By John Stark
Opponents and supporters of the Gateway Pacific Terminal coal export pier packed a meeting in Spokane on Tuesday night to offer their comments and viewpoints on the environmental impact scoping process.
Spokane could potentially get a really big increase in rail traffic if Gateway Pacific and other export terminals are built, because much or all of that coal would likely be routed through the city.
The Spokane Spokesman-Review reports.
Backers of the terminal acknowledged they paid some people to hold some of the limited number of speaking slots in Spokane. Those slots are given to the first people waiting in line when doors open.
SSA Marine, the company proposing the terminal, did the same thing at the Nov. 29 meeting in Ferndale, SSA spokesman Craig Cole said in an email:
“The long lines and mid-day meetings make it impossible for working people, busy parents, elderly, and the disabled to get a slot to speak. An elderly supporter at Ferndale testified he had stood in line at Bellingham and never got a chance to speak, although he did catch pneumonia instead. We have had many supporters complain that they were being shut out of the process and asked for help in allowing their voices to be heard, especially in greater Whatcom County (the center of which is Ferndale) where support levels are in the majority and the venue is accessible. After we realized that our supporters were being prevented from testifying at earlier meetings, we took a page from the opposition strategy for the Ferndale meeting and had people hold spots in line for supporters wishing to speak. Some were paid temporary event set-up staff (who also handed out t-shirts and other materials and put up signs) and some were volunteers, just like opposition groups are doing.” (end Cole statement)
Another SSA spokesman, Gary Smith, emailed me a video clip in which a man in a tie-dyed shirt is talking to anti-terminal people getting off a bus in Spokane, and informing them he has people holding four places in line for tribal representatives.
Some will see a difference between paying people to stand in line, and having zealous volunteers ready to do it for free.
Former Bellingham Mayor Dan Pike, in a phone chat earlier today, feels that way.
“If you really can’t get folks that you claim are supporting you to show up and help out … then I think that shows something,” Pike said.
Pike also acknowledged that terminal opponents were holding places for other people in line at the Bellingham meeting at Squalicum High School on Oct. 27.
“I was in line and there were people ahead of me holding places for other people,” Pike said.
Pike also observed that the purpose of these meetings is to gather input on the issues that need to be included in the environmental impact statement. While public testimony in front of a microphone is a valuable part of that process, Pike doubts that many issues are in danger of being overlooked at this point, with written comments being submitted by the thousands.
“They probably have 99.9 percent of potential comments already entered,” Pike said.
At this point, opponents and backers of the terminal seem to agree that the process of allocating a limited number of open-mike opportunities has been aggravating.
“Speaking for myself only, I think the method of distributing speaker numbers has been frustrating to people on all sides,” Cole said. “It creates a competitive race to get in line early, and if you snooze, you lose. Without being critical of the agencies that are doing their best to facilitate input, it seems like a lottery system or something like that would be more orderly and equitable.”
Cole also reports that the public agencies, SSA spokesmen and project opponents are talking about what can be done to address the situation at this point.
Stay tuned.
If they were planning on a State-wide effort, there should have been more meetings in Eastern Washington. Wasn’t there only the one? Also, there’s still time to schedule more of these meetings – the comment period doesn’t close until late January.
Mr. Cole’s rationalization does not measure up to reality. I work and I took four hours of time off to stand in line at Ferndale. What I saw were many speakers showing up late. Apparently Mr. Cole and gang also rented an adjacent room and provided everyone they had line sitting and line jumping food and drinks. Look at the first 40 speakers and identify those that were not paid to be there.
But I am pleased to see that Mr. Cole agrees that this process has now turned into a disaster. Ability to provide comments is now potentially up to the highest bidder. Maybe if I waives $1,000 in front of a line sitter I can get their spot?
I have made direct contact with the agencies and have received some assurance that they will consider adjustments to this process. Not all input has been received yet. I haven’t even begun to write my scoping issues.
There weren’t more meetings because the idea of a Programmatic EIS had not [yet] been embraced by the agencies.But. it ought to be, and still might be if enough voices are heard to advise the agencies comprising the MAP Team that it is in the best interests of the public to have this broader evaluation become prudent, fairer and necessary.
The games being played to pack the house at the Scoping Comment meetings can be easily offset by people simply providing their concerns directly to the website provided.
There is no limit to the number of scoping comments allowed per person; there is no inconvenience factor because the Internet is always open for business -up until January 21, 2013 when the scoping window closes; there is no premium given to people who do get to speak at these meetings.
All comments are given equal consideration as long as they clearly state a specific concern and ask for a specific action to have it considered, like a study, evaluation or request for missing information.
