SKAGIT COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The battle over an energy facility’s expansion in Ferndale is heading to court.

AltaGas filed an appeal in Skagit County Superior Court Thursday, May 21 challenging a previous decision by the Whatcom County Hearing Examiner.

The examiner ruled in March that Alta mishandled the expansion of its energy terminal at Cherry Point and sent its permit back for environmental review.

Alta argues in court documents that the examiner made the decision without proper evidence and unfairly applied new moratorium rules to older projects that had already been finished.

In response to Alta’s appeal, a coalition of environmental groups filed their own appeal seeking to expand the geographical scope of the new environmental studies the Examiner ordered.

The group, represented by EarthJustice, claims Alta has over 30 unpermitted construction projects that pose grave environmental risks to marine life in the Salish Sea.

AltaGas spokesperson Bryn Lukowiak said in a statement to My Bellingham Now that the examiner’s findings are “incorrect” and remains committed to working with Whatcom County to resolve the permitting process.

The first court hearing is scheduled for June 26.