Salmon Salmon!

Occasionally lost in the limelight of nude bicyclists, triple IPA’s and feminist bookstores is our amazing Chinook Salmon fishing.

How many places on our planet exist where on your lunch break you can cruise the river that bisects your downtown metropolis, go catch a salmon, and be back to work before your boss notices? Not too many.

This salmon fishery defines our state and is why the conservation work that the National Wildlife Federation is doing throughout the Pacific Northwest is so important.

Check out the video for proof that salmon fishermen are a little wacky and why many salmon fishermen will fight like hell against threats to the fishery.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Say “No” to Big Coal

Right now, Big Coal is attempting to transform Oregon’s majestic Columbia River from the heart of  our renewable energy corridor and salmon fishing paradise into the nation’s hub for exporting dirty coal to China.

If the big coal companies get their way, up to 38 million tons of coal per year could soon be shipped through Oregon on uncovered trains and exported through the Port of St. Helens- directly adjacent to one of the hottest salmon fishing spots on the river come late summertime. 

This is not the Oregon I know. No room for coal, lets keep it Bikes, Brews, Books, Salmon and more Salmon!

Live in Oregon? Speak up to stop coal export terminals today.

National Wildlife Federation’s Storytelling Video Diary Series shares the candid tales of 10 NWF staffers from around the country; armed with their cameras in California, Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC, these nine staffers will share with you their individual trials, epiphanies and stories as they unfold in their daily adventures.

Possible Terminals in Washington and Oregon Photo: Dan Aguayo/The Oregonian

Letter from the Governor

Governor Kitzhaber has officially asked the Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Land Management for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the projects. The EIS would look at the possible impacts from the projects on the health of the environment and communities of the Pacific Northwest.

There are a number of concerns that the governor outlines in his letter. There would be an increase in barges along the Columbia. There is also the possibility of water pollution from the coal dust as well as the possibility of spills while transporting the coal. Coal dust emissions at the facilities and during transport is an additional issue as well as emissions from mercury, diesel, ozone and other green house gases which will only help fuel climate change. The trains that would carry the coal would be up to a mile and a half long and would cause significant delays for those trying to cross the tracks. This is of particular concern for emergency vehicles which could see significant delays in getting to their destination.

Impacts could also be seen in the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, a 292,500-acre tract that stretches the length of the Columbia Gorge. This region offers many recreational opportunities like fishing, biking, hiking, water activities and more. The economy in cities such as Moiser, OR is dependent upon tourism brought in by the recreational opportunities from the Gorge. Cities like Moiser will be affected by the coal terminals, which will have a significant impact on the tourism industry in this area.

The Dark Side of the Light Bulb

In the face of climate change Washington is moving away from dirty energy like coal and towards renewable energy like wind. Photo: Bryn Fluharty

Due to the harmful properties of coal the discussion is turning toward renewable energy, including wind and solar here in the U.S. While we are starting to move towards a cleaner future within our borders, we are still one of the leading producers and exporters of coal in the world. Any coal shipped through these terminals will be burned in Asia, which will in turn have an impact on pollution levels here in the Pacific Northwest and will help continue to drive climate change, two issues addressed by the governor in his letter.

Thank You for Your Support

Thanks to the support of Governor Kitzhaber, local communities and other concerned citizens we are moving forward in fighting for our right to a healthy environment and thriving communities. Want to join in the conversation and learn more about this important issue? Check out Power Past Coal for more information and upcoming events in your area! Let us know what you think!

Is this scene missing a fleet of coal barges? Ambre Energy thinks so. (Photo: flickr.com/McD22)

Back room negotiations between Ambre Energy – one of the world’s largest coal companies – and officials at the Port of Morrow led to a surprise announcement that the port would host the first coal export facility on the west coast, capable of sending almost 9 million tons every year to China. Community groups have been closely tracking several proposals from Big Coal, but the Port of Morrow wasn’t high on the list of perceived threats until now.

In an effort to bypass a thorough review by government agencies, Ambre Energy is taking a roundabout route: they plan to move the coal by rail from Montana to the Port of Morrow (near Boardman, OR), dump the coal onto barges that will travel up the Columbia River, and then ship it overseas from the Port of St. Helens.

