Kinder Morgan drops plans to build coal export terminal at Port of St. Helens industrial park
Terminal developer Kinder Morgan will not go forward with a proposal to export coal to Asia from the Port Westward industrial park on the Columbia River, a company spokesman said this morning. Kinder Morgan’s Allen Fore attributed the decision not to seek permits for a coal export terminal to site logistics…
Dan Bates
Coal trains would worsen Marysville’s traffic problem
MARYSVILLE — When it comes to traffic backups from more coal trains, Marysville is Snohomish County’s ground zero. Of 33 street crossings on BNSF Railway’s north-south line in the county, 16 — nearly half — are in Marysville. Many of them already are congested. Read the full story here.
In the Northwest, rising coal exports to Asia stir huge fight
DECKER, Mont. — At Spring Creek Mine, a broad black seam of coal, reaching depths of 80 feet, runs like a subterranean river through arid, sagebrush-covered hills. This is a world-class seam formed from the remnants of ferns, grasses and other plants that flourished here more than 50 million years ago,…
Paul Anderson
In Montana, ranchers line up against coal
COLSTRIP, Mont. — Out in these windy stretches of cottonwood and prairie grass, not far from where Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer ran into problems at Little Bighorn, a new battle is unfolding over what future energy development in the West will look like. Here, rancher Wallace McRae and his…
Dan Cepeda
Coal miners protest at Arch Coal meeting in Wyoming
WRIGHT, Wyo. — About 20 coal miners from all over the country descended upon a small coal town in northeast Wyoming on Thursday. Active and retired miners — together under the United Mine Workers of America banner — gathered in front of the Wright Hotel shortly after 7 a.m. The…
New regional alliance opposes coal-export plan from state ports
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn on Monday announced a new alliance of politicians and tribal leaders opposed to exporting Western coal to Asia from Washington ports. “We will stand together … to tell our federal and state leaders that we don’t want the coal trains here in the Pacific Northwest,” McGinn…
OPINION: Coal trains are poor policy
A long-view of coal-export facilities weaves together who is paying for what, the spectrum of environmental impacts, and forecasting where the country will be a generation from now. But politics are rarely hitched to a long view of history. Read the full story here.
The mysterious decline of Puget Sound herring
Pacific herring might be the most popular dish in Puget Sound. The small silvery swimmers are called “forage fish” not because they’re rummaging for food, but because just about everything wants to eat them. Read the full story here.
Environmental groups criticize Gorge coal trains
KGW News at 6 includes coal dust complaints on the Columbia River Gorge. Watch the full video here
Over 450 Flood Salem to Sound the Alarm on Pending Coal Export Permit
Salem, Ore. – Over 450 Oregon residents and a diverse group of local leaders flooded the steps of Oregon’s Capitol this morning to call on Governor Kitzhaber to deny Ambre Energy a dredging permit at the Port of Morrow. Many community leaders and residents feel they can’t trust the Australian-based…
What Coal-Train Dust Means For Human Health In Pacific Northwest
With five coal export terminals under consideration in Washington and Oregon, Northwest residents are grappling for the first time with issues that are old hat in coal states like West Virginia and Kentucky. One of those issues: coal dust. Read the full story here.
Coal Export Terminal Faces Setback On South Oregon Coast
A coal export terminal proposed for Oregon’s South Coast has hit a setback. Two of the project’s investors have dropped out, according to documents obtained Friday by EarthFix. Project Mainstay in Coos Bay is one of five proposed coal export terminals in the Pacific Northwest. They’re intended to ship coal…
3 rail cars derail in Missoula, spilling coal
Montana Rail Link is cleaning up three rail cars and 80 tons of coal that derailed around midnight in Missoula, MRL spokeswoman Lynda Frost said Tuesday afternoon. The derailment, near Van Buren Avenue, involved no injuries and no hazardous material, she said. The cause is under investigation. The cars were…
Guest opinion: Speak up on health effects of burning coal
After practicing family medicine for 30 years, I had to step back from my clinical practice in order to better serve patients and our community. It became clear to me that we need to address the true causes of our diseases. One of the most dangerous threats to current and…