BLAINE, Wash. -- A new group is forming to support the creation of coal shipping facilities, like the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point.
The Alliance for Northwest Jobs and Exports is a partnership of energy, transportation, trade, and labor organizations that say shipping coal to Asia would be good for the northwest.
Group spokesperson Lauri Hennessey says their members also care about the environment. She says the coal coming out of the northwest is some of the cleanest in the world...
Hennessey says anti-coal groups have so far dominated the debate, while coal-shipping proponents have been largely silent.
The group says coal export terminals would create thousands of new jobs and generate millions in additional tax revenues.
The Gateway Pacific Terminal is one of six proposed coal-shipping projects currently under environmental review in Oregon and Washington.
