The Lummi Indian Business Council has voted unanimously to hire international law firm Dentons as outside litigation counsel to represent the Lummi Nation in any potential litigation regarding a proposal to build North America’s largest coal terminal in the tribe’s fishing waters off Cherry Point.

The Aug. 21 vote came in advance of Lummi’s final response sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Dentons is the largest law firm in the world.

“The project proponent, Pacific International Terminal, has attempted to delay the Corps’ decision time and time again, and they have repeatedly attempted to mischaracterize Lummi’s position,” said Tim Ballew II, chairman of Lummi Indian Business Council. “There is sufficient evidence for the Corps to deny the permit solely based on the project’s impact to usual and accustomed fishing areas. (Our) letter to the Corps will be our last response and we await the agency’s determination on the permit request. We fully expect that the Corps will not draw out this process unnecessarily and look forward to a quick response. In the meantime, we have taken the necessary steps to expand our legal team for what is likely to be a long fight ahead to protect our treaty rights from corporate interests.”