TRULY...SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE!
Lisa Arkin, Beyond Toxics Executive Director, leads a rally near the Oct. 8th 2012 City Council hearing on coal exports
Did you hear the news? The threat of coal trains rumbling through Lane County is over!
Port of Coos Bay coal-export proposal ends after 18 months of work
We know that all the grassroots protests organized by Beyond Toxics, our allies and our supporters made a big difference in building a public outcry of opposition to dirty coal trains in our part of Oregon. Indeed, public opinion and the vote against coal trains by the Eugene City Council all helped dissuade the final energy investor from joining the Port of Coos Bay’s plans to build a coal terminal.*
We worked together to stop a common threat to all of us in Lane County: to our health, to our environment and to the economic viability of our local farms.
There is more to do to stop BIG Coal from sending thousands of rail cars filled with filthy coal through Oregon’s towns and near our farms and schools. But for now, for a moment–in Lane County, we can claim victory and check this one off! Well done, Eugene and Lane County!
Did you know that all of the education and organizing work against coal exports undertaken by Beyond Toxics was accomplished without support by foundation grants or special funding? We took this on because it was the right thing to do! But it took incredible organizational resources. If you’d like to see us continue these successful challenges, if you would like to acknowledge our hard work, please join or renew your membership today! We’re in this fight for the long haul and really can’t do it without you.
Won’t you make a donation now to support our dependable work for a world Beyond Toxics? We were hard at it when Lane County needed us to stop coal trains!
On behalf of the Beyond Toxics staff, Thank You!
~John Jordan-Cascade, Communications Manager
TIMELINE OF SUCCESS (news/document links included):
February 2012: Along with the Sierra Club, Beyond Toxics files a records request with the Port of Coos Bay
July 6, 2012: Beyond Toxics Exec. Director, Lisa Arkin, presents to Eugene City Club on health risks associated with the threat of coal train shipment of coal throughout the NW. (link opens an mp3 audio file)
Aug. 2, 2012: Along with several citizens and local members of the Sierra Club, Beyond Toxics visits with staff from Sen. Merkley's office in Eugene to show support for his work towards a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
Aug. 25, 2012: Beyond Toxics and No Coal Eugene joined to organize an entry in the Eugene Celebration parade.
Aug. 26, 2012: Beyond Toxics Exec. Director, Lisa Arkin publishes a Guest Editorial on the coal trains issue in the Eugene Register-Guard
Sept. 5, 2012: Beyond Toxics staff and local members of Sierra Club hand over more than 1200 signatures from CREDOmobile opposing coal trains to Congressman DeFazio's office. We encouraged DeFazio to support our call for a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.
Sept. 7, 2012: Beyond Toxics and Falling Sky Brewing hosts a gathering of anti-coal activists to have an organizing dialogue. Afterwards, many attendees walk to the City Council meeting to offer testimony at the public forum.
Sept. 16, 2012: the Eugene Register-Guard has a feature article on the front page of their Sunday edition featuring an in-depth interview with Beyond Toxics Communications Manager, John Jordan-Cascade
Oct. 8, 2012: Beyond Toxics organizes a march and rally to Eugene City Council work session on coal trains issue
October 11, 2012: Beyond Toxics staff visits with staff from Sen. Wyden's office in Eugene to encourage support for a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and request a Comprehensive Health Assessment as well.
Oct. 17, 2012: Beyond Toxics staff offer important testimony (along with many other opponents!) to Lane Co. Commissioners on potential economic impacts to Lane Co. (issue was tabled by the Commissioners)
Oct. 23, 2012: Eugene City Council votes 5-3 in favor of Counselor Alan Zelenka's resolution - The R-G reported that after the vote, City Councilor Betty Taylor said, “We can’t stop it, but we can certainly express an opinion. Whatever we can do to stop this, we should do. I thought we should vote on this the first time it came up,” Taylor said. “Definitely we should add our voice to those people who are standing up for the environment, the health of people and common sense.”
April 1, 2013: Port of Coos Bay coal-export proposal ends after 18 months of work!!
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Read more about what is being done to stop coal exports throughout the Northwest...
Power Past Coal
* (Read the press release put out by Post of Coos Bay)
Now you can designate that your donation go directly to our work to improve air quality when you join! After clicking on the green button (below)...from the “Program Designation” drop-down option, simply choose "Air Quality."
Beyond Toxics is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all contributions are fully tax-deductible. Please consider giving a gift of a Beyond Toxics membership to a friend or family member!
