Mult. Co. Chair Jeff Cogen raises the alarm against coal exports, directs Multnomah County health and emergency staff to take action
Michael O'Leary
Today Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen joins the growing list of major elected officials throughout the northwest in the northwest who are expressing grave reservations over the threat that coal exports pose to regional air quality and global climate change
More importantly, Cogen is taking action and is directing the County's Health Department and the Office of Emergency Management to study the risks and make recommendations for relating country policy in response to those risks.
While some local politicians have leaped up and suggested that nothing can be done to engage public resources on the local level in response to the threat of coal pollution, Cogen clearly sees his role as a public servant differently.
Said Cogen in today's press conference: "We have so much to lose if we let our community's health slide backward because we didn't ask the right questions or looked the other way while potentially devastating decisions are being made."
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11:40 a.m.
Sep 10, '12
Full Disclosure:
I voted for Jeff Cogen, I breath the air in Multnomah County, I love my community's leadership role in the fight against climate change, I think coal is best kept in the ground, that we should invest in renewable energy, that we should tax carbon pollution, that there's a reason that the word "railroad" is not just a noun but a verb, and I work on this kinda stuff all the time.
12:14 p.m.
Sep 10, '12
Whether or not you support coal exports through this community - and perhaps especially if you're a supporter - everyone should be in favor of understanding the health risks and figuring out to minimize them.
4:40 p.m.
Sep 11, '12
But wait< Kari, recently you said that flouride was great because you "believed in the CDC". Now I will never interfere with your belief system. After all we have a man, Willard Romney, who is the republican candidate for president of the United States who believes that there is a planet upon which god resides and who confides to the head of the Mormon church who then confides with Willard.
So I do not question your belief system; I depart from your reasoning when it comes to economics and science. You see there is coal dust. Yes. One hundred and fifty million tons of coal being hauled from Wyoming and Montana. In uncovered cars. A mile long train one per hour twenty-four hours a day.
That is cheaper than from Australia because the bid was given for uncovered coal cars. Now, the inconvenient truth here is that you are a Schrader supporter and he is fine with this. So you are in a box. Not unlike Romney who got his money from the Oligarchs who killed an Arch Bishop because he opposed the death squads in El Salvedore. You chose to put your support in coal trains on faith. God help us all.
4:04 p.m.
Sep 10, '12
What is this I see? A public official using the power of public office to protect the interests of the public?! Madness, I tell you!
Thanks, Jeff Cogen. Let's hope the courage spreads.