But the same problems that plague other proposals still await this one, including air and water pollution from coal dust and diesel, mile-long trains cutting through communities east of Boardman, and the re-casting of Oregon as a stooge for Big Coal’s dirty work.

If you needed more evidence that Big Coal doesn’t care about Oregon (outside of boosting their profits), just listen to Alan Fore, a spokesman for Ambre Energy:

What we’re proposing is not something we don’t already do. We’re not reinventing the wheel. It’s just a location.

Colstrip, MT: Another "Just a Location" brought to you by Big Coal (Photo: flickr.com/spotreporting)

We need your help. The Oregon Department of State Lands can approve or deny a permit Ambre Energy needs to move forward, and they are holding a public comment period until the end of the month. Their decision on the Port of Morrow could set precedent for the bigger battle to come, and we can’t afford to lose this one.

Tell the Oregon Department of State Lands to deny the permit for Ambre Energy’s coal export scheme.

Cherry Point, Washington, site of a proposed coal export terminal (photo: Paul Anderson)

Not a moment too soon. The coal industry has just officially applied to export coal from the mouth of the Columbia River–the terminal, at Longview, WA, would be the gateway for at least 44 million tons of coal each year, bound for India and China.

Considering that the entire United States currently exports only 74 million tons, the Longview project (if built) would be a major, major setback in the fight for clean air, clean water, and environmental protection. Other proposed terminals at Cherry Point, Grays Harbor, Port of St. Helens, Coos Bay, and the Port of Morrow could push coal exports to nearly 200 million tons annually.

Exports: Sacrificing American Landscapes for a Foreign Market

Coal mining in the Powder River Basin has destroyed vast stretches of habitat for animals like mule deer (photo: C.V. Vick)

Export projects are a sign of how desperate the coal industry is to keep their fat profits rolling in. Coal usage in the US has declined in recent years as electric utilities transition to natural gas, wind, and other sources of energy — and thanks to a sustained effort by conservationists to limit the construction of new coal-fired power plants.

And economists agree that coal isn’t part of the equation:

“Coal is a dead man walkin’,” says Kevin Parker, global head of asset management and a member of the executive committee at Deutsche Bank. “Banks won’t finance them. Insurance companies won’t insure them. The EPA is coming after them. . . . And the economics to make it clean don’t work.”

Coal trains -- like this one near the North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Wyoming -- can be over a mile and a half long, belching diesel emissions and toxic coal dust as they rumble through wildlife habitat and human communities (photo: Kimon Berlin)

Petitions are one thing; action is another. NWF and the rest of the Power Past Coal coalition are mobilizing citizens in the Pacific Northwest to take on this challenge head-on. The fight begins in earnest later this spring, so stay tuned for the latest news and ways to get involved.

To learn more about coal exports visit NWF.org

Each year EPA’s new air toxic pollution rules will protect wildlife and prevent 11,000 thousand premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, 130,000 cases of childhood asthma and 6,300 cases of acute bronchitis. And it will prevent mercury exposure to children that can adversely affect their developing brains – including effect on their ability to walk, talk, read and learn.

Mercury-laden Fish in Oklahoma Lakes

Interestingly, Senator Inhofe’s homepage features a nice picture of Lake Hefner, Oklahoma.  Not advertised by the Senator’s website is that in July of 2010, a study by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (OK DEQ) found 16 lakes in Oklahoma where some species of fish contain levels of mercury above what is considered safe. As a result, the state governmental agency published its statewide fish consumption advisories to protect Oklahomans from consuming too much mercury –laden fish caught by anglers from the state’s lakes.

An Oklahoma DEQ Slide Show on Mercury provides this advisory:

Mercury Levels in Largemouth Bass Are a Problem Image alabama.gov

Oklahoma Statewide Consumption Advisory for Mercury. In order to protect the most sensitive populations, pregnant or nursing women, women of childbearing age and children younger than 15 years of age are advised to eat no more than one meal per week of predator fish.Predator species of fish in Oklahoma include all species of black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted), striped bass, white bass, hybrid striped bass, walleye, saugeye, and flathead catfish.

