By faith in God, who gives and restores our earthly life, I ask that the City of Hoquiam deny the shoreline permit for the Westway Oil Expansion Project.

As reported by The Daily World on Sept. 20, 2016, the Final Environmental Impact Statement for this project found unavoidable impacts to human well-being and environmental quality, including inhibiting tribal treaty rights and access to fishing, air and noise pollution, as well as traffic dangers. Oil spills, fires or explosions present the possibility of immediate and long-term harm for our communities, land and water across the harbor.

I moved here to serve a church in Aberdeen, convinced by the community’s perseverance, and the love they so clearly expressed for the land and waters that they have known and worked upon for generations. We have treasures here that can be the foundation of a better path of economic development than that afforded by courting oil traffic. We have precious gifts that glimmer like the silver of bright salmon. And we have the responsibility to conserve, share, and use them well.

I ask that the City of Hoquiam lead the Harbor in the right direction with another step on a better path toward this community’s flourishing.

The Rev. Evan G Clendenin

Aberdeen