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Kelso City Council members on Tuesday will decide whether to back the controversial Millennium Bulk Terminals coal facility.

The Cowlitz Economic Development Council, of which Kelso is a member, requested the Council join its effort to build support for the project. The letter would also include a request that Cowlitz County and the Department of Ecology move forward with a final environmental impact statement after its draft EIS was released late April.

City Manager Steve Taylor drafted the letter in support of the coal terminal and needs council direction Tuesday. The letter states that the project would have a positive economic impact on Kelso, help increase its tax base and provide much-needed jobs, Taylor said.

“It’s unfortunate that a lot of other types of politics are involved with these projects, but we’re in the business here of providing services to our citizens,” Taylor said.

The $680 million facility would cover 190 acres west of Longview on the former Reynolds Metals Co. aluminum plant. Opponents to the terminal are concerned about adverse environmental effects like coal dust and contributions to global warming.