I believe the surest way to turn Bellingham into a disagreeable place to live is to support the shipping facility at Cherry Point. There is nothing right about it.

Around-the-clock coal trains would block access to our waterfront, delay emergency vehicles, and are dirty, noisy, foul smelling vehicles of pollution.

Additional coal burning in China will further add to the pollution of our planet. The air quality of the earth is a valid concern.

Do mining companies have the right to further endanger the environment on a world widescale for profit? Difficult issues require intelligent and rational thinking to find solutions to global energy needs. We are all merely temporary occupants and we have obligations to future residents. Coal is not the right answer.

Marilyn G. Knauf

Bellingham