What is the future of shipping anyway? It is my understanding that the world is moving to ever bigger ships with deeper drafts that will not fit in the Columbia River, nor do shipping companies want to spend the extra time getting in and out of Portland along the Columbia River. There are better alternatives like the deep draft harbors of Tacoma and Seattle nearby, so Portland has languished for years. A new terminal will not change geography. What IS the Port's growth or business plan that justifies this or any of the terminals it now has?

Absolutely , and the new canal in Panama proves your point.
Hello!? Portland is about 100 miles from the Pacific Ocean and all ships must cross the Columbia River Bar which is rated as one of the most dangerous crossings in the world! The river is shallow and navigation is circuitous. I know because I have gone up and down the river for years and crossed the Bar too may times to count in good weather for obvious reasons.
$150 million for what? The money should go to other more productive uses...and I am sick to death of hearing the argument about how "this money can't be used for that".
If Puddletown was going to be a great shipping center it would have been such by now. It's not, and the Port of Portland needs to get over itself.

This is vital INFO

"The shipping vessels Oregon and Washington leaders were counting on may not arrive."

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/04/columbia_river_dredging_ends_t.html

"The cost of the project, estimated at $134 million in 2003 to calculate its cost-benefit, has grown by 33 percent and taken years longer to complete than expected."

"Bill Wyatt, the Port of Portland's executive director, "The measure of success won't come for years."

You betcha Billy. But you'll soon be enjoying your retirement that will probably top Fred Hansen's 186K/year.

It seems more reasonable to enhance facilities at Port of Astoria and run more frequent trains between Portland and Astoria. Granted, it seems kind of weird to be talking about enhanced rail services, but it's not light rail or WES - this would be real rail that actually serves a purpose other than to boost some politician's ego.

"The part I have such a hard time understanding," Lahsene said, "is that if we need land for the future; if we want to be an international community; if the president has called for the doubling of exports over the next five years, why wouldn't we do all that we can do to create this sustainable marine terminal and improve the natural resources on West Hayden Island?"

Good points by Nolo and Portland Native.

I will add that just doubling of exports may sound good in language, but what are we exporting? Coal?
Our food?... which then increases our food costs locally. We are getting food in here from China now. Why do we need to be shipping food and increasing costs of our food? Is it because of financial interest in food commodities?

In my opinion, we exported more than enough out of our country when the road was paved for manufacturing to export the business and manufacturing equipment out. So now, it looks like the next export business will be to extract our resources and ship away, never mind how this is done leaving a trail of coal dust behind.

Basics such as food/water ought not be part of the "commodities" scene that is detrimental to our people.

Nature and the environment ought not just be up for grabs if the "right" elected officials allow it. It is set up for some to benefit financially at the expense of quality of life for others. The community once again footing a huge bill when for all practical purposes, the conditions as Portland Native described, make it difficult for Portland to compete for the huge container ships. Even if the waterways were perfect, 100 miles inland?

Bald Eagles are all over the place now. Surely we can designatie a few hundred acres to helping grow the local economy. And what little faith in the ability to do both commerical/industrial economy and keep a decent environment. Such little faith and NIMBY'ism from BoJack here.

NO! Not "little faith", just the facts, Bob Clark. The so called Port of Portland was obsolete 100 years ago because of its geographic location 100 miles up stream from the ocean on a shallow river, with a dangerous bar crossing. How many wrecks are out there?...100s!
The geography has not changed. However ships are getting bigger and with deeper drafts, and Portland is now even more of a maritime backwater.
Spending $150 million on this type of development is a shortsighted waste of a lot of money.
If we want to "grow the local economy" tell the SamRand twins to stop chasing away real jobs, like Columbia Sportswear, Siltronic, and Widmer.
Real Jobs pay living wages, provide health care, build buildings, and make stuff people can use and consume!
The Port just produces people who will collect huge pensions off the backs of the taxpayers!

Nothing wrong with Nimby'ism.
In fact, people have a right to say not in my back yard when detrimental to livability. It doesn't mean it is right to put in other's back yard either. This is just a term manufactured to try to "shut" people up.
Seems to me we need a few terms for those who do not act in the public's interest.
Why no concern about the increased water rates that as a result businesses will be leaving and who would come into the area if that
critical issue is not addressed?
Or is this export facility going to allow having our water shipped out too?

Increasing exports is another method to sell off the assets of our country. I don't want to shut down commerce, but a lot of this export business is very unbalanced as far as who benefits.

We have given away large portions of resource-rich lands to a few wealthy persons. There needs to be a significant review of this policy before we just let them sell it all to China.

I think the wildlife habitat argument is a bit weak. There are a pair of Ospreys nesting in a cell tower near my office. That doesn't make the cell tower valuable wildlife habitat. There ain't much future for coal. Even the Chinese are trying to move away from it. So building a coal terminal on Hayden Island to ship coal to China is pretty short-sighted. That is valuable industrial land on Hayden Island and it can be put to better use than as a parking lot for coal.

The Port has categorically stated that the terminal will not be for coal. Of course, that tune could change once the pavement's in place and the eagles have moved on.

We shouldn't forget the recent history of how Planners have pushed out industry, and in some cases, the shipping industry throughout our metro.

SoWhat comprised over 400 acres. Inner NW Portland along NW Yeon is being pushed out with accompanying Pier 1. Industrial Linnton is proposed to have housing/condos along the waterfront. The inner southeast along the Willamette is having its manufacturing, warehousing, shipping being pushed out. Industry/shipping is a dirty word.

These displacements that are being caused more by Planners than economics, is hurting our economics.

I don't believe anything the Port says; or the City either!
Why should we believe their pronouncements?

Portland Native,
Agree.
In fact, some people have said that they think I am Portland Native.

Too funny! We could surprise eachother!

The more I think about it, old Billy was right:
Let's kill all the planners; kill 'em tonight

(apologies for the slight change to The Eagles lyric).