Muddying The Waters, Naturally

Written by: Wayne Hemrick

         The Puyallup tribe has been in Tacoma Bay, the foothills of Mount Tacoma, and Pugent Sound for thousands of years. History shows white settlers, and the newly growing American government, slowly invading the area forcing the Puyallup and all other Native Indian tribes to make concessions and treaties to survive. The Puyallup tribe “relinquished 2.5 million acres of tribal land to the U.S. in exchange for three 1,280-acre reservations” in the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854.1 In this treaty, they were willing to give up millions of acres of land in order to remain on their ancestral lands and retain fishing rights. The water is who they are. The salmon in the cold waters surrounding and flowing through the reservation filled their bellies and fueled their spirits. The Puyallup tribe loves Mother Earth because it provided all they needed to survive and is intertwined with the spirits of their ancestors. So, It is no surprise that they would be strong champions of environmental safety and sustainability. The original tribal lands and the current reservation are located close to the oceans and the rivers that feed into it. Unfortunately, this makes it valuable and popular with big business.
         The Strait of Juan de Fuca leads into the Salish Sea, which then leads into Pugent Sound, and finally into Commencement Bay. The series of seaways leading into Commencement Bay are utilized by thousands of ships annually. To say it is a major hub of commerce and shipping would be a huge understatement. To facilitate the movement of products and people there are ships, ships, and more ships; including barges and huge container ships. Ships need fuel. Currently there are oil refineries, huge tanks for diesel fuel storage and processing, and ships designed to refuel other ships with booms that are swung over to the empty ships. Pollutants are all around and regulated but there is pollution and the Puyallup are well aware of it and don’t want any more.
          For approximately five years, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has been moving slowly forward with placing an 8 million gallon liquified natural gas (LNG) tank that will be used to fuel ships equipped to use LNG instead of the usual diesel fuel. Diesel fuel has been the goto fuel for engines used in transportation for decades. In recent years and with technological advancements, LNG motors powerful enough to use in large ships are being implemented. According to the Port of Tacoma’s website, “LNG will reduce sulphur (SOx) emissions by 100 percent, harmful diesel particulate matter by more than 90 percent, nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NOx) emissions by 90 percent and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 35 percent”.2 The change to more “natural” or eco friendly alternatives is a growing movement in most industries. That being said, “natural” gas isn’t natural.
          Natural gas is derived primarily from fracking and poses environmental and human threats from pollution, to catastrophic combustion, as well as risks of asphyxiation if you're in proximity to a containment breach. In addition to all that, “Natural gas is mostly methane, and is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Scientists estimated earlier this year that about 2.3 percent of all natural gas production in the United States seeps through leaks in pipes”.3 This adds
fuel to the fire for concerns over harming the ozone layer in an extremely harmful way if there were to be a breach of containment.
          Beyond the direct pollution position, the Puyallup are arguing that the property is too close in proximity to the water and residential homes. The tank is located in an area that will be effected if sea levels were to rise as they have been predicted to. The location of the tank is less than 2 miles from residential homes and a detention center. Adding to this is the fact that the area is in a tsunami and seismic zone, increasing fears of total containment failure and leaks. Finally, the tribe has major concerns with the supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS). It contends that it completely omits important safety concerns with blast zones and vapor cloud zones as well as several other factors.
           PSE’s position on LNG and the storage tank is that it will be a great addition to the port providing a much cleaner alternative to diesel fuel and also provide a local source for heating fuel in times of local increased needs. It will also bring long term local jobs to the area. According to one of PSE’s websites, “LNG reduces greenhouse gases nearly 15 percent”.4 It will also “reduce harmful particulates in our air and water by over eighty-five percent”.4 One recurring theme in their sites is the fact that LNG in its liquid state isn’t flammable and if leaked, it dissipates back into a gaseous state when warmed. PSE has also stated that unlike diesel fuel which floats in water like oil, coats aquatic life, and is flammable; LNG can be absorbed and dissipated by water to a certain extent and does none of the horrible things diesel does to water and aquatic life. The way diesel ships are fueled involves a lot of risk as well. Some are fueled by tanks but most are fueled by tanker ships with booms that swing over to the empty ship and pump the fuel. It is a process that involves huge risks for leaks and spills into the bay. LNG would reduce the effects of spills and aquatic contamination due to the gaseous state it takes on when it is exposed to warmth and air.
          The Puyallup tribes stance is enough is enough when it comes to additional pollutant storage. The tribe is greatly concerned with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) submitted by PSE. Its position is that the statement is inadequate, contradictory to other studies findings, and completely omits key aspects with regards to safety concerns. The EIS, according to the tribe, does not include a catastrophic event such as a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. The tribe contends that this risk is of great concern due to the proximity to the public and water. The information the tribe is using comes directly from “Puget Sound Energy’s own safety studies: one from a U.S. Department of Energy-funded research facility and another from a 30-year veteran of the field”.5 The tribes lands, with its proximity to commerce and the bay, has taken its tole in slowly and steadily shrinking the size of its lands as well as the intrusions of pollution.
           I reached out to the Puyallup tribe and briefly spoke with Michael Thompson, but was unable to get a quote from him on the how this effects the tribe and the current status. I am not surprised and it is very understandable considering how important this fight is to the tribe. I did however get the impression that the tribe is strongly invested in their heritage and their land. It’s a fight that they have fought for a long time and seems they will continue to fight. The spirituality that Native Indians feel towards the land is something hard to explain. It is who they were, who they are, and what they will be.





Sources

Hirsch, Mark. “The Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854.” The National Museum of the American Indian, 2017, blog.nmai.si.edu/main/2017/03/treaty-of-medicine- creek-1854.html.

“Puget Sound Energy LNG Facility.” Port of Tacoma, 14 Nov. 2018, www.portoftacoma.com/puget-sound-energy-lng-facility. 

EndPlay. “PSE's Gas Plant Studies Have 'Significant Technical Issues,' Puyallup Tribe's Experts Allege.” KIRO, 19 July 2018, www.kiro7.com/news/south-sound-news/pses-gasplant-studies-have-significant-technical-issues-puyallup-tribes-experts-allege/ 793499456.

“Project Summary.” Puget Sound Energy - Tacoma Liquid Natural Gas, 2019, www.tacomacleanlng.com/project-summary. 

EndPlay. “PSE's Gas Plant Studies Have 'Significant Technical Issues,' Puyallup Tribe's Experts Allege.” KIRO, 19 July 2018, www.kiro7.com/news/south-sound-news/pses- gas-plant-studies-have-significant-technical-issues-puyallup-tribes-experts-allege/ 793499456.