Six states join Wash. in bid to block coal export terminal

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) – Six states have lined up in support of Washington state in a legal battle over its decision to block a proposed coal-export terminal on the Columbia River.

The Daily News reports attorneys general from California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Oregon filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief this week arguing in support of Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration in its defense against the federal lawsuit brought by Utah-based Lighthouse Resources.

Lighthouse Resources claimed Washington state officials violated federal laws in denying approvals for the Millennium Bulk Terminals project – a proposed $680 million facility in Longview, Washington, that would be the largest coal shipping terminal in North America.

Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Kansas, Nebraska and Washington’s Cowlitz County have previously filed amicus briefs in support of project backers.

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Information from: The Daily News, http://www.tdn.com