As NWF’s Game Changers report has catalogued, the species of concern listed in Oklahoma are iconic to many sportsmen and women across the country and it is why over hundreds of hunter and angler groups from across the country have to written Congress to stop attacks on the Clean Air Act like Senator Inhofe’s new resolution.

Sen. Inhofe Siding with Polluter Money

So why does Senator Inhofe want to allow power plants to spew mercury and toxins into the air without national limits? Like many in Congress, he is choosing to side with polluter money instead of the public.

Oklahoma is home to five coal fired power plants that each generated over 400 MW of power. One such power plant, the Northeastern Plant, is owned by American Electric Power (AEP). In 2010, a report benchmarking power plant air pollution (see page 34) found AEP power plants to be the largest collective source of mercury air pollution among all the nation’s largest utilities.

Between 1998 and 2011, AEP spent over $10M lobbying Congress, including plenty over the last year, to rollback air pollution standards like EPA’s new mercury and air toxic limits.  For his part, Senator Inhofe has received nearly half-million dollars from electric utility industries in campaign contributions (including some from AEP) during his career including a whopping $280K this election cycle.

Stand Up for Limits on Air Pollution

You can help NWF stop this “pay for pollution” game. Tell Congress that you support EPA’s new mercury limits and you want to protect the air we breathe.

Join thousands of NWF supporters in taking action to stop mercury and carbon pollution from power plants smokestacks that harms our nation’s wildlife — from fish to moose to polar bears.

An Orca breaches near Washington State's San Juan Islands (photo: TheGirlsNY/flickr.com)

The United States currently exports about 74 million tons annually, but producers like Arch Coal and Peabody Energy (two of the biggest polluters on the planet) are targeting new and expanded port facilities in the region, which would allow them to double or even triple that amount.

Coal: A dirty business

As you probably know, coal is one of the dirtiest sources of energy on the planet: it has a huge carbon footprint, contains mercury and other toxic materials, and mining is incredibly destructive to wildlife habitat. It certainly doesn’t fit with the clean, green values of many people in the Pacific Northwest; in fact, Washington state recently negotiated a deal to close down its last remaining coal-fired power plant by 2025.

So, understandably, the port expansion proposals have alarmed locals and caused a heated debate on the merits of the projects. Proponents say that it would bring jobs to the area. Opponents point out that coal export terminals employ relatively few people and are major sources of local air and water pollution.

To make matters worse, rail traffic would increase dramatically: if the ports at Cherry Point and Longview are built, local communities would be forced to deal with 40 extra mile-long coal trains rattling through every day, trailing coal dust and snarling traffic — and damaging fisheries, cropland, and other valuable natural resources.

Coal trains like this one contribute to air and water pollution as they pass through habitat (Photo: Paulv2c/flickr.com)

Stand strong with us against increased coal exports

This is a big deal, and it’s happening now. National Wildlife Federation has partnered with several dozen local and national groups opposed to the coal terminals, in a coalition called Power Past Coal. Together, we aim to protect public health, wildlife, and a clean energy future for the Pacific Northwest. But we need your help! Click on the link below to keep Orcas and other wildlife safe from the threat of coal pollution.

Make sure your voice is heard! Sign the petition to stop construction of new coal terminals on the Pacific coast.

For more information on coal exports, visit NWF.org or PowerPastCoal.org.

President Barack Obama shakes hands with House Speaker John Boehner before delivering the State of the Union address, Jan. 25, 2011 (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In 2011, Congress repeatedly targeted conservation programs that protect America’s clean water, clean air, healthy rivers, lakes and shorelines teeming with wildlife, benefits that every American has a right to enjoy. At the same time, Congress protected tax giveaways for coal, oil and gas special interests totaling billions of dollars.

