State and county regulators announced Wednesday they will conduct a sweeping environmental study of the proposed Millennium Bulk Terminals coal dock west of Longview. It will include the effects of train traffic from inland mines and greenhouse gas emissions from coal-burning power plants in Asia.
The decision is a victory for opponents of the $643 million coal terminal, who have sought a “comprehensive” study of all environmental impacts of the proposal, including those hundreds or even thousands of miles away. No industrial project in this state has ever undergone a study of this scope.