Public Hearing - EISs for the Proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal ...

11/3/2012
1 country that can inform you as you make your decisions
2 about the environmental impact of this project. Thank
3 you for the opportunity to speak, and thank you for
4 listening.
5 JOHN BRASH: My name is John Brash. I'm a
6 resident of San Juan Island for the last 34 years. I'm a
7 retired United States Naval officer.
8 I was chief engineer in the United States Merchant
9 Marine. I have a bachelor's degree in marine engineering
10 from California Maritime Academy. I ran 900-foot
11 container and passenger ships around the world for more
12 than 25 years.
13 Thank you for the opportunity to address the
14 proposed SSA coal terminal project. I base my experience
15 on my major concern with the proposed coal terminal in
16 Whatcom County, which has proposed 1,800 transit ships
17 through Puget Sound that are larger than aircraft
18 carriers and have fewer than 20 men operating them.
19 Most of these ships will be designed, built and most
20 importantly operated by third-world nations. The
21 remainder will be operated by runaway flag operators, who
22 are controlled by and answer to no entity.
23 Both these categories of ships have abysmal safety
24 records. Their chances of a collision or a grounding are
25 significant. When their steering gear malfunctions or
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