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

11/3/2012
1 that is non-resilient and in the state of decay and
2 would not fare well from incremental stressors, such
3 as increased vessel noise or catastrophic events.
4 Obviously as you can see here today the
5 marine waters of the Salish Sea are important to the
6 First Nations and Tribes as well as to the rest of us.
7 They're also important to us economically beyond the
8 obvious subsistence, recreational and commercial
9 fisheries, the watchable wildlife of the region
10 support a $2 billion industry annually.
11 This is money brought by residents of richer
12 counties and cities into rural, less wealthy counties,
13 like San Juan County, Jefferson County, and Clallam
14 County, creating jobs in this area.
15 So I implore you to ensure that the scope of
16 the EIS being developed for the proposed port extend
17 to counties and regions where ships will be entering
18 and leaving from; including Clallam, Jefferson, and
19 San Juan County, as well as the waters of British
20 Columbia.
21 The potential impact of increased vessel
22 traffic needs to be evaluated in light of potential
23 major stressors; such as increased vessel-related
24 noise, increased potential for a catastrophic oil
25 spill, increased potential for vessel strike to marine
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