Will we hear a different tune in 2012? Some key issues to consider in advance of President Obama’s State of the Union address:

• Keystone XL tar sands pipeline: Big Oil and its Congressional allies tried to ram this pipeline down the throats of American families in their insatiable appetite for more profits, forcing President Obama into a decision even before a final route was mapped out. Keystone XL is a scam – Canada would get the jobs, China would get the oil, and America would get spills of toxic tar sands oil. House Speaker John Boehner said on Sunday he may once again hold a critical payroll tax extension hostage in an attempt to force approval of the pipeline over concerns from Nebraska landowners and safety regulators.
• Clean Air Act limits on mercury and carbon pollution: The House took an incredible 191 anti-environment votes in 2011, but new limits on mercury pollution (rolled out last month) and carbon pollution (due this year) have survived the assaults. The new mercury standard will not only prevent 11,000 thousand premature deaths, it will support 46,000 new short-term construction jobs and 8,000 long-term utility jobs. The first-ever carbon standard is an important step towards holding polluters accountable for their emissions, creating a more level playing field to give a fair shot to America’s expanding clean economy, which already supports 2.7 million jobs.
• New fuel efficiency standards: American businesses, labor, conservation and consumer groups have all gotten behind the Obama administration’s stronger fuel efficiency standards that cut pollution, build jobs, save families and businesses money and enhance America’s security.  With big benefits across the board, it’s no surprise that the most recent survey by consumer reports found that 93% of the public supports stricter fuel economy standards.
• Renewable energy tax credits: Despite the economic struggles, 2011 was a banner year for clean energy, with global investment surging to a record $260 billion according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Congress can ensure continued growth simply by extending existing renewable energy tax credits, which would create and sustain 54,000 jobs within the next four years according to Navigant Consulting and represent just a fraction of the subsidies Congress feeds to the coal, gas and oil industries.
• Clean Water Act restoration: Clean water protections have been weakened by two Supreme Court decisions that ignored congressional intent and narrowly interpreted the scope of waters covered by the Act, putting in doubt pollution safeguards for many vital wetlands, lakes and streams. Restoring the Clean Water Act would help protect the $122 billion outdoor recreation economy and over 1 million outdoor recreation jobs supported by hunters, anglers, and other Americans who enjoy the outdoors.
• Gulf Coast restoration (RESTORE Act): Under current law, BP and others responsible for the Gulf oil disaster must pay Clean Water Act penalties for each barrel of oil spilled into the gulf, but without action from Congress, this money will go towards unrelated federal spending instead of restoring the area damaged by the spill. Will the White House and Congress make this urgent legislation a priority?

In 2012, Washington has a chance to restore not just fiscal balance to our budget, but moral purpose to America’s future. Future generations will judge us on the legacy that we leave behind.  We must not turn back the clock and say we can’t afford clean air and water for our children and grandchildren.

The National Wildlife Federation’s four million supporters from across the political spectrum want clean energy and they want leaders who’ll face down special interests to deliver it. President Obama has shown he’s willing to stand up to oil lobbyists to safeguard clean water, clean air and wildlife to create a better, stronger, healthier America. Is Congress willing to do the same?

Take Action

The Environmental Protection Agency is acting now to limit carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, but is coming under assault from polluter-funded attack groups.

Let the Environmental Protection Agency know support limits on carbon pollution to protect the future of polar bears.

Propelled by $111M oil and gas lobbying and $106M in electric utility lobbying, the House treated the Act like a piñata at its fourth consecutive birthday party.  In 2011, the House passed at least eight bills that sought to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from updating our air pollution standards to protect our health, environment, and wildlife.

Polluter Politics: The Influence Equation

$111M Oil and Gas Lobbying + $3.5M from Oil & Gas PAC Contributions + Million Dollar Oil Ad Campaign = Big Oil Votes for More Air Pollution.

$106M in Electric Utility Lobbying + $5M in Electric Utility PAC contributions + Million Dollar Coal Ad Campaign = Dirty Power Plant and Coal Votes for More Air Pollution.

The House set out on its pro-polluter path in February by passing H.R. 1 – a broad spending bill that served as a platform for an all out polluter attack. The bill sought to prevent EPA from controlling carbon pollution that causes climate change, stop revisions of standards that limit soot in the air, and halt efforts to curb mercury from cement plants. The bill passed, 235-189.

