"BILLINGS, Mont. — The Trump administration is considering using West Coast military bases or other federal properties as transit points for shipments of U.S. coal and natural gas to Asia, as officials seek to bolster the domestic energy industry and circumvent environmental opposition to fossil fuel exports.
The proposal was described to The Associated Press by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and two Republican lawmakers.
It would advance the administration’s agenda of establishing American “energy dominance” on the world stage and underscores a willingness to intervene in markets to make that happen. It’s also tantamount to an end-run around West Coast officials who have rejected private-sector efforts to build new coal ports in their states.
A Democratic senator from Oregon and environmentalists blasted the proposal as undercutting local communities opposed to fossil fuel exports."
Matthew Brown reports for the Associated Press October 15, 2018.
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