Impacts of the Gateway Pacific Terminal on Aquatic Resources in the Salish Sea and Puget Sound

Impacts to Whatcom County Health and Quality of Life from Increased Rail Traffic Associated with the Gateway Pacific Terminal

Millennium Bulk Terminals Longview (MBTL) proposal, WA Dept. of Ecology

Millennium Bulk Terminals – Longview, LLC (MBTL), with members Ambre Energy North America and Arch Coal, has submitted an application for a proposed coal export terminal which would ultimately export up to 44 million metric tons of coal annually. More info here.

Millennium Bulk Terminals, Cowlitz County

More info on the Terminals here. 

Power Past Coal

Power Past Coal: An Overview of Coal Export off the West Coast

The Cumulative Impacts of Coal Export

An explanation of the need for a “programmatic environmental impact statement,” that would provide an opportunity to analyze the “big picture” and give citizens throughout the region an opportunity to weigh in with decisionmakers.

Update on the Status of Coal Export in the Northwest

An update of the proposals as of June 2013.

Will Cowlitz County Power Past Coal?

Will King County Power Past Coal?

Will Oregon Power Past Coal?

Will Pierce County Power Past Coal?

Will Skagit County Power Past Coal?

Will Snohomish County Power Past Coal?

Will Spokane County Power Past Coal?

Will Thurston County Power Past Coal?

Will Whatcom County Cave in to Dirty Coal?

Aquatics and Coal

Petition to Oregon officials

Petition to WA officials

Scoping Comment Card

Coal Train Export Legislation: Section-by-Section

True Cost of Coal Act

Coal Shipping: From Powder River Basin to Cherry Point on BNSF’s Preferred Route

Coal Shipping: Where Powder River Basin coal goes

A very cool graphic showing distribution volumes from the PRB.

Map of Coal Export in the Northwest (Updated: 6/14/2013)

A great map from the Sierra Club and Shew Design showing the coal export route from Powder River Basin

Montana railways

Map of Montana’s freight and passenger railways, showing possible routes for BNSF and Union Pacific coal trains from the Powder River Basin.

NW Energy Export Facilities

Existing and proposed. PDF version here.

Oregon railways

Map of Oregon’s freight railways, showing possible routes for coal trains along the Union Pacific line to Coos Bay, St. Helens or Boardman.

Washington railways

Map of Washington state’s railways, showing possible routes for coal trains along the BNSF railways to proposed terminals at Cherry Pt., Grays Harbor and Longview, WA.

Carbon Offshoring: The Legal and Regulatory Framework for U.S. Coal Exports

This report examines the legal and regulatory framework for U.S. coal exports, focusing in particular on the significant improvements in railroad and port infrastructure that will be necessary in order to boost the volume of overseas coal shipments to the degree anticipated by recent industry projections.

Coal Costs: Environmental Accounting for Pollution in the United States Economy

“This study presents a framework to include environmental externalities into a system of national accounts. The paper estimates the air pollution damages for each industry in the United States.” 

Coal Dust: A RAIL EMISSION STUDY: FUGITIVE COAL DUST ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION

The physical processes associated with coal dust leaving train cars.

Coal Dust: Bibliography of coal dust articles from BNSF filing with Transportation in 2010

Multiple useful coal-dust related references, most demanding access to academic journal databases.

Coal Dust: Fugitive Coal Dust – An Old Problem Demanding New Solutions

Coal Dust: Fugitive Coal Dust Emissions in Canada 2001

A comprehensive study of coal dust emissions from mine to ship. “Coal Terminals by their nature are active sources of fugitive coal dust.” (p.73)

Coal Dust: Improved Emission Factors for Fugitive Dust from Western Surface Coal Mining Sources

A 1984 study looking at how to analyze coal dust and probable emissions

Coal Dust: MINIMIZING GROUNDWATER CONSUMPTION FOR REQUIRED FUGITIVE DUST CONTROL

A commercial paper, but has good numbers on amount of water needed for dust control at different stages of the terminal processing.

Coal Dust: The Role of Chemicals in Controlling Coal Dust Emissions

Considerable explanation of the background processes that generate coal dust and the use of chemicals to control it.