Here is a look at the rest of the House’s 2011 attempted assault on the air we breathe.

US Capitol pictured with its power plant in foreground (via Flickr's Matthew Hurst)

Vote for More Air Pollution from Arctic Drilling. On June 22, 2011, the House passed H.R. 2021 which would have repealed limitations on protecting Arctic communities from the air pollution associated with offshore drilling for oil and gas.  See which polluters lobbied for the bill’s passage including, Anadarko Petroleum, Exxon-Mobil, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Chevron, here.  Vote: Passed 253-166

Votes for More Mercury, Arsenic, and Other Toxic Air Pollutants:

• Mercury and Smog Causing Air Pollution from Power Plants. On September 23, 2011, the House voted on H.R. 2401 which would have delayed both EPA’s new limits on mercury and new limits on smog causing air pollutants from the nation’s power plants. Power plants are the nation’s largest source of mercury pollution. See which polluters lobbied for the bill’s passage, including Southern Co., Peabody Energy, Progress Energy, and Arch Coal, here. Vote: Passed 249-169
• Mercury and Air Toxics from Cement Plants. On October 6, 2011, the House passed H.R. 2681. This bill sought to nullify new EPA rules that would require cement kilns to reduce their emissions of toxic air pollutants and would have delayed any reductions in toxic air pollution from cement kilns until 2018 at the earliest. Cement kilns represent the third largest sources of mercury and toxic air pollutants in the country. See which polluters lobbies for the bill’s passage including, Peabody Energy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Portland Cement Association, here. Vote: Passed, 262-181
• Mercury and Air Toxics from Factories. On October 13, 2011, the House passed H.R. 2250. This bill sought to nullify EPA’s rules that require industrial boilers and incinerators to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants and would have delayed reductions in toxic air pollution from these sources until 2018 at the earliest.  Industrial facilities and factories that generate some of their own electricity and steam are the nation’s second largest sources of mercury and toxic air pollution. See which polluters lobbied for the bill’s passage, including the American Forest & Paper association, Peabody Energy, Exxon-Mobil and Koch Industries here. Vote: Passed, 275 – 142.

Vote for More and Even More Air Pollution.  On December 7, 2011, the House voted on H.R. 10, a broad bill that would have handcuffed EPA’s ability to update a wide number of air pollution standards by the Clean Air Act.  See which polluters lobbied for the bill’s passage, including Arch Coal, Koch Industries and Southern Co., here. Vote:  Passed 241-184.

Vote for More Particulate (Soot) Air Pollution. On December 8, 2011, the House passed H.R. 1633 which sought to prohibit the EPA from proposing, finalizing, implementing, or enforcing any updated limits on coarse particulates (i.e. soot) under the Clean Air Act. Particulate air pollution is a leading cause of respiratory illness across the country. See which polluters lobbied for the bill’s passage, including the American farm Bureau, National Cattleman’s Beef Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, here. Vote: Passed 268-150.

Importantly, none of the House-passed bills became law. Last year, the brazen attack on our health and environment stalled in the Senate. And in fact, as NWF has recently documented, the EPA was able to make significant gains made in reducing our mercury and carbon pollution.

As we look toward 2012, join the National Wildlife Federation in taking action to tell Congress you don’t like their pro-pollution sales pitch.

Visit our Action Center!

courtesy greenscroll.org

But what if greenhouse gas emissions weren’t invisible? 

This year, power plants will no longer be able to deny what we can now see–they are polluting the air we breathe. Even in areas where asthma rates are directly correlated to a near-by power plant, they still deny their role in diminishing our public health. But now the EPA has released a new GHG reporting program that allows people to see the amount of pollution in their backyards.

How Much Do Power Plants Pollute Your State?

