Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest

1
Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest

• Martin Donohoe

2
Plans

• Powder River Basin coal ? China and India
• Federal land
• Americans own most of Powder River Basin (43 of
  Americas coal supply)

3
Coal Economics

• Cheap
• Sold for as low as 1/