An item in the Stand today provides some good perspective on the permitting process for the Millennium Bulk Terminals project in Longview. Mike Bridges of IBEW Local 48 writes,

For Cowlitz County, this represents a significant private investment that would have an enormous economic impact on thousands of tradespeople and their families. . . .

It would also mean fewer people on the road, working closer to home.

Right now, most of our tradesmen and women work outside of Cowlitz County. Many work out of state, driving home on weekends or once a month for visits. I get so tired of people criticizing these Millennium jobs as “temporary.” Anyone in the trades knows our work is always “temporary.” 

He also notes, “Sadly, there is no set timeframe for the state’s review process, and the wait continues.” Indeed, the time it takes to complete the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) process varies by project—it can take a few months or it can take years. But in the case of Millennium, the state is using an expanded scope of review that has stretched the timeframe to the extent that we’re going on five years since the project was proposed. (We wrote about the expanded SEPA in reports last month and in 2014.)