To clarify, I think there are likely issues that still need to be introduced into the record. With speaking time limited to just a couple of minutes, I think most quickly captured issues have been stated, but there are many issues which may still need to be considered which are more complex. The written record is a great way to get those in front of the regulatory decision makers.
Is either side perhaps offering a flat screen TV to wait in line overnight in Seattle?
How difficult is it for potential speakers to put their name on a slip of paper and drop it into a hat (or coal hopper) and have the names drawn at random?! That way nobody can buy a spot, either by giving refreshments or by virtue of having the entire day off and standing (holding a place) in line.
Oh, I suppose Craig Cole could stuff the ballot box! There are techniques for keeping it honest.
If there are only a certain amount of speaking spots available, the idea of a corporations buying those spots is incredibly immoral and should be illegal.
This is an outrageous and disrespectful way to do business with the communities involved in the coal dump project. And is just part of the trend we have seen and will continue to see as this process moves forward.
I’m appalled, but not at all shocked.
Mr. Stalheim challenged someone to look at the first 40 speakers and identify who was not paid to be there. Well, I was speaker number 5 and I was not paid to be there! Indeed, I got my speaker number from a neighbor who had been standing there for almost four hours to get her number. She saw that I had arrived with written comments and asked if I would incorporate her concerns into my comments. I obliged.
Getting No. 5? Awesome. Getting it from a neighbor? Priceless!!!
We need to look at the ethics of the companies who want to come to Whatcom County as well as the environmental harm that they may create.
It is my opinion and belief that the recruiting, busing and paying of individuals by the applicant to come to the scoping meetings is questionable and the goal and objective of such actions needs to be discovered. This on doubt will not be decided here on this site but in a court of law. It is my further belief that is where this action is headed.
I do not believe Perry E because I was there in Ferndale early enough to get a look at the persons standing in line and I am pretty sure that no. 5 in line was not a woman.
Does Craig Cole think only terminal proponents are “working people, busy parents, elderly and disabled”? I can assure him that opponents – which by far outnumber proponents – have just as many issues with getting there to comment. And, I am quite sure that NONE of the opponents had to be paid to stand in line. It is a pretty sorry thing that proponents are so few and so unenthusiastic that, as one person put it, “they have to privatize community involvement by paying people to pretend they are with unions.”
Did Craig Cole just justify and approve of immoral and unethical behavior?
Sure there are a couple of paid anti-coal activists, like there would be with any kind of issue. That sure is a far cry from hiring minimum-wage workers in Seattle, busing them to Ferndale, and providing them a meal — all to stand in line. In contrast, hundreds of volunteers figured out way to manage their work lives to take advantage of the opportunity to register their concerns about a really, really bad idea. Pay vs. volunteers? Who cares and knows more. I side with the latter.
Now why the local journalist John Stark can’t/won’t see that, or won’t dig deeper into this complex story is curious. What’s holding him back? This is a great story; we’re only getting surface treatment, and I, for one, can’t understand why.
Those were nice luxury coach buses that brought the opponents from other states.
Who paid for those as I would bet they cost a few thousand dollars.
The bigger question Really is how many of the anti coal activists actually have jobs?
“Now why the local journalist John Stark can’t/won’t see that, or won’t dig deeper into this complex story is curious. What’s holding him back? This is a great story; we’re only getting surface treatment, and I, for one, can’t understand why.”
I’ve had the same thought. When the Lummis had their first protest meeting out at Cherry Point, it was covered by the NY Times, but not the Herald. The local reporters seem to lack ambition, they could be the next Woodward and Bernstein if they had the gumption to really do some investigative journalism.
“‘An elderly supporter at Ferndale testified he had stood in line at Bellingham and never got a chance to speak….’” What’s wrong with that statement?
Bellingham’s scoping meeting was on a SATURDAY and I counted about 18 pro-GPT pins (no tee-shirts at that point) in the line. The issue isn’t a convenient time for all those terminal supporters. The problem is the lack of support in the unions, and the lack of passion those in the general public have for the proposal, even when they’re signing petitions saying, yes, they support jobs.
Must add this thing is an awful thing if jobs is the issue. Count the jobs per acre. Warehouses provide about 4 jobs per acre. SSA now owns 1500 of ‘em. Acres, that is.
That is because a group of 20 opponents jumped the line in front of him and shoved him aside.
TT, no one jumped the line. Mr. Cole says in one breath he testified, and in the other that he didn’t.
It is not difficult to understand if you read. The gentleman testified at the Ferndale hearing that he stood in line at the Bellingham hearing and that he never got to testify at the Bellingham hearing.
How do you think your loyal opposition would react if they knew the truth that big oil and natural gas companies were the money behind the opposition effort.
Perry,
I suppose that Ken Oplinger, who spoke right behind you at number 6, got his speaking ticket from his neighbor in Blaine? Wow, what a coincidence. The turth is that I saw several of the early speakers come to the event as they walked by probably 100 – 200 people directly to the front of the line.
