The comment period for the project begins August 16 and will run to November 18.
Individuals can submit input via the Millennium Bulk web site, by email or by US Mail.
A series of five public meetings will also be held on the project, beginning with the Cowlitz County Event Center in Longview September 17.
Spokane will host the second event on September 25 at its convention center, and those near Pasco will be able to attend an October 1 meeting at the Trac Center.
Clark County will hold a public meeting October 9 at the Clark County Fairgrounds, and a final meeting in Tacoma will take place October 17 at Tacoma Convention Center.
Cowlitz County, the state Department of Ecology and the US Army Corps of Engineers, which are jointly conducting the hearings, said the meetings were not a way to register comments for or against the terminal facility, but intended to collect suggestions on what should be studied as agencies decide whether the terminal should be issued a permit.
“We’re committed to providing a fair and unbiased process,” Cowlitz County building and planning department special projects coordinator George Raiter told local media.
If the project becomes a reality it will export about 44 million tons of coal annually and provide 130 full-time jobs. There will also be more than 2000 jobs during construction.
Once the comment period ends, regulators will need about a year to determine the scope of the review. That will be the guideline for the environmental impact statement.
