Trump Plan To Export Coal, Gas Through Naval Bases Threatens US Security - State Governor

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2018) The Trump administration's new plan to export coal through military bases on the US West Coast undermines national security and ignores environmental laws, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee said in a statement on Monday.

"This reckless, harebrained proposal undermines national security instead of increasing it, and it undermines states' rights to enforce necessary health, safety and environmental protections in their communities," Inslee said. "This is outrageous."

Inslee said the state government of Washington had only learned of the new plan through media reports and had yet to be officially informed of it by the US Federal government.

"Our state has been left in the dark about the Administration's latest scheme. We've seen the news reports but have yet to hear from them in person. This effort is just the latest attempt at an end run around Washington's authority to safeguard the health and safety of our people," Inslee said.

The Trump administration is considering cooperating with private companies to transport coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) through US Navy bases or other federal facilities, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke was reported as saying according to media reports earlier in the day.