Bellingham Comments from Digital Recorder - EISs for the Proposed ...

GATEWAY PACIFIC TERMINAL EIS SCOPING HEARING VOL. II
COURT REPORTER: BETH DRUMMOND PROCEEDING DATE: October 27, 2012
Page 119
1 the microphone. 77 and 78, you are at the desk.
2 THE SPEAKER: My name is Wendy Courtemanche, and
3 I come to you today as a resident of Bellingham, as a
4 mother, and as a grandmother of two young children.
5 My family was drawn to this area because of the
6 natural beauty, as well as the fact that the people who live
7 here care immensely about the health and wellbeing of the
8 community and of this environment.
9 I'm a registered nurse, and I work as a community
10 health person with pregnant women and newborns all
11 throughout Whatcom County.
12 I'm requesting that a Health Impact Assessment be
13 carried out in regard to the potential adverse health
14 impacts of the proposed coal terminal, including the
15 cumulative and ongoing risk to the health of our community,
16 especially our most vulnerable members, infants, children,
17 and the elderly.
18 I have three health concerns that I'm asking you
19 to address:
20 One, is what is the likely impact of increased
21 diesel particulate matter from the increased number of coal
22 trains and ships on our air quality and respiratory health,
23 including how many more cases of asthma and cancer are
24 expected to result?
25 What is the likely impact on our water quality