I was one of the 2,000 who stood in the rain to participate in the EIS scoping comments at Squalicum High School. I heard from community members of all walks of life and all ages who spoke cogently of their deep concern about the impacts of this proposed coal terminal.

Of all the comments, number 83 was the most surprising. A soft-spoken woman summoned her courage to go to the microphone before the crowd. She said she had initially been upset that she had to wait so long to speak but now she was glad to have heard others. She had come to this meeting in the interest of her sons but she now wanted to apologize for signing up to support the GPT project. She said she too had lived here all her life and loves it. She explained that she did not follow any news. She drew tears from all of us as she said again that after listening to the reasons all of the speakers gave to not permit this project she was sorry to have signed up for it.

I have heard from others about what I believe to be GPT proponents' "green-washing" spread by their glossy brochures and expensive TV ads. Like many others, this woman had not heard about the threats to our fisheries, our aquatic life and habitats, our parks, our downtown, our health and the global impacts of the coal being burned in China.

We will have another chance to hear about the GPT impact on Nov. 29 at Ferndale Events Center, 5715 Barrett Road.

Carol Follett

Bellingham