BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- The Port of Bellingham Commission had a change of heart Thursday and decided to reverse action it took last week regarding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Commissioners decided to go ahead and protest NOAA’s decision to relocate a research fleet in Newport, Oregon instead of in Bellingham.
The Port was getting some pressure to appeal according to local Chamber of Commerce president Ken Oplinger.
"We've been hearing especially from our congressional delegation," Oplinger said, "that there were a number of potential issues that we would not be able to explore fully if we didn't go ahead and file the appeal."
Oplinger said appeals of federal government decisions can pay off.
"The best one to take a look at is in our own backyard, and that's the tanker decision with Boeing," he said.
A big reason for undoing last week’s decision not to appeal was some new information from Port lawyers.
They told the commission that the Newport site is in a floodplain, and NOAA’s rules say sites under consideration cannot be in a floodplain.
Commissioner Jim Jorgensen said they have strong concerns that the process did not result in a fair or accurate comparison of the proposals.
Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, along with five congressmen, have also sent a letter asking the Federal General Accounting Office to undertake a review of the lease acquisition process.
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