 

 

 

“The GHG Reporting Program data provides a critical tool for businesses and other innovators to find cost- and fuel-saving efficiencies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and foster technologies to protect public health and the environment.” –Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation

The Worst Offenders: Top 11 Carbon Polluters for 2011

Click on the map to find out more information

2. Bowen coal plant in Cartersville, Georgia. Total greenhouse gas emissions: 20,863,476 MtCO2e.

3. Miller coal plant in Quinton, Alabama. Total greenhouse gas emissions: 20,595,125 MtCO2e.

4. Martin Lake coal plant in Tatum, Texas. Total greenhouse gas emissions: 18,603,904 MtCO2e.

5. Gibson coal plant in Owensville, Indiana.Total greenhouse gas emissions: 17,853,899 MtCO2e.

6. Monroe coal plant in Monroe, Michigan. Total greenhouse gas emissions: 17,714,052 MtCO2e.

7. Labadie coal plant in Labadie, Missouri. Total greenhouse gas emissions: 17,233,324 MtCO2e.

8. Colstrip coal plant in Colstrip, Montana. Total greenhouse gas emissions: 16,994,687 MtCO2e.

9. Gen J M Gavin coal plant in Cheshire, Ohio. Total greenhouse gas emissions: 16,744,942 MtCO2e.

10. Rockport coal plant in Rockport, Indiana. Total greenhouse gas emissions: 16,539,699 MtCO2e.

11. W A Parish coal plant in Thompson, Texas. Total greenhouse gas emissions: 16, 459,497 MtCO2e.

See how your state compares >>

Help protect Alaska’s polar bears by urging your decision makers to oppose big polluter plans to undermine the Clean Air Act >>

Power plant in Morro Bay, CA via kafka4prez/flickr

Twenty plus years in the making, the new pollution limits on power plants will cut mercury emissions by 91%, reduce acid gas emissions 91%, and significantly cut arsenic, lead and nickel emissions.

Mercury Standards a Long Time Coming

The announcement is a tremendous victory for people and wildlife. National Wildlife Federation’s effort to curb mercury air pollution started back in September 1999 when we released Clean the Rain, Clean the Lakes: Mercury in Rain Is Polluting the Great Lakes (pdf)

The report warned of mercury’s potency as a neurotoxin that can cause neurological and brain damage at low levels in people and reproductive hazards in wildlife.

Excerpt from NWF’s 1999 mercury report:

The Clean the Rain Campaign…will press for the control and eventual elimination of mercury emissions that are contaminating the rain. It will call for the implementation of the following actions…

Coal-fired power plants must cut and eventually eliminate their combustion of coal (a major source of mercury, as well as smog and acid rain-producing pollutants). 

New Rules Will Protect Children, Improve Health, Create Jobs

Each year, EPA’s new air toxic pollution rules will prevent 11,000 thousand of premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, 130,000 cases of childhood asthma and 6,300 cases of acute bronchitis. And it will prevent mercury exposure to children that can adversely affect their developing brains – including effect on their ability to walk, talk, read and learn.

The rules will also provide employment for thousands. The updating of older power plants with modern air pollution control technology will support 46,000 new short-term construction jobs and 8,000 long-term utility jobs.

And as NWF has documented, the new pollution rules are also a huge present to wildlife. Mercury pollution belching out of power plants settles in our lakes and rivers where microscopic organisms convert the inorganic mercury into methylmercury. This form of mercury accumulates up the food chain in fish and then other into other animals when they eat fish. As a result, species from the common loon to the river otter to the Florida panther are impacted by mercury.

Read NWF’s report Game Changers: Air Pollution, a Warming Climate, and the Troubled Future for America’s Hunting and Fishing Heritage that shows how mercury, carbon dioxide, and other air pollutants are directly impacting numerous species, including black ducks, moose, and walleye, that are revered as part of our country’s angling, hunting and conservation heritage.

Over the last year, thousands of NWF members and supporters have continued the campaign started in 1999. They have attended public hearings, signed postcards, made phone calls, and sent over 50,000 messages supporting the EPA’s new efforts on mercury and pushing back against polluters attempts in Congress to stop these new air pollution protections.

So join NWF as we thank the EPA for taking action to protect your kids and wildlife from the dangers of mercury and toxic air pollution. Together, we can all breathe a little easier.

Learn more about mercury pollution >>