I attended the Ferndale Gateway Pacific Terminal public scoping hearing hoping to get an opportunity to speak. There are only 100 allotted slots on a first-come basis. I believe my chance to speak was stolen from me and from others who wanted to verbally give their scoping comments to the panel. SSA Marine and/or their hired consultants, hired workers to stand in line for GPT proponents thereby manipulating the hearing. Ferndale's Mayor Gary Jensen and Lynden's Mayor Scott Korthuis were early speakers at the event and if they let paid workers stand in line for them does that mean they accepted a "gift" from a company trying to ensure its project approval? At the very least, it shows a lack of ethics on both mayors' parts and I say shame on them. Shame on them and their sall (thinking) cty cucus too, for endorsing this project before a full EIS and a programmatic EIS that's needed for a project of this magnitude. The Ferndale scoping meeting was more like a filibuster where SSA took away what little voice we have in this process. This hearing was for people to verbally ask the panel to study their real concerns about GPT, not for pro-GPT people to stand up repeating the mantra that we need jobs here. I' also for more jobs, but this project isn't the solution. It wouldn' matter to me if there were a million jobs created by GPT when weighed against the irreparable damage it will do to our communities.

Sandy Robson

Blaine