Wyoming Republican Gov. Mark Gordon said he was planning legal action against any efforts by California environmentalists to block an Oakland coal export terminal, arguing the project is essential to Wyoming‘s coal sector.
The planned export terminal is part of the pro-coal efforts announced by President Donald Trump last month. He invoked a Cold War-era law, the Defense Production Act, to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to support the industry. As part of the funding, the administration provided $75 million for the construction of the export terminal, known as the West Gateway Terminal, in Oakland, California.
Gordon told the Washington Examiner that the port is “absolutely essential” to getting Wyoming’s coal shipped from the West Coast to allied countries like Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
However, the port has been met with strong opposition from California lawmakers, who recently introduced a bill that would place environmental review hurdles on the project.
Soon after Trump announced the DPA funding for the terminal, California Democratic Assemblywoman Mia Bonta introduced a bill that would require any local agency approving a new or expanded coal terminal with a capacity exceeding 5 million short tons per year to conduct a full environmental impact review. It would also require a new environmental review when the type or quantity of coal changes or when the report is 10 or more years old.
