November 3, 2019 Corky Nouveau
Corky fired up the MiniVan for a tour of one of the city’s neighborhoods to check up on the Hamsters’ participation in the election cycle. Only a few were flagged as “Voted,” so it was turn-out-the-base time in Blue Bellingham to counteract the efforts by the tarred and feathered candidates to turn out their Tea Party/Trumper settler base. Continue reading
October 15, 2019 Dena Jensen
To me, the biggest argument against Whatcom Business Alliance (WBA) president, Tony Larson, being elected as Whatcom County Executive, is that he makes false statements. Over the last number of years, Mr. Larson made numerous false claims which have targeted numerous Whatcom County Council Members and others. Meanwhile, it is additionally unacceptable that during our current climate crisis, Tony Larson has made himself a champion for fossil fuel expansion, including a massive coal export project, at Xwe’chi’eXen, Cherry Point, and is now allowing himself to be promoted through the endorsement of the pro-Trump Whatcom County Republican Party.
Continue reading
November 30, 2018 Dena Jensen
Public comment, most consistently from union members and refinery employees, has continued to trickle in, a few per meeting, on an ongoing basis for the last few months, regarding the Whatcom County Council’s work on amending the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan related to Cherry Point. It’s time to freshly-inform ourselves on the County Council’s process in this regard to make sure they have support for what they have done well, and have our calls to action for what we want them to do better. Continue reading
March 29, 2017 Dena Jensen
Last week Whatcom County Council voted 6-1, Council Member Brenner opposed, to approve the “ordinance imposing an interim moratorium on the acceptance and processing of applications and permits for new or expanded facilities in the Cherry Point Urban Growth Area, the primary purpose of which would be the shipment of unrefined fossil fuels not to be processed at Cherry Point.” I wanted to write this week to thank them for approving the moratorium. Continue reading
October 21, 2016 Sandy Robson
This post is a follow-up to my October 12, 2016 article posted on the Noisy Waters blog. In the article, I mentioned an April 15, 2016 email and letter from Project Manager Craig Lenhart of CH2M Hill, the consultant preparing the presently-suspended EIS for the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal (GPT) project, and Parametrix’s Jenifer Young, sent to Whatcom County Deputy Executive Tyler Schroeder. Continue reading
October 19, 2016 Sandy Robson
At the September 13, 2016, County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting, during discussion about the then-proposed contract Amendment No. 5.1 for the preparation of the EIS for the GPT project Whatcom County Deputy Executive Tyler Schroeder did not fully inform, County Council members on the subject of expiring Pacific International Terminals’ (PIT) local permit applications for the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal (GPT) project. Continue reading
Click on the graphic to view a transcript of Q&A between county executive officials and county council members on the GPT EIS preparation contract at the September 13, 2016 Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services committee meeting
October 12, 2016 Sandy Robson
During the September 13, 2016 Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting, County Deputy Executive Tyler Schroeder, gave a presentation to Council about proposed contract Amendment 5.1 to the June 2012 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) preparation contract for the Gateway Pacific Terminal (GPT) and interrelated Custer Spur Modification projects. Continue reading
September 19, 2016 Dena Jensen
Okay, what’s past is past. The vote was cast to extend the contract for the GPT EIS Preparation. But a sell job was done by the Whatcom County Executive office and I think it is important to understand how it was a sell job. I believe I have pinned this down for my own understanding and maybe this explanation will help others understand why “contract completion” of the GPT EIS preparation contract is not accurate to describe what has now been approved by the Whatcom County Council, and why “contract suspension” is accurate and clearly indicates the EIS preparation, thus the contract, will not be completed, and can carry on in the future if the county and CH2M HILL agree to do so. Continue reading
Click the graphic to access the full copy of Ordinance 2016-031
September 18, 2016 Dena Jensen
Dear Whatcom County Council:
I have been trying to think if I have anything to say, now that you have already cast your votes to remain in a relationship with GPT proponents/consultants for another six months.
Here’s what I have and I deliver it in an effort to have it be helpful in future considerations and actions by the County Council: Continue reading
GPT Project Documents listed on Whatcom County’s GPT webpage as of 11 a.m. September 14, 2016, after the Whatcom County Council meeting on September 13, 2016. Click the graphic to see if it has perhaps been updated with more records.
September 14, 2016 Sandy Robson
“Beyond that I want to go on record, most of all what I was writing about – I felt was really important – is that our county administration, Jack Louws and his administration, have refused to put correspondence and documents related to the GPT project on the GPT page of the county website. They had two documents, only, on there for the entirety of 2016 until myself and a few handful of people started writing them on – I believe it was July 29th – and asked them: where are those documents?
noisy waters northwest 
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