Ambre Energy Remains the Biggest Threat to Coal Export on the Columbia

Blog post by Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky, Riverkeeper’s Community Organizer— 

Don’t get me wrong, we are still jumping for joy that Kinder Morgan is giving up on a coal export proposal in Oregon. Read more about that victory here. But three coal export proposals remain in the Pacific Northwest: two on the Columbia River and one near Bellingham, Washington. So, we’re still fighting because partial victories do not count. And it feels good to see Big Coal back away.

One Columbia River. Two dirty coal export projects. One coal company.

Ambre Energy is behind the remaining Columbia River coal export projects: Millennium Coal Export in Longview, Washington, and the Morrow-Pacific Project, which involves terminals at Boardman and Port Westward, Oregon. Learn the history of Ambre’s proposals. Across the Northwest and into the Powder River Basin, Ambre is racking up misgivings:

• Ambre can’t be trusted. Their first introduction to the region began with lies to local Longview residents and officials about the true size of their coal export facility. They initially proposed a 5.7 million ton terminal but internal documents from the company stated plans for up to 60 million tons.
• Ambre is the coal company that isn’t. Ambre’s financial records paint the picture that they are a high-risk start up company. Since Ambre came into existence in 2005, they haven’t had a single successful coal-related project. Their track record speaks for itself and calls into question the kind of businesses we want in the Northwest.
• Ambre isn’t very nice. The May 1 letter, sent to the Oregon Department of State Lands, demands that the state abdicate its power to complete a thorough review of their Morrow Pacific coal export project. The State of Oregon did not budge to Big Coal and in the end, and Ambre requested an extension to September 1 to complete the necessary studies.
• Trouble in the mines. In December 2012 Ambre was sued by Cloud Peak Energy, over their alleged mismanagement of the co-owned Decker mine in the Power River Basin. The original settlement required Ambre to pay $57 million to Cloud Peak for full control of the mine. That deal, which was supposed to be finalized on May 10, has been delayed.

So what’s ahead?

Both of Ambre’s coal export projects will undergo public hearings this summer. Riverkeeper will keep you updated on dates, locations, and useful talking points to defeat coal export.

 

In the meantime, congratulations on another coal export project stopped in its tracks!