Oh well, that is the process we got. http://www.getwhatcomplanning.blogspot.com/2012/12/coal-terminal-special-how-1-scopes.html. It is a failed process, and it needs correction. Everyone’s voice should be heard, and no ones is more special than anothers.
That claim that “big bad oil” and “gas” are behind the opposition to the terminal because the latest news is that there most likely be Canadian Sands Oil exported from the this “coal terminal”.
No, JG, The Twisted Trust is referring to this:
http://ecowatch.org/2012/the-sierra-club-and-natural-gas/.
Oh, and I’m not funded by the Sierra Club. My husband only wishes.
Sorry, TT. I meant “Twisted Truth.”
Who paid for the luxury busses that brought opposition members to the hearing in Spokane?
I never said it was the Sierra Club receiving funding, but the anti coal campaign, you know, “This is Reality” and other third party entities. They launder the money as they donate to the Sierra Club funds that they receive from gas and oil. Sierra Club knows this but they can justify it because it is not directly from big oil and gas.
Nice article and how exactly are they taking care of those workers being put out of work in the coal industry?
http://www.statejournal.com/story/16672101/industry-wants-answers-from-cheseapeake-on-anti-coal-funding
Elena: The first Lummi protest meeting was on the front page of the Herald.
After that meeting, Lummi Nation convened a second protest meeting at the site. No notice of it was given to us, and I found out about it while it was in progress. I can only speculate that it was arranged to accoommodate other news media. I elected not to race out there since we had covered the earlier meeting.
There were several factors that disturbed me about the bused in group at the Ferndale scoping meeting.
It is my opinion that the people standing in front of the building in the green shirts were in a way exploited. Perhaps they got a meal and pay for a day but what will happen to them the next day and the days after that? This was a disadvantaged group that needed society’s protection and financial help. There is not one thing in the GPT project that will benefit them beyond the day. They are hindered in away from getting the help that they deserve in that the people of good will in fighting of the GPT disaster have less time to help this disadvantaged group.
There were from what I observed three leaders watching over this group to herd them into conformance and to lead them in a “We want Jobs” chant and in so doing robbed them of their self-respect.
The other factor was that this line up of paid supporters did as was observed in the meeting and reported later prevented many Ferndale residents from voicing their concerns over the proposed project. Additionally, the repeated comments of the same Jobs pitch were not productive and by the time the speakers who had real concerns spoke the majority of the Ferndale audience had left the meeting. Within this group that left were people that really needed to be informed as to the concerns of their neighbors.
Further the paid people gave an overall false impression of the support that the GPT has in the community.
I believe that there needs to be a remedy to the damage done by the applicant company in thwarting a public process.
What a whiner. Please stop the lies. There were no busses in Ferndale, the only busses were in Spokane bring opponents in from several states outside of Washington.
To the note writer truth:
Prove it.
What is your objective in making insulting comments? What do you hope to gain?
TT & BO: Here’s what I know. I was in Ferndale for hours before the doors opened, and say no buses for either side. I did see:
1) a Power Past Coal employee there to pass out stickers and keep us in check;
2) cars in the parking lot we were sure were not ours with out-of-state license plates;
3) folks in line ahead of me (and I got there over 4 hours in advance) who said they were “GPT employees” which must mean “SSA employees” since there is currently no such legal thing as “GPT”;
4) specifically folks who identified themselves as coming for “GPT” from Seattle.
According to everything I’ve read (press, emails, etc.), in Spokane, a bus arrived from the Powder River Basin with about 45 people who started the day at about 4:30 a.m. to testify since they did not get a scoping meeting. They were not paid; they were ranch owners and residents of communities who receive the rail impacts, no jobs, no tax revenues, and, they assume, condemnations of their property adjacent to the rail lines for upgrades if any of the five proposed terminals in OR and WA are permitted on the west coast, including GPT.
Thank you for confirming opponents did bus people in from our of state. We’re the organizers for the opposition from the Sierra Club paid?
I think you know the answer.
The Sierra Club didn’t bus anyone in. And the difference is this: those Montanans came to testify about direct impacts on them. That is entirely different from SSA Marine paying people to stand in line to snag speaker slots from people who would have commented on significant adverse impacts for statements about jobs, which are not “comments” within the meaning of SEPA and NEPA.
SSA is doing a grave disservice by encouraging people to participate in the process without teaching them how to articulate “comments.” But I think that’s by design.
Another example of people who are “paid” encouraging participation in the process: http://snoho.com/Stories%202012/120512_coalletter.html
You did not answer the question. We’re there ANY paid organizers from the Sierra Club or some other organization opposing, at any of these hearings?