On July 21, 2020 the King County Council voted unanimously to make permanent a 2019 temporary moratorium on all major fossil fuel development in the county.
The King County regulations adopted:
- Explicitly prohibit certain types of fossil fuel infrastructure, such as coal mines and large-scale oil and gas storage facilities (like the dirty and dangerous Tacoma LNG facility currently being built at the Port of Tacoma).
- Strengthen permitting criteria for new and expanded fossil fuel infrastructure, to ensure the well-being of current and future King County residents is prioritized in any project review.
- Require comprehensive review and mitigation of the full scope of environmental impacts of any fossil fuel project, including lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, threats to air and water quality, and public health risks.
- Establish demonstrated, early, and meaningful consultation with tribes.
We must do our part to care for creation and our neighbors by keeping fossil fuels in the ground – here in our state, across the continent, and around the world. It is well known that there are wide health disparities between residents of different areas of King County — up to a 20-year difference in life-expectancy is tied to environmental pollution. Stopping new fossil fuel infrastructure from being built locally is a common-sense first step towards healing our communities and creating a healthier planet for future generations.
As people of faith we applaud the council for leading on climate and doing their part to help keep fossil fuels in the ground!