Cities, counties and tribes seek limits on oil and coal shipping

By Chris Winters, The Herald

 

EVERETT — Oil train explosions might grab headlines, but there are a number of other issues surrounding the shipment of fossil fuels that are bringing a diverse group of local leaders together.

SELA, the Safe Energy Leadership Alliance, is providing a forum for local leaders to work together to protect their communities from the negative effects of rising shipments of oil and coal.

More than 150 public officials are listed as members, including mayors and city council members from many Pacific Northwest cities that lie on major rail lines, such as Edmonds, Mukilteo, Everett and Marysville.

SELA’s latest meeting, the sixth since the group was established, included several tribal leaders, uniting native and non-native leaders around a common interest.

“I think this is one of the first initiatives that brings us all together,” said Tulalip Tribes Chairman Mel Sheldon Jr., who attended the Feb. 4 meeting at Everett Community College.

King County Executive Dow Constantine organized SELA a year and a half ago, and the group’s influence now extends into Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia.

A regional organization is needed to counter the power that international oil, coal and railroad companies have, he said.

“Local elected officials acting individually won’t be able to have an impact on the global or national issues,” Constantine said.

And yet, local communities bear the effects of those same industries, whether it’s the risk of oil spills or fires, coal dust blowing out of passing hoppers, or even traffic jams in cities such a Marysville with a high number of at-grade crossings.

For Tim Ballew, chairman of the Lummi Nation, the issue hit home when SSA Marine applied to build the new Gateway Pacific coal terminal at Cherry Point, close to the Lummi Reservation.

The Lummi were joined by several other tribes, including Tulalip and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, in opposing the project.

Ballew told the SELA attendees that effects of increased shipping on native fishing grounds as well as the development of the terminal in an area of spiritual and archaeological significance present a challenge to the tribe’s treaty rights.

“At the heart of the issue, with all of these negative impacts that will come to our community and compromise the integrity of the place we live in, the benefits won’t really go to the people,” Ballew said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to issue a ruling soon on the project’s permit.

Keeping the focus on a single issue has allowed SELA to transcend partisan boundaries, too, Constantine said.

Tribes seek to protect their treaty rights, cities fear derailments and traffic blockages, and rural communities find that fossil fuels are taking up more rail capacity and squeezing out agricultural products.

One 2012 study by the Western Organization of Resource Councils predicted that rail traffic of wheat, corn and soybeans will have to compete with coal and oil for space on trains, resulting in longer delays in getting to market. There were 38.3 million tons of agricultural products shipped to Asia through Pacific Northwest terminals in 2010.

“Farming and ranching and orchards are tough enough businesses without piling on the added burden of getting goods to market,” Constantine said.

David Browneagle, vice chairman of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, pointed out that pollution ultimately doesn’t discriminate who it affects.

“Coal dust will go into all our lungs together,” Browneagle said. “It’s not going to come off the train and say ‘Hmm, that’s an Indian, so I’ll go in him.’ ”

He added his great-great grandfather tried and failed to prevent the railroads from arriving in Indian Country, but that it’s a good thing that this group was doing something now to push back.

Megan Smith, director of Climate and Energy Initiatives in Constantine’s office, has been tracking progress and the public comment windows of new terminal projects in the northwest, as well as coordinating those comments from a large number of local officials.

So far, SELA members have sponsored successful legislation in Olympia, in the form of tougher safety regulations on oil trainsas well as in Oregon, which has enacted a similar law, Smith said.

The work won’t stop at Cherry Point or with a few state laws. Another proposal, the Tesoro Savage oil terminal in Vancouver, Washington, will enter the environmental review stage possibly by the end of the year, said Beth Doglio, the campaign director of the environmental nonprofit Climate Solutions.

Tesoro Savage could become the largest terminal on the West Coast, Doglio said. The oil and coal boom is fueling interest in other projects all over the country.

“We are definitely a movement together that has been very strong, very clear in the message that this is not what we want in the state of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota,” Doglio said.

Tulalip Chairman Sheldon said SELA is helping different groups learn to work together and trust each other. That may lead to identifying other common interests.

“When you get leaders coming together with good issues, issues that bond us together, that to me really is the formula for success,” he said.

Hawks earn Tri-District spot with 77-68 win over Kings

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By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

After taking 3rd place in the District 1-1B boys basketball tournament the Heritage Hawks hosted the Muckleshoot Kings at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium on Thursday, February 11. On the line was a spot in the Tri-District tournament. Winner plays on, loser goes home wondering what could have been.

