"Apathy? Who cares about Apathy?"

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Produced by: 
KBOO
Program:: 
Air date: 
Mon, 05/07/2012 - 12:00am
Interview w. the Sierra Club's Laura Stevens on the RF Kennedy jr. rally against coal.

The Army Corps of Engineers???

Why not the Oregon DEQ???

Last week Governor Kitzhaber announced he was requesting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a full environmental review of all six proposed coal export facilities in the Northwest. The Sierra Club calls this good news.  And indeed, it's better than a lump of coal up the jacksie.  But let's take a look at the "good news":

First off, the Army Corps of Engineers is doing the review?  Why isn't a credible environmental organization doing the review.  Why isn't the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality doing the review?  Although this is great news, Oregon is firmly in the crosshairs of Big Coal's plans to export millions of tons of coal to Asia. And the state of Oregon has just a month to make a decision about a dirty coal barging project on the Columbia River. When they say 'Big Coal' they are talking about a consortium of some of the most powerful corporations in the world.  Compared to 'Big Coal', the State of Oregon is merely an inconvenience on the path to Asian markets.  Does 'Big Coal' care about its image?  No.  Nope, 'Big Coal' does not.  There simply is nothing about coal to commend it in any way.  There is no point inntrying to put apositive spin on it because there isn't one.  so the corporations do not need to waste money on PR campaigns and instead spend it all where it is most likely to further their cause: lobbyists and lawyers.

We have 30 days to make a decision that is a foregone conclusion.

 

 

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