Candidates Respond to Questions at Forum – Part 10 of 11

2015 general election candidates forum — Photo: Discover Ferndale

Click here to read the candidates’ answers to the previous forum question…

Ferndale mayoral and city council candidates, including those running unopposed, answered questions posed during a public forum Tuesday, October 13th, at the Pioneer Pavilion Community Center hosted by the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce.

Each candidate was offered 2 minutes to respond to questions asked. Ferndale High School social studies teachers, Scott Browne and Jennifer Kubic, served as moderators. Many students could be seen in the crowd of nearly 70 attendees.

The following is a depiction of the questions and answers but in some cases responses have been paraphrased. This is not to alter the intended meaning or emphasis but due to limitations in hearing and recording verbatim.

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Question: What is your position regarding the coal terminal and coal train?

Paul Ingram – It doesn’t matter what my opinion is since as a city there’s nothing we can do pro or against. What you can do is lobby your congressman. Do I like coal trains? No. Whether the terminal is built or not, the trains are still going to come through.

Keith Olson – I am amazed that question keeps coming up. We have no jurisdiction, we have no say in it. I wish we did because our new route into town via 2nd avenue is being blocked at rush hour.

Greg Hanson – The coal terminal is on the wrong side of history. The Lummi Nation has come out saying they don’t want it. China is slowing down using coal. Coal is over. I don’t think it’s ever going to get built.

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Cathy Watson – This has become a litmus test [for candidates]. Greg is right and China is moving away from coal. But the [Cherry Point] industrial land out there will get used as well as the deep water port which is a rare commodity.

Glenn Stewart – I don’t like idea of taking some of the last pristine water front in the Northwest and building something like that, especially in our back yard. I happen to know one of the world’s leading experts on coal who says it isn’t likely it will never be built. It’s a bad idea for our area. The jobs is a red herring. It’s not true that we don’t have jurisdiction and shouldn’t oppose it. You can join with other organizations and use your influence to oppose it.

Teresa Taylor – I say no to coal. I work for the Lummi Indian Business Council and [SST] said they would probably be having about 500 ships through to the terminal at Cherry Point. That would be devastating to our fishing grounds and natural resources. I do not support it.

Jon Mutchler – This is about respect for the environment, treaties and property owners. There is a massive Environmental IS being done. Until it comes out there isn’t much to say. But when it does come out we can have this discussion.