When news first leaked last year that the Port of St. Helens might be working on deals to export coal, Gov. John Kitzhaber called for “an open, vigorous public debate” before any projects moved forward.
But the port’s first major step on coal didn’t follow that blueprint. By the time the port went public in January, option agreements with two coal exporters had already been hammered out, records show.
The companies must still get state and federal permits, with public comment required along the way.