By Sept Gernez, Conservation Organizer
Last week, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) said they could not approve the final necessary permit for the Kalama methanol refinery. Ecology questioned Northwest Innovation Works’ claims regarding greenhouse gas emissions and asked for a comprehensive analysis of the project’s global and in-state carbon impact, including an assessment of burning the methanol as fuel. They stated that the company provided insufficient information about its carbon footprint and environmental impact. This line of questioning is important because in April, leaked documents showed that the company was promoting methanol for fuel to potential investors, despite telling regulators the methanol would never be burned.
This is a major blow to Northwest Innovation Works’ plans to build the world’s largest methanol refinery in Kalama, and we must keep the momentum going. If this facility were built, it would spell disaster for all of Washington state. The project’s greenhouse gas emissions would be the equivalent of 2.4 million cars, use millions of gallons of water from the Columbia River each day, pollute the air with cancer causing toxins, and could explode during an earthquake.
According to Cam Keely, a 17 year old resident of Kalama, "Burning this refinery’s methanol as fuel would emit an additional five million tons of carbon per year to an already stunning amount of methane emissions and slow the transition to clean-energy vehicles. We urge Washington’s climate leaders to ultimately deny this polluting proposal.”
Northwest Innovation Works now has until November 7th to supply more accurate information as part of the project’s environmental review and permitting process. Once they submit the information, the Department of Ecology will have another 30 days to approve or deny the last permit needed for the refinery.
We’re glad to see Ecology demand answers from Northwest Innovation Works; ignoring the massive impact this fracked gas-to-methanol refinery would have on our climate won’t make it go away. While Ecology has acted judiciously in requesting further clarification, it can still go further and keep this refinery from being built. We are counting on Ecology to protect our communities by rejecting this dirty and dangerous proposal once and for all.