The Sierra Club has endorsed city and county candidates, based in large part on the candidates' positions on the coal export terminal proposed at Cherry Point. Our opposition to coal export derives not only from the impact of coal dust and coal trains on our health and the well-being of our community, but on the national and worldwide impacts of mining, transporting and burning coal.

The Sierra Club is engaged in national and international campaigns to reduce coal-fired energy production and replace it with cleaner forms of energy. From this perspective we endorsed the mayoral candidate with what we believe to be the strongest position in opposition to coal export, in support of our state and national work on stopping coal-fired energy production. Mayor Pike has taken a leadership position on this issue in Bellingham and throughout Washington, earning him a Sierra Club endorsement.

Sierra Club appreciates Kelli Linville's opposition to the coal export terminal at Cherry Point. And we have endorsed Kelli in the past for her excellent work in the state Legislature. However, Mayor Pike has championed the issue of stopping coal exports through Washington, which is aligned with our goal of stopping coal export, coal mining and coal burning worldwide.

Llyn Doremus

Bellingham