Calling on the City of Tacoma and the State of Washington to Conduct a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to Analyze the Full Impacts of the Proposed Tacoma LNG Plant

Res #:	Committee:	Submitted by:	Title:         Pass →	Yes	No	Amended/Tabled	To NCAI
19-08	Natural Resources/Lands	Taylor Aalvik	Calling on the City of Tacoma and the State of Washington to Conduct a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to Analyze the Full Impacts of the Proposed Tacoma LNG Plant	X		Amended

 2019 Winter Convention 

Portland, Oregon 

RESOLUTION #19 – 08 

“CALLING ON THE CITY OF TACOMA AND THE STATE OF WASHINGTON TO CONDUCT A SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT TO ANALYZE THE FULL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED TACOMA LNG PLANT” 

PREAMBLE 

We, the members of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants rights secured under Indian Treaties, Executive Orders, and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and constitution of the United States and several states, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise to promote the welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution: 

WHEREAS, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) are representatives of and advocates for national, regional, and specific tribal concerns; and 

WHEREAS, ATNI is a regional organization comprised of American Indians/Alaska Natives and tribes in the states of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Northern California, and Alaska; and 

WHEREAS, the health, safety, welfare, education, economic and employment opportunity, and preservation of cultural and natural resources are primary goals and objectives of the ATNI; and 

WHEREAS, since time immemorial, our economy, culture, religions and way of life has been centered around our fishing, hunting, and gathering resources, and the lands and waters upon which they depend, and we have been and remain careful and conscientious stewards over them to ensure their continued health and well-being; and

WHEREAS, the tribes of ATNI depend on the natural resources of this region to sustain; our way of life, rights to fish, hunt and gather, our economies, human health and fulfill our sacred obligation to protect our First Foods and our most precious natural resources, water; and 

WHEREAS, the tribes of ATNI work tirelessly to protect tribal members health, safety, welfare, and futures both within and without tribal reservations; and 

WHEREAS, the tribes of ATNI recognize that liquefied natural gas (LNG) could provide a cleaner fuel for ships, trucks, or cars than other fuel sources; however, ATNI tribes cannot accept that tribes, their members and tribal lands are bearing a disproportionate share of the significant risks posed by LNG facilities; and 

WHEREAS, federal, state and local agencies are supporting LNG storage facilities in areas within, or in close proximity to, tribal lands without significant input or consideration of tribal interests or rights; and 

WHEREAS, LNG storage and the untested technology for such facilities pose significant risks to human safety, human health, and natural resources due to explosive risks, spill risks, and risks to the health of natural resources relied upon by ATNI tribes; and 

WHEREAS, LNG proponents are not fully analyzing and disclosing to ATNI tribes or the general public the risks posed by LNG to human safety, human health, and natural resources due to explosive risks, spill risks, and risks to the health of natural resources; and 

WHEREAS, the Northwest Tribes’ ancestral industry of fisheries relies on sustainable resources that will face detrimental impacts from the construction and operation of LNG storage and fueling facilities; and 

WHEREAS, the Proposed Tacoma LNG Plant continues to be constructed without the necessary permits and has changed significantly since the original environmental impact statement was completed including, but not limited to; increased use for marine applications, more ships proposed for fueling from the facility, changed mitigation which is inadequate to address fisheries impacts, additional fueling facilities where the applicants assured permitting authorities that was not part of the project and reduced peak shaving for utility customers; and 

WHEREAS, the changes are significant and lead to unanalyzed environmental impacts that most be analyzed in a supplemental environmental impact statement; and 

WHEREAS, significant shortfalls in the safety analysis have been identified by the Puyallup Tribe and other regional experts; now 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that ATNI is opposed to the siting of the Proposed Tacoma LNG Plant; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI supports a strategy to document and disclose the true risks of construction and operation of LNG storage and distribution facilities to

accurately disclose the risks involved with such facilities and promote siting of such facilities in areas where such risks are not disproportionately absorbed by tribes and such risks are lessened for the public as a whole; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI has identified that several of the failures to document and disclose the risks of construction and operation of the LNG plant are best addressed through a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and, a complete analysis of environmental justice concerns and human health study, which have not been completed to date; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATNI calls upon the City of Tacoma to require a supplemental EIS and, the State of Washington and Federal authorities to urge the City of Tacoma to require a supplemental EIS or, conduct a supplemental EIS under their own authority, to be scoped accordingly through public comment; and 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that ATNI calls for all Federal, State and Local agencies to ensure compliance with all permitting requirements and conditions imposed upon the Proposed Tacoma LNG Plant by demanding the proponents cease construction activities. 

CERTIFICATION 

The foregoing resolution was adopted at the 2019 Winter Convention of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, held at the DoubleTree by Hilton – Portland, Oregon, on January 28-31, 2019, with a quorum present. 

______________________________ ______________________________ 

Leonard Forsman, President Norma Jean Louie, Secretary