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Spokane Tribe Weighs in On Western Wash. Coal Proposal

oil train
Paige Browning
/
Spokane Public Radio

Leaders from nine Native American tribes are urging the Army Corps of Engineers to deny permits for a proposed coal-export terminal near Bellingham. Among them are members of the Spokane Tribe, whose reservation is hundreds of miles away from the proposed terminal.

The tribal representatives met Thursday to oppose the Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point. That project would export as much as 48 million tons of coal each year from Montana and Wyoming to Asia.

The Lummi Nation says the project would disrupt treaty-protected fishing rights and harm sacred sites.

But the project is also finding opposition from the Spokane tribe, some 300 miles to east.

Twa-Le Abrahamson Swan, the natural resources director for the Spokanes, says they have a history of opposition to coal fire power plants, including one proposed near Creston, Washington years ago.

Abrahamson-Swan: "We were one of the five tribes in the nation that pursued a class one air shed redesignation. And that was to prevent our reservation from the impacts of burning coal for power. Our actions prevented the construction of a coal fired power plant , that was in 1983.”

Abrahamson-Swan says besides concerns with the effect on the air from burning coal, the tribe is also worried about the potential for increased coal train traffic in the Spokane area.

 The Spokane tribe is one of nine urging the Army Corps of engineers to deny a permit for the Cherry Point facility.

Steve was part of the Spokane Public Radio family for many years before he came on air in 1999. His wife, Laurie, produced Radio Ethiopia in the late 1980s through the '90s, and Steve used to “lurk in the shadowy world” of Weekend SPR. Steve has done various on air shifts at the station, including nearly 15 years as the local Morning Edition host. Currently, he is the voice of local weather and news during All Things Considerd, writing, editing, producing and/or delivering newscasts and features for both KPBX and KSFC. Aside from SPR, Steve ,who lives in the country, enjoys gardening, chickens, playing and listening to music, astronomy, photography, sports cars and camping.
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