Cowlitz Tribe asserts opposition to Longview coal terminal

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe stepped up its opposition to a proposed coal terminal in Longview, saying state and federal officials have underestimated the environmental risks of the project and ignored the tribe’s requests for consultation.

Cowlitz Chairman Bill Iyall, on a call with reporters Friday, said plans to export 44 million metric tons of coal through a Longview terminal threaten the tribe’s culture and homeland.

“Since time immemorial we’ve relied on the once-bountiful resources for survival,” Iyall said.

He said the Millennium Bulk Terminals project “represents a massive movement of fossil fuels across the landscape through sensitive environments, impacting animals, fish, plant life.”

The Longview coal terminal must undergo a federal environmental review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a state review by the Washington Department of Ecology. It received a draft environmental impact statement that many considered favorable.

Iyall said the Cowlitz consider that review to be incomplete, saying it does not fully address the negative effects on threatened Columbian white-tailed deer or the increased risks of salmon deaths associated with wave action or dredging.

“The draft EIS consistently understates, misrepresents and simply does not have relevant significant information,” Iyall said.

Iyall said the Cowlitz have made requests to consult with state and federal officials about the coal terminal on a government-to-government basis, which have been ignored. The tribe filed written comments in June outlining concerns about the terminal and the environmental impact statement.

David Bennett, a spokesman for Washington’s Department of Ecology, said the department will continue to seek Cowlitz input.