WWU to present 'Gateway Pacific Terminal: A Case Study' May 20

The Huxley College Speaker Series at Western Washington University will host Bellingham business owner Craig Cole on May 20 as he weights the benefits and pitfalls of the controversial Gateway Pacific coal terminal with his presentation, “Gateway Pacific Terminal: A Case Study” at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 20, in Communications Facility Room 125 on Western’s campus.

Cole will present a framework for examining the pros and cons of building the proposed terminal at Cherry Point in Whatcom County. The proposed project is slated to provide a new state-of-the-art, full-service facility for efficiently shipping dry bulk commodities such as coal to Asia and elsewhere.

Cole is the retired CEO of Brown and Cole Stores. He is a graduate of Western’s Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, recipient of the 18th Distinguished Graduate of WWU award, and served on the Western Washington University Board of Trustees for 11 years. As a civic leader, Cole has served on the Whatcom County Council, was one of the organizers of the Whatcom Transit Authority, and chaired the Whatcom County National Heritage Plan. At the state level he has been on the Board of Puget Sound Energy and also was a member of the Washington State Energy Strategy Advisory Committee. Currently he serves on the Board of Regents of the University of Washington.

Anyone interested in these issues is encouraged to come and participate. The presentation will examine opportunities for addressing these issues and include a question-and-answer period. The speaker series is held by Western's Huxley College of the Environment to bring together the environmental studies/ science community and other interested members of the WWU and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

For more information, contact Patrick Buckley at Western’s Huxley College of the Environment at (360) 650-4773.