving the speakers 5 minutes. It is awfully hard to make salient points in 2 minutes. I had my comments down to 2 minutes (I didn’t get a chance to speak) but I had to practice several times.
Why was it okay to pack meetings and speaking oportunities with opposition folks at first, but when they did not get to do that they cry foul? Use the same tactic as they do and they think it isn’t fair. How about we just let everybody have a chance? The opposition had a few already, so quit complaining.
Truther and Kelley – Did you bother to click the links and read in the article that states the purpose of the scoping meetings and comments?
Here is what the press release says about it:
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.
As you can see, unless a comment contains a suggestion for a topic of study, the scoping meeting is not an appropriate place to make the comment. Scoping meetings are not pep rallies.
Tell it to the opponents who literally had a pep rally before the Spokane hearing, complete with songs and a band.
In your opinion the economic impacts should not be contained within the study and there should be no counter to the opponents who let’s see, complained about the effect on foster children, stated that they wanted coal banned everywhere, (what does that have to do with this terminal I don’t know), the person who came in black face claiming that she got it standing next to a coal train. These people who all testified, should not be countered?
The scoping meetings are not the time or place to complain about the concerns of the citizens who are speaking out and naming issues to study. Unless you have a serious concern that needs to be studied, or are interested in hearing what is being suggested for scoping, the meeting is not for you.
SSA is quite capable of defending their own project. They do it every day and put a lot of money behind it. The scoping meeting is about concerns. If some of those concerned people happen to join together and encourage each other, that should not bother you. After all, the pro-coal union supporters are always saying let the process go through. So, let it. Let the concerned citizens have their say.
To The truth,
For someone that seems to hold a high regard for the ‘truth’ by your moniker, your’s is the hypocrisy that’s showing.
What “John Galt” is saying is the ‘truth’ of the matter. Scoping meetings are the place for people to ask what they would like studied in the EIS.
If people, pro or con, want to hold so called pep rallies at these meetings they’re free to do so but only outside of that meeting. Inside, they should only express what they believe should be studied in the actual EIS or listen. I understand that some people don’t understand this fact in the process (I didn’t) and just want to let their emotional thoughts out on both sides of the issue.
The opposition to this terminal generally appears to be small like minded groups and individuals that have organized together to try to gain a voice. They’ve tried to educate people on the scoping process, even the pro folks if they wanted were welcome. I absolutely do not believe they organized to take over the first two meetings. That’s in contrast to the proponents at the last two meetings, that all apparent evidence seems to show, were rallied by the invested builders to hijack the process. The invested builders that full well know the meaning and purpose of these scoping meetings. To me that stinks of a lack of creditability in anything they say or do.
Remember when the opponents of GPT paid people from outside the County to come and stand in line and testify at a hearing? Me, neither.
Thanks for the reminder, Apexnerd, since that was the issue.
TT, let’s talk about whining. What about the complaint filed because at WWU’s comment writing forum all they wanted to talk about was adverse impacts. The charge: a misuse of public funds to push an agenda on the public. The truth: the purpose of scoping is for the agency co-leads to receive comments about “significant adverse impacts” and alternatives, including mitigations. All were welcome to attend, and everyone free to speak. To my knowledge, that complaint is still pending — a huge waste of public resources.
And, OBTW, there was no complaint lodged when Craig Cole addressed a group at WWU on the benefits of GPT.
The lottery system is overdue and I thank the scopers for changing to it. There were a lot of people in Ferndale who had numbers but left before the hearing was over. They wer later in the string of pro-terminal speakers and likely lacked the power and passion opf the early speakers. This way everybody is equal. And, more people are likely to speak spontaneously rather than from prepared text.
The decision is, however, a setback for day laborers in Seattle. They were looking forward to Good minimum wage Jobs Now.
It is all very evident. When the opponents garnered all the speaking slots, that was fair and fine. When the proponents garner a share, not all mind you but a larger share of the speaking slots, it was cheating and the system needs to be changed.
Remember, it was the opponents who bussed people in from out of state for the Spokane hearing, they bussed them up to Bellingham for that hearing. They want to expand the scope to the study of coal impacts worldwide. They want to study the impacts it has on the increase in foster children, they came dressed in black face and claim it was from standing along the rail lines.
Who is being honest.
Hey, The Truth…
actually all of the opponents of GPT were from here.
Smells like The Truth’s pants are on fire.
The truth is that “The Truth” displays a lack of truth.
The real truth is that there is a rally planned for 2:00 PM in Seattle at the Freeway Park before the scoping meeting on December 13.
The scoping meeting is at the Washington State Convention Center, Ballroom 6F. The meeting is from 4-7.
I do hope that the people who are denied a scoping meeting in their towns are bused in so that they can voice their concerns and show their opposition by being there. It is a good thing to write scoping comments but it is better to hear the comments from the people who are protecting our air, land and water.
As to the Ferndale paid supporters I met a lot of them and have great concern for their plight. The terminal will not offer help beyond this one day’s pay for them. It would be a good thing if the Seattle red shirts mixed with the paid people and handed out a sheet listing where to apply for emergency services, food stamps, general assistance, churches that help the needy, housing referrals, help of where to go to get a GED and all the assistance services that are available in that area. This group needs help and perhaps the red shirts you may be able to give it.
To TT
From what I read about the people bused to Spokane in opposition were from Montana and it was on their own dime. People from the Powder River and all along the rail line to Spokane that feel they’ve no voice in the matter since the scoping process has left them out in the cold by not having any meetings over there.
As far as your comment about the Bellingham meeting goes the saying “a day late and a dollar short comes to mind.” Which is why, IMHO, the PR campaign and questionable ethical tactics to stack the deck was put together.
Great to see the hypocrites at work.
A. There was a rally at the front door of the Spokane hearing.
B. The busses that brought people to Spokane was paid for by opponents.
C. All the speakers in favor of the terminal in Ferndale were from the county.
D. No one has answered if any or the organizers for the opposition are paid.