SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A Victory for Indigenous Rights Over Fossil Fuel Greed
This week, the Obama administration’s Army Corps of Engineers honored the treaty rights of the Lummi Nation and denied a critical permit for the proposed Gateway Pacific coal export terminal in Washington state.
May 12, 2016
This is a big deal.
Gateway Pacific was the largest proposed coal export terminal in the United States. If built, coal companies like Peabody Energy and Cloud Peak would have been able to ship up to 48 million tons of coal out of the U.S each year. Once burned, that coal would emit more than 80 million tons of carbon per year, the equivalent of 21 new coal-fired power plants. And transporting all that coal from Wyoming and Montana to Washington would have threatened communities and ecosystems with coal dust, diesel fumes, and derailments.
Most importantly, though, it would have had serious and unmitigatable impacts to Xwe'chi'eXen, also known as Cherry Point, Washington, and the surrounding treaty protected waters.
For years, leaders from the Lummi Nation have stepped up to defend this sacred site -- refusing money from terminal backers, organizing a totem pole journey through the Pacific Northwest and Interior West, and most recently demanding Obama's Army Corps of Engineers recognize the Lummi Nation's treaty rights and halt all permitting activity.
Lummi leaders took a huge risk, putting their treaty rights on the line. But the Army Corps of Engineers honored that demand, hopefully signaling that the U.S. government will respect tribal sovereignty in future decisions.
Here's more on the impact of this decision in the Lummi Nation's own words:
We are pleased to see that the Corps has honored the treaty and the constitution by providing a decision that recognizes the terminal's impacts to our fishing rights. This decision is a win for the treaty and protects our sacred site. Our ancient ones at Xwe'chieXen, Cherry Point, will rest protected.
Because of this decision, the water we rely on to feed our families, for our ceremonies and for commercial purposes remains protected. But this is more than a victory for our people; it's a victory for treaty rights.
Treaty rights shape our region and nation. As tribes across the United States face pressures from development and resource extraction, we'll continue to see tribes lead the fight to defend their treaty rights, and protect and manage their lands and waters for future generations.
So yes, this is a big deal.
Tens of thousands of folks throughout the Pacific Northwest have been organizing, petitioning, taking direct action, and otherwise speaking out against proposed fossil fuel infrastructure projects like Gateway Pacific. This region has kept an incredible amount of carbon in the ground by slowing and blocking the development of coal terminals, gas pipelines, and oil trains. However, the extraordinary leadership of the Lummi Nation proved to be the most important factor in preventing Gateway Pacific from bringing further destruction to the region.
It shouldn't have to be a historic victory when a developer is barred from building a massive, toxic project on top of a sacred site. Unfortunately, state and federal governments have been all too willing to ignore the rights of tribes and indigenous leaders in order to appease fossil fuel companies.
But today we have reason to celebrate. Gateway Pacific Terminal will forever remain a pipedream for a desperate coal industry looking for a fire exit.
In 2012, there were six proposed coal terminals in the Pacific Northwest. Now only one remains -- the Millennium Bulk Terminal.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
© 2023 Greenpeace
Kelly Mitchell
Kelly Mitchell is the Energy Campaign Director for Greenpeace, based in Chicago. Since 2006, she has worked with activists and organizations across the country to confront corporate polluters and transform U.S. energy policy. She currently leads Greenpeace's campaign for an economy powered by 100 percent renewable energy, pushing some of the largest companies in the world to embrace wind and solar and working alongside communities to develop a just and democratic energy system.
This is a big deal.
Gateway Pacific was the largest proposed coal export terminal in the United States. If built, coal companies like Peabody Energy and Cloud Peak would have been able to ship up to 48 million tons of coal out of the U.S each year. Once burned, that coal would emit more than 80 million tons of carbon per year, the equivalent of 21 new coal-fired power plants. And transporting all that coal from Wyoming and Montana to Washington would have threatened communities and ecosystems with coal dust, diesel fumes, and derailments.
Most importantly, though, it would have had serious and unmitigatable impacts to Xwe'chi'eXen, also known as Cherry Point, Washington, and the surrounding treaty protected waters.
For years, leaders from the Lummi Nation have stepped up to defend this sacred site -- refusing money from terminal backers, organizing a totem pole journey through the Pacific Northwest and Interior West, and most recently demanding Obama's Army Corps of Engineers recognize the Lummi Nation's treaty rights and halt all permitting activity.
Lummi leaders took a huge risk, putting their treaty rights on the line. But the Army Corps of Engineers honored that demand, hopefully signaling that the U.S. government will respect tribal sovereignty in future decisions.
