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

GATEWAY PACIFIC TERMINAL EIS SCOPING HEARING VOL. I
COURT REPORTER: GWEN BRASS PROCEEDING DATE: October 27, 2012
Page 54
I would like you to research how the Cherry Point
terminal will compare when the 2,000 temporary jobs will most
likely be transient workers and the few hundred permanent jobs
will only be as permanent as the demand for coal is in China
and at best will only last 10 years when the coal runs out.
Finally -- and I'll leave it at that. Thank you very
much.
MR. STRUDEVANT: 36, 37, and 38.
THE SPEAKER: My name is Lynn Shuster. I live at 480
South State Street in Bellingham.
Ecology, the County, and the Corps have a very, very
difficult job ahead, and I appreciate that. I'm here to ask
you to consider one very specific item, and that is the
railroad congestion between Ferndale and Bow. Adding 18 trains
a day may require a second track that will extend all the way
along the Bellingham waterfront.
The waterfront is a jewel that defines Bellingham.
The impact of the coal terminal cannot be considered without
looking at the impact on recreation and access.
It is also necessary to at least look at an
alternative route through the County to Cherry Point.
I urge that you include in the scope the potential
need for a second track and the constant blocking of the
waterfront. I won't even start talking about the noise of the
train horns.