By Sept Gernez, Conservation Organizer
In the past decade, the Sierra Club and our partners have stopped all the major coal and oil expansions proposed in the Pacific Northwest. Over 25 projects have been proposed, and none have become operational! It’s been a tough fight, stopping one project after another (and sometimes multiple projects at once). But we’ve always come away victorious.
The latest proposed fossil fuel expansions have been natural gas liquefaction facilities. This includes the PSE Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) facility proposed in Tacoma, and the world’s largest fracked gas-to-methanol refinery proposed in Kalama. On May 8th, our campaign won a huge victory when Governor Inslee took a strong stance against the fracked gas industry’s greenwashing tactics1. He issued a statement2 saying he could no longer ‘in good conscience’ support these projects. He also noted that the science shows that fracked gas is just another dirty fossil fuel. For the activists that have been pushing Gov. Inslee to come to this conclusion for the past four years, this was a huge victory!
Gov. Inslee’s statement opens the door for state permitting agencies to deny critical permits and keep these dangerous projects offline.
Sixty percent of all gas in the US is fracked and you’ve probably heard it referred to as a ‘bridge fuel’ or as a ‘natural’ gas. That’s because fracked gas companies have spent boatloads of money greenwashing their product. However, there is nothing ‘natural’ about fracked gas. The process of fracking involves injecting toxic chemicals into the earth, which can leak into the groundwater and contaminate our drinking water and endanger our health. After extraction, fracking continues to be deadly and environmentally-damaging-- from pipeline explosions to the greenhouse gases produced by transporting and burning it, fracked gas is destructive from extraction to consumption.
On May 18th, fracked gas resistors and activists against the methanol refinery gathered at Camp Kalama- an RV and campsite that is the closest residential area and non-industrial business to the proposed Methanol Refinery. They were joined by indigenous water warriors from across the region, the Mayor of Kalama and the owner of Camp Kalama, to both thank the Governor for his support in our fight, and also call on the Department of Ecology to stop these projects! After a rally with Kayaktivists and movement leaders, participants gathered for an open air concert, featuring live music, food, and community spirit.
“We need to make sure that we plan for more of a long term sustainable future and not one based on limited “natural” non-renewable resources,” said Mike Reuter, Mayor of Kalama.
“I am extremely pleased that Governor Inslee stands up for clean energy and now publicly opposes the Kalama fracked gas-to-methanol refinery,” said Cambria Keely, a student activist and lifelong Kalama resident. “The climate crisis is an urgent matter affecting all generations. We simply cannot allow fossil fuel projects to pollute our precious air and water. I’m thrilled to see so many enthusiastic activists at the beautiful Kalama River today.”
“With fracked gas being a threat to so many indigenous communities from the bakken oil fields on Lakota, Dakota and Nakota territory, and with the end of the natural gas stream being right here on our land, we find it necessary to stand up and fight back utilizing our treaty rights which are supreme law of the land - and one more fossil fuel facility in Washington would lock our children in a uncertain future plagued by climate crisis,” said Dakota Case, Puyallup Water Warrior and member of the Puyallup Tribe. “We would like to thank Governor Inslee for his awareness of the dangers of outdated fossil fuel infrastructure.”
"Opposing fracked gas is only one step, albeit an important one, to making the just transition to renewable energies we need for a sustainable future,” said Kiran Oommen, who is a plaintiff in the Juliana vs. United States youth-led Children’s Trust lawsuit. “The Department of Ecology has a responsibility to the people to act in our best interests and deny all permits for fracked gas, putting Gov. Inslee’s recognition of the issues with such fuel extraction into action. For the youth of today and the future generations of tomorrow, we all need to take the lead in pushing the energy industry to renewables. It’s time to take the climate science seriously."
Thank you for your environmental leadership. Due to your continued engagement, Governor Inslee spoke out against the dangers of fracked gas and rejected these dirty and polluting facilities in Washington State. Together, we can continue this momentum and take a stand to protect our communities and our environment.
Permitting agencies will be holding public hearings throughout the summer, and we will be mobilizing people all over the state to pressure Ecology to stop these projects. Stay tuned! You can find out more at: https://www.sierraclub.org/washington/no-fracked-gas and if you want to get involved, contact Sept Gernez (sept.gernez@sierraclub.org).
1 Greenwashing means fracked gas companies are making the projects sound more environmentally friendly than they actually are- this is of course, a disguise of the truth.
2 https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-announces-opposition-two-gas-projects-washington