50 protesters demonstrate against new natural gas plant in Tacoma

Nearly 50 protesters, fighting against the construction of a natural gas plant, are blocking a road near Port of Tacoma on Monday morning.

They expect up to 200 protesters to gather on Alexander Road throughout the day. Traffic is being rerouted in the area.

The activists are standing in solidarity with Puyullap Nation over a proposed liquefied natural gas facility at the port.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is produced by taking natural gas from a production field and converting it to liquid form. This makes for easier storage or transport.

Puget Sound Energy is building the LNG plant in Tacoma. They believe LNG will produce cleaner shipping fuel and contribute to improved air quality for the region.

On PSE's website about the project, the utility company admits that LNG is not a perfect solution, but a step in the right direction.

Protesters, including the Puyallup Tribe, are calling for a halt to construction, citing environmental concerns.

The Puyallup Tribe believes that the emissions from the liquidation process will worsen the air near the Port. Additionally, they believe the facility would create risks for their waters, salmon and treaty fishing rights.

Last week, protesters were arrested after locking themselves in a construction crane. PSE said while they respect everyone’s right to express their opinions, safety is their priority and that breaking into a heavy construction site and crawling on heavy equipment is extremely dangerous to trespassers and first responders.

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