Port: Leaders appear to be on the right track

This week’s Port of Tacoma meeting provided a great opportunity to gauge the state of affairs of one of our community’s most valuable assets. The port serves complex needs of diverse customers throughout the region, responds to the impassioned demands of local stakeholders, and deals with competitive pressures from around the world. Equally as important is its work securing a positive future legacy for port properties, tarnished by toxic histories. On each of these fronts, our port commissioners and staff appear to be doing an excellent job.

Also evident during the meeting was a stirring of discontent among some in the community over the plan to build the Puget Sound Energy liquefied natural gas facility. I sincerely hope this is a minority position whose concerns can be responsibly mitigated as the plan moves forward. Natural gas is plentiful and a much cleaner fossil fuel option. Tacoma is in a unique position to be on the leading edge of what will be a long-term, growing industry. We should plan responsibly, execute well, and show the world how to do it right. Let’s trust the wisdom and diligence of port leadership, and leverage the potential of this opportunity.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 11:15 AM with the headline "Port: Leaders appear to be on the right track."