Residents in southeast Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish received some great holiday and post-holiday news about the proposed RAM coal export terminal.
After well over a year of tireless work by activists in the parish, news came down on December 23 that a judge in the Parish ruled that the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources had "breached its duty as a public trustee" by issuing a Coastal Use Permit to the proposed coal export terminal.
The judge said the permit lacked a clear and reasoned alternatives analysis, failed to describe and analyze the potential commodities that might be carried by rail to the terminal, and posed a threat to a major coastal restoration project planned on the same exact property.
Then came even more huge news on January 8, when the newly-elected Plaquemines Parish Council voted 8-0 to deny the terminal's construction permit.
"Fifty percent of the people in my district live next to the railroad tracks. I've got friends in Westwego, friends in Gretna. Unless they (RAM) can come back with a plan that makes more sense that this, I can’t support it," said Plaquemines Council Member Irvin Juneau.
Residents are surprised and elated. "This was a complete reversal from the previous council, in which we had only one ally and a council indifferent to the concerns of the public," said Devin Martin, a New Orleans-based organizer with the Beyond Coal campaign.
"While it doesn't kill the terminal for good, it sends a huge signal to the state agencies and to the RAM terminal: the people of Louisiana--and their local elected officials--won't accept a terminal that puts our communities and our coast at risk. Now it's time for the state to do the same and we can rid ourselves of this awful terminal once and for all."
Plaquemines Parish is already home to two coal export terminals. Residents living nearby suffer with heavy coal dust pollution, which causes respiratory ailments and collects on their homes and property. Aerial photos and satellite images demonstrate pollution of the Mississippi River from the terminals. A recent report in NOLA.com/Times-Picayune suggests that coal from the terminals is already polluting sediment used in major coastal restoration projects.
The proposed RAM coal terminal would have a capacity of eight million tons of coal annually, which would be the equivalent carbon emissions of six coal-fired power plants!
Martin credits the phenomenal activists and member organizations of the Gulf Restoration Network, as well as numerous other organizations, and the Sierra Club Beyond Coal campaign for the amazing movement against the coal terminal. Together they turned out hundreds of people to public hearings and got more than 1,000 residents to sign a petition opposing RAM's plans.
"We are finally seeing that we are making a difference by taking a stand and speaking out for the good of our people, our communities, our Louisiana coastline and our state," said resident and activist Laurie Ledet.
As Martin said, the proposed terminal isn't dead yet, but residents' activism is inspiring and will continue to build. "Up until this point, this was a battle of the underdogs, a rag-tag group of people and organizations fighting against a huge, monied, and powerful coal company and their political cronies," said Martin.
"Now, with the judge's ruling and a new Plaquemines government that reflects the will of the people, this is a battle between a wounded, out-of-state coal company vs. the People of Louisiana. RAM doesn't have a chance."