The forum addressed public worry over whether toxic dust from thousands of tons of coal at the station would contaminate Longview’s air and water, causing serious health problems in the community. Coal processor Millennium has attempted to allay such concerns, but its credibility remains doubtful, due to the recent revelation of the company's plans to process up to 12 times more coal at the terminal than the amount listed in its permit application.
Sierra Club Beyond Coal activists are busy starting the fight against this dirty coal terminal by organizing communities in rural areas along rail lines, where coal trains bound for export would spew coal dust and diesel pollution and produce hours of noise and traffic congestion daily.
The Longview public forum received great local press coverage, even from a paper that's been historically unsympathetic to environmental concerns.