Sierra Club Statement on Coos County DA’s Decision to Partially Grant Public Information Appeal
Coos Bay, Oregon – Today, Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier partially granted the Sierra Club’s fee waiver appeal under the Oregon Public Records Act requesting information from the Port of Coos Bay about coal export development plans.
The Sierra Club’s appeal came after the Port of Coos Bay assessed a nearly $20,000 fee to access 2,500 pages of important information regarding these plans. The decision waives a large majority of the fee imposed by the Port for the Sierra Club to access information regarding their development plans. Under Oregon law, such fees are ordinarily waived when the public interest will be served by the release of the information.
In response to today’s decision, Laura Stevens, Sierra Club Organizing Representative, issued the following statement:
“The District Attorney’s decision will reveal vital public information about Port of Coos Bay’s plans to ship dirty coal in our community. Oregonians want to shed light on the destructive consequences of transporting, storing and shipping dirty coal on our waterways and communities, health and economy, before the project moves forward.
“For too long, the Port of Coos Bay has withheld information regarding their plans to develop coal and liquefied natural gas export facilities at the Port, hosting backroom discussions with big out-of-state fossil fuel interests. The people of Oregon have a right to know the truth, and today’s decision will help to inform us of the Port of Coos Bay’s intentions.”
Its been one year since this story ran and the port was court ordered to cooperate with the public’s need for information. This shows that they have won for another year without doing anything they were suppose to do. Will we be back here in another year to ask why they still haven’t given up the information they are hiding??
When I first thought of it, I too wondered what the big deal was about redacting. With a modern computer that can be done in a blink of an eye.
Then I got a bit incredulous that anyone could support suppression of a public report longer than War and Peace! What’s to hide?
If there was ever an agency with a public face that differs from the real inner workings it is the Port of Coos Bay
Hooray!
The usual suspects on The World’s boards are screaming, and I had to remind them that $8 a page for public documents is excessive, and if they went to get their tax records and the county charged them $8 a page, their heads would explode.
And I don’t want to hear about the cost of staff time to redact….I imagine that I could redact at least 1 page every 1 minute (and that is overly generous) – that would be around 40 hrs of work for the 2500 pages, plus the cost of ink & paper, and I would be more than happy to be compensated over $3200 dollars for the job. I think the county will make a tidy “profit” and the documents will inform the public….it’s a good deal, thanks Mr. Frasier.
And Thank You Sierra Club for your good works.
And Thanks M for your vigilance!
you got me on that one, curious. I may not be able to cast a vote in that race.
Thank you Mr. Frasier. Now, please, anybody, tell me what Ms. Caddy has done for us citizens that will cause me to vote for her as our next state senator.
My oh my M, but you have stirred the ‘boys’, ORC, SCDC, etc. They are singing your praises at the comments to the articles regarding anything to do with the Port, as in “why don’t you all go back to M’s site where you can think you are somebody, whine, whine, whiney arse little boys . I do not believe they ever expected anyone to push back to their plundering of tax dollars from all angles in this county. Sorry Jon, you brought all this upon your own big self. WE did nothing but report. I take great liberty with that “we” don’t I? Thank you again M and all those working to stop the plunder of Coos County from continuing. Safely ensconsed in their new “diggs” in the tax built Visitors’ Center, I’m sure the laughter has stopped. Yes, we , as you so fondly call us, Cave Dwellers have had enough, and the piglets will indeed be weaned. Belching and squealing and whining the whole way. I for one will enjoy every moment of it.