Coal Export FAQ

As North America’s appetite for coal wanes, coal companies are looking to China and other Asian markets to sell US-mined coal. Yet before large volumes of coal can be exported overseas, new shipping terminals would need to be built at port sites in the Northwest. In a new fact-finding report, Sightline examines the potential benefits and potential risks of coal export facilities.

Coal Export: A History of Failure for Western Ports

Communities in Oregon and Washington are weighing the prospect of coal export facilities. Proponents of shipping American coal to Asia argue that coal will bring significant economic benefits to the region. In this research memo, we examine the risks of coal markets, review the history of coal exports on the West Coast, and evaluate the employment dimensions of coal terminals.

Coal Export: The Greenhouse Gas Impact of Exporting Coal from the West Coast

Proponents of the coal export terminals claim that opening up the West Coast to the export of Powder River Basin coal will only change the source of the coal burned in Asia—not the total amount. This white paper explains why these arguments are incorrect, and inconsistent with both the basic principles of economics as well as the abundant literature regarding energy use and consumption patterns in Asia.

Coal Exports From Canada

Virtually all coal exported by Canada is exported from just three ports in British Columbia. Most of it went to Asia, but in recent years very little US coal has been actually been exported through BC ports. Several of the ports are planning to expand their coal capacity, yet even with this additional capacity BC’s existing coal ports could not come close to serving the volumes of Powder River Basin coal planned for Washington’s ports.

Coal Exports: 19th Century Fuel Moves Energy Policy Backwards, Not Forwards

Coal Shipping: The Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for U.S. Coal Exports

Columbia Law School’s analysis of the legal and regulatory frameworks for U.S. coal exports.

Coal Shipping: Bulk carrier safety report 1998 – 2007

Bulk carriers have a terrible safety record. This report from the IMO points to the kinds of risks we might expect with more than 400 additional bulk carriers servicing the proposed coal terminal in Washington State’s Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve.

Coal: Coal Quality and Geochemistry of PRB Coal

Just how “clean” is PRB coal, anyway?

Coal: Full cost accounting for the life cycle of coal

Coal is far more expensive than reflected in its cost per kilowatt hour as electricity. Epstein explains the many additional costs society pays for coal, and points to the possibility that we only have a few decades of coal left at current consumption rates.

Exporting Powder River Basin Coal: Risks and Costs

This white paper by the Western Organization of Resource Councils provides an in-depth analysis of proposals to export Powder River Basin coal to Pacific Rim nations. The report looks at issues related to tripling of train traffic across the northern tier and Pacific Northwest states of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington. It also details the true costs of coal exports, near mining, transportation and ports, borne by neighboring citizens and businesses. Updated and revised, September 2011.

Health: USGS short course on the health impacts of coal

From the USGS: This short course will sort out the facts and fallacies that have been interwoven in this sensitive issue. We will explore questions such as: Are there confirmed cases of health problems? Under what conditions would coal present a threat to human health? What properties of coal are most dangerous? What can the coal science community do about it?

Heavy Traffic Ahead: Rail Impacts of Powder River Basin Coal to Asia

Heavy Traffic Ahead identifies costs, many of which would fall on taxpayers, for infrastructure due to increased rail traffic. The price tag for upgrading rail lines, roads and other infrastructure to support proposed coal export facilities on the West Coast could reach into the billions of dollars across the four-state Northwest region.

Increased Coal Train Traffic and Real Estate Values

National Rail Freight Infrastructure Capacity and Investment Study

This study is an assessment of the long-term capacity expansion needs of the continental U.S. freight railroads. It provides a first approximation of the rail freight infrastructure improvements and investments needed to meet the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) projected demand for rail freight transportation in 2035. The U.S. DOT estimates that the demand for rail freight transportation—measured in tonnage—will increase 88 percent by 2035.

Traffic Study – Burlington

Traffic Study – Edmonds

Traffic Study – Edmonds [Attachments]

Traffic Study – Marysville

Traffic Study – Mt. Vernon

Traffic Study – Seattle

Traffic Study – Stanwood