Here's more on the impact of this decision in the Lummi Nation's own words:
We are pleased to see that the Corps has honored the treaty and the constitution by providing a decision that recognizes the terminal's impacts to our fishing rights. This decision is a win for the treaty and protects our sacred site. Our ancient ones at Xwe'chieXen, Cherry Point, will rest protected.
Because of this decision, the water we rely on to feed our families, for our ceremonies and for commercial purposes remains protected. But this is more than a victory for our people; it's a victory for treaty rights.
Treaty rights shape our region and nation. As tribes across the United States face pressures from development and resource extraction, we'll continue to see tribes lead the fight to defend their treaty rights, and protect and manage their lands and waters for future generations.
So yes, this is a big deal.
Tens of thousands of folks throughout the Pacific Northwest have been organizing, petitioning, taking direct action, and otherwise speaking out against proposed fossil fuel infrastructure projects like Gateway Pacific. This region has kept an incredible amount of carbon in the ground by slowing and blocking the development of coal terminals, gas pipelines, and oil trains. However, the extraordinary leadership of the Lummi Nation proved to be the most important factor in preventing Gateway Pacific from bringing further destruction to the region.
It shouldn't have to be a historic victory when a developer is barred from building a massive, toxic project on top of a sacred site. Unfortunately, state and federal governments have been all too willing to ignore the rights of tribes and indigenous leaders in order to appease fossil fuel companies.
But today we have reason to celebrate. Gateway Pacific Terminal will forever remain a pipedream for a desperate coal industry looking for a fire exit.
In 2012, there were six proposed coal terminals in the Pacific Northwest. Now only one remains -- the Millennium Bulk Terminal.
Kelly Mitchell
Kelly Mitchell is the Energy Campaign Director for Greenpeace, based in Chicago. Since 2006, she has worked with activists and organizations across the country to confront corporate polluters and transform U.S. energy policy. She currently leads Greenpeace's campaign for an economy powered by 100 percent renewable energy, pushing some of the largest companies in the world to embrace wind and solar and working alongside communities to develop a just and democratic energy system.
This is a big deal.
Gateway Pacific was the largest proposed coal export terminal in the United States. If built, coal companies like Peabody Energy and Cloud Peak would have been able to ship up to 48 million tons of coal out of the U.S each year. Once burned, that coal would emit more than 80 million tons of carbon per year, the equivalent of 21 new coal-fired power plants. And transporting all that coal from Wyoming and Montana to Washington would have threatened communities and ecosystems with coal dust, diesel fumes, and derailments.
Most importantly, though, it would have had serious and unmitigatable impacts to Xwe'chi'eXen, also known as Cherry Point, Washington, and the surrounding treaty protected waters.
For years, leaders from the Lummi Nation have stepped up to defend this sacred site -- refusing money from terminal backers, organizing a totem pole journey through the Pacific Northwest and Interior West, and most recently demanding Obama's Army Corps of Engineers recognize the Lummi Nation's treaty rights and halt all permitting activity.
Lummi leaders took a huge risk, putting their treaty rights on the line. But the Army Corps of Engineers honored that demand, hopefully signaling that the U.S. government will respect tribal sovereignty in future decisions.
Here's more on the impact of this decision in the Lummi Nation's own words:
We are pleased to see that the Corps has honored the treaty and the constitution by providing a decision that recognizes the terminal's impacts to our fishing rights. This decision is a win for the treaty and protects our sacred site. Our ancient ones at Xwe'chieXen, Cherry Point, will rest protected.
Because of this decision, the water we rely on to feed our families, for our ceremonies and for commercial purposes remains protected. But this is more than a victory for our people; it's a victory for treaty rights.
Treaty rights shape our region and nation. As tribes across the United States face pressures from development and resource extraction, we'll continue to see tribes lead the fight to defend their treaty rights, and protect and manage their lands and waters for future generations.
So yes, this is a big deal.
Tens of thousands of folks throughout the Pacific Northwest have been organizing, petitioning, taking direct action, and otherwise speaking out against proposed fossil fuel infrastructure projects like Gateway Pacific. This region has kept an incredible amount of carbon in the ground by slowing and blocking the development of coal terminals, gas pipelines, and oil trains. However, the extraordinary leadership of the Lummi Nation proved to be the most important factor in preventing Gateway Pacific from bringing further destruction to the region.
It shouldn't have to be a historic victory when a developer is barred from building a massive, toxic project on top of a sacred site. Unfortunately, state and federal governments have been all too willing to ignore the rights of tribes and indigenous leaders in order to appease fossil fuel companies.
But today we have reason to celebrate. Gateway Pacific Terminal will forever remain a pipedream for a desperate coal industry looking for a fire exit.
In 2012, there were six proposed coal terminals in the Pacific Northwest. Now only one remains -- the Millennium Bulk Terminal.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.