The Washington County Board of Commissioners is still not taking much interest in passing the Cool Counties Declaration, and ramping up its commitment to reducing greenhouse emissions.  And so, it seemed like a good time to do some detective work.  What exactly is the impact of using dirty energy in Washington County?  As it turns out, it's very bad indeed.  Portland General Electric - the utility that supplies electricity to most homes and buildings in this area - sources some coal from the mountains of West Virginia, where it is extracted using one of the most environmentally destructive methods imaginable - mountaintop-removal mining.  The process is exactly what it sounds like: the tops of mountains are literally blasted away with explosives to expose coal seams deep in the ground.  More than 470 mountains, along with thousands of acres of forests and streams, have been destroyed through mountaintop removal in the Appalachian Mountains.  Using a handy website that allows you to find out if the energy in your area comes partly from mountaintop-removal coal, I discovered that there is indeed a relationship between dirty energy in Washington County, and horrendously destructive mining practices on the other side of the continent (amazing what you can find out, through the Internet!)

Though Portland General Electric does contribute to mountaintop removal, some of the energy on its grid also comes from wind and other cleaner energy sources.  By signing up for "green energy" through PGE, consumers can, for a small additional cost, ensure that their energy bill payments go toward funding clean energy, rather than coal and other fossil fuels.  The City of Beaverton has provided an example for other local governments to follow, by committing to purchase green energy for city buildings, and implementing a program to encourage city residents to do the same.  Washington County, on the other hand, has made no such commitment.

PLEASE ASK THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE COMMITMENT TO CUTTING DIRTY ENERGY!

The WA County government should lead our communities toward reliance on clean energy sources - not mountaintop-removal mining.  The county should pass the Cool Counties Declaration, and commit to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.  Until steps like these are taken, the county government cannot be considered a true leader on sustainability.  Chairman Tom Brian has said the county is "well aware of our environmental footprint."  Well, let's see.  Members of the Board of Commissioners are about to find out exactly how the decisions they make affect people and the environment in places as far away as West Virginia.  This is the county's real environmental footprint: a blown-off mountaintop, and a once-forested slope now reduced to rubble and toxic sludge. 

Note: photos in this post are linked from the "End Mountaintop Removal" website, at http://www.ilovemountains.org/