King County Executive Dow Constantine praised a decision by the Oregon Department of State Lands to deny a key permit request for the proposed Morrow Pacific Coal Export Terminal, one of three active coal export terminal proposals in the Pacific Northwest:

“The tide is turning against coal export – with communities demanding to know the true costs of coal export terminals to our safety, our traffic, our environment, and our economies. The state of Oregon did the right thing, by carefully considering the impact of this proposed terminal on treaty fishing rights and water resources. 

“In Washington state, we still face the prospect of two massive coal export terminals that, if approved, would bring mile-and-a-half-long coal trains through the heart of our communities, with no local benefit to our economy. At the same time, we are seeing a staggering increase in the number of oil trains, which bring even greater hazards.

“That’s why I have convened more than 100 leaders from across the Pacific Northwest – including Oregon – to form the Safe Energy Leadership Alliance. Together, we’re working to better understand the potential safety, economic, and environmental impacts from coal and oil trains, and to speak with a unified voice.”