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The Survival of the Salmon is at Stake
Guest post by Michael O’Leary
With coal pollution already contributing to ocean acidification, rising stream temperatures, and toxic pollution from mercury and chemicals that wreck havoc on the fragile food web, there’s no doubt that the plans of the coal industry to turn the healthiest waters of the Northwest, Puget Sound and the Columbia River Basin into a super-highway for our nation’s oldest and dirtiest fuel is a serious threat facing us all.
But the tides are turning.
Yet another energy company, Kinder Morgan, has just today pulled the plug on their plans to use the Northwest to export Powder River Basin coal on the world market.
This fight, however, is far from over. Of the roughly 150 millions tons of coal proposed to be shipped through the waters of the Northwest, over 80% is still on track for being permitted.
“We won’t rest until all the coal companies quit polluting the waters that our fisheries depend on. Our community depends on salmon jobs and our families depend on healthy seafood. We’re fighting for survival, globally and locally.”
-Bob Rees, President of the Northwest Guides & Anglers Association
Join the fight to protect Northwest fish and wildlife from dangerous coal export proposals.
Michael O’Leary of Portland, Oregon is an Outreach Consultant for National Wildlife Federation working on coal export and renewable energy issues in the Pacific Northwest, where he’s been a political organizer for over 15 years. Michael is a certified cycling instructor and a certifiable bike enthusiast, and can often be found on two wheels, rain or shine.