Clean energy backers rallied outside the Salt Lake City office of an Australian company seeking permits to build a coal exporting terminal in Longview, Wash.

The rally against coal, outside of Ambre Energy’s North American Headquarters in the US Bank building on Main Street, attracted about 40 protesters holding signs and chanting about coal’s environmental and health effects.

Some were nonresident activists visiting Utah for the scheduled Monday start of climate activist Tim DeChristopher’s trial for disrupting a federal oil and gas lease sale.

DeChristopher’s Peaceful Uprising group, along with the Rainforest Action Network, sponsored the rally.

DeChristopher attended and held a sign reading Clean Energy Now.

Scott Parkin, a San Francisco based coordinator for the Rainforest Action Network, said the United States should not ship coal to China and other nations with lesser health and emissions standards. He said that “They’re going to be exporting a lot of the health issues.” He said at the lunchtime rally, as well as greenhouse gases.

An Ambre Energy subsidiary is seeking to build the port. The Salt Lake City office was inaccessible to the public Wednesday afternoon, and company officials did not return a phone call seeking comment.

(Sourced from The Salt Lake Tribune)