On October 3 and 9, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners (Board) held hearings on the Port of St. Helen’s (Port) application to rezone farms and wetlands along the Columbia River for heavy industry. While the details of the Port’s plan remain hazy, local farmers and residents worry that the land could be used for dirty oil and coal export terminals.
At the October 3 hearing, public testimony against the rezone lasted for 3 hours. Long-time Clatskanie farmers described the richness the area’s farmland and how a dirty coal terminal, or similar industry, at Port Westward would compromise family farms. Residents of a Buddhist monastery overlooking the proposed industrial area described the Columbia River’s serenity and beauty. People from across Columbia County explained how increasing train traffic would endanger public safety and cut communities like Rainier and St. Helens in half.
After hearing similar testimony earlier this year, the Columbia County Planning Commission recommended that the Board not allow the rezone. The Board will likely vote to approve or deny the rezone during the Commission’s regular meeting on November 13.
