Whatcom County continues to face proposals to export fracked gas and tar sands via pipelines through our farmland and rivers and across the Salish Sea to overseas markets.
Right now, the county is conducting a legal study to develop tools to protect public health and safety from increases in rail, pipeline, and tanker shipments. In the meantime, companies like BP, Williams, Petrogas, Kinder Morgan, and SSA Marine are barred from applying for permits for pipeline, rail and pier expansions under the interim moratorium on permits to facilitate increased shipments of unrefined fossil fuels not to be processed at Cherry Point.
But the moratorium is set to expire soon, and must be extended by September 26th. The County Council needs to hear that the community supports them in maintaining this moratorium.
Will you email the County Council today and ask them to extend the moratorium?
How you can help:
Email the County Council. After many requests from concerned residents like you, on September 12th the Council introduced an ordinance to extend the moratorium for an additional six months. Email the council and urge them to approve the ordinance on September 26th.
Save the date for a Tuesday, September 26th public hearing. The Council meeting starts at 7pm, but the hall will be packed, so arrive by 6pm to save a seat and sign-up to speak in the hearing. Comments are limited to three minutes each.
Talking points
Subject: Extend the moratorium on permits for unrefined fossil fuel export projects
To: council@co.whatcom.wa.us
Sample message:
Honorable council members,
As a voting citizen of Whatcom County, I urge you to extend the moratorium on permits for unrefined fossil fuel export projects by September 26th.
Lifting the moratorium now would allow companies like Williams, BP, SSA Marine, Kinder Morgan and Petrogas to apply for permits and obtain vested rights, exempting them from new development regulations.
I support action to the greatest extent of your power to protect the people and natural resources of Whatcom County from risky expansions to export fracked gas, tar sands, crude oil, propane or coal through Cherry Point.
I hope you will take further action following completion of the legal study underway. Thank you for serving our communities.
[Your full name]
[Your city, voting address optional]
