Coal Terminal Hearings & Wine Science Center

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Protestors lined the walkway in front of Trac Center in Pasco on Tuesday to demonstrate their disapproval of the proposed coal export terminal in Longview. Over 200 people were on hand attending the third of five planned hearings on the proposed export terminal. Local growers say the terminal would motivate BNSF Railway to improve tracks through the Tri-Cities, which would in turn benefit agriculture. The final hearings planned on the scope of the environmental impact statement for the $643 million Millennium Bulk Terminals will be held October 9 in Vancouver and October 17 in Tacoma.

The new WSU Wine Science Center will be a $23 million world class state of the art research facility. At the recent groundbreaking for the center near Washington State University Tri-Cities more than 200 people were on hand as the Governor and university and wine industry officials turned the first shovelfuls of dirt for the project. WSU Regent Ted Baseler, chair of the WSU Campaign for Wine, and president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, was one of many speakers at the event.

BASELER: It's a wonderful time for WSU and for the state's wine industry as we break ground on a 40 thousand square foot state of the art Wine Science Center. Washington is the second largest producer of premium wine in the United States - we have more than 750 wineries , over 350 growers and the industry has an economic impact on the state to a tune of $8.6 billion.

Baseler announced that to date, through public and private support, they have raised $19 million for the project. The 40 thousand square foot building will house a wine library, classrooms, research laboratories, faculty offices and conference rooms.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.