Gov. Brian Schweitzer, in Seattle on Wednesday to press Washington state for approval of a port for Montana coal, said he wants a level playing field for permitting the project worth millions to Montana’s economy.
Schweitzer met with fellow Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire at a law office in Seattle on Wednesday to discuss the port proposed for Longview, Wash. If approved, the Longview Terminal Facility would export 5.7 million tons of Powder River Basin coal annually.
Environmental groups are challenging the terminal’s permitting, not only for its impact in Washington, but also for encouraging mining in Montana and Wyoming and greenhouse gases in China.
Gregiore told the press in advance of the meeting that she would not get in the way of the project but that Washington’s approval process would be followed.