From the early going, observers could tell it was going to be a fast-paced, high scoring game. The Hawks took an early 14-2 lead only minutes into the opening quarter, but the Kings went on a 15-4 run to cut the Hawks lead to 2 points, 19-17. At the end of the 1st quarter, the Hawks led 26-21.

In the 2nd quarter, both teams played much better defense and slowed down the scoring. Seniors Willy Enick and Robert Miles were determined to not have this game be the final of their high school career. At half-time they combined to score 30 points as the Hawks maintained a slim 37-35 lead.

In the 3rd quarter, Willy and Robert continued to play their two-man game, with Willy finding Rob in the post with a clear matchup advantage on multiple occasions. The Hawks were playing their game, their tempo, while all the while being aware of favorable matchups on the offensive end. At the end of the quarter the Hawks scored 19 points to the Kings 9 points, and led 56-44 with only one quarter to play.

The Hawks got multiple Kings players into foul trouble during the first three quarters and earned the free throw bonus early in the 4th quarter. As a team the Hawks picked this critical game to have their best free throw shooting game on the season. In fact, the Hawks shot a very impressive 25-30 from the charity stripe as a team. Add in the total domination of their two senior captains, Rob with 32 points and Willy with 28 points, and it’s no surprise the Hawks put up a season high 77 points in their 77-68 victory. With the win, the Hawks season continues as they earned their spot in the Tri-District tournament.

Lady Hawks overcome foul trouble to win 67-52

 

LadyHawks

 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

The undefeated 2016 District 1-1B champions Lady Hawks opened their Tri-District tournament with a home game on Saturday, February 13. Their opponent was the Mount Rainer Lutheran Hawks.

The Lady Hawks started the game in typical fashion, taking a decent lead only minutes in, but up 8-0 their star player Adiya Jones found herself with two quick fouls and had to sit the remainder of the quarter. With Adiya on the bench, the Lady Hawks struggled to find their offense, while Mt. Rainier fought their way back. At the end of the opening quarter the Lady Hawks only led by 2 points, 11-9.

When Mt. Rainier managed to tie the game at 11-11, coach Bubba Fryberg inserted Adiya back into the game. Adiya scored a couple quick baskets to give her team a 15-11 lead, but then picked up her 3rd foul on a charging call. Again Adiya was forced to the bench and the Lady Hawks had to manage without her. It was Aliya Jones who took the reins on offense and picked up the team’s energy on both sides of the ball. At halftime the home team led 25-22.

Starting the 3rd quarter, Adiya took out her frustration on the entire Mt. Rainer team by playing smart basketball and posting up the smaller Mt. Rainier players over and over again. Her post play made Mt. Rainer double and even triple team her, which opened up her teammates for high quality shots. Keryn hit two 3-pointers, while Aliya got into an offensive groove hitting 8 out of 10 shots. The Lady Hawks pushed their lead to 10 points, 52-42 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

In the final quarter, the Lady Hawks used their team defense to hold Mt. Rainer to only 10 points, while their excellent ball movement continued to yield good offense. The victory was no longer in question and the Lady Hawks won 67-52. They were led by Adiya’s 23 points, 17 rebounds and 9 steals, but it was Aliya’s 20 points that proved to be the difference, as she kept the Lady Hawks afloat through Adiya’s foul trouble.

The now 21-0 Lady Hawks play Seattle Lutheran next in the quarter-finals of the Tri-District tournament.

Tulalip Team N Tense Begins New Season

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By Kimberly Fleischmann, Coach, Team N Tense

New name, same team. Tulalip Team N Tense is proud to announce we are beginning our season competing at the Auburn, WA Inline Speed Skating Invitational Competition, held January 18-20.  We have been skating together as Team N Tense for seven years. The competition began with middle distance races which vary in distance for each division and is won by placements and accumulation of points after a short and long distance race have also been completed on a 100-meter track.

I am very proud to be coaching this team. It takes a lot of dedication to get up at 4 a.m. to get to a competition where the doors open at 5 a.m. and racing starts at 6 a.m. Our skaters range in ages of 5 years to 72 years.

 

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Our placements were:

  • Fred Brevik 4th place Esquire Men Division
  • George Comenote 2nd place Junior Men
  • George Comenote skated the 100meter time trail with an 11:02 lap time
  • Ayana Haynes 1st place Tiny Tot Girls
  • Ayiesha Haynes made the Finial in her 300meter race
  • Nikita Flieschmann made the Finial in her 500m race

Great job to all these skaters for their racing. Our next competition will in Federal Way, March 11-13

Coached By Kimberly Fleischmann. Questions about Tulalip Team N Tense? Visit our Facebook page and message me.