Friends of the Columbia Gorge Dont Let it be a Coal Shiute for China's Greed

DEQ Hearing on Coal Export in Portland Inspires "People's Hearing" Friends outgoing Conservation Organizer Sam Lockhart speaks outside the July 9 DEQ hearing (Photo: Ryan Rittenhouse) As proposals to turn the Columbia Gorge into the coal chute of the United States continue to persist, so does the determination of concerned citizens to stop these reckless plans. On July 9, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality held hearings in Portland and Hermiston on the Morrow Pacific coal project proposed by Ambre Energy. Citizens turned out by the hundreds to tell the DEQ and Governor Kitzhaber to deny pending air and water permits for the a proposed coal terminal. Later in the day, over 400 people rallied outside the Portland Convention Center, where the hearings were held, to attend a "People's Hearing" where citizens shared their concerns about the project. Citizens from eastern Oregon and the Gorge drove long distances to Hermiston to testify against the project, ensuring that their voices were heard. Online testimony can still be submitted up until Aug 12. Submit your comments here.   A recent poll shows that Oregonians are increasingly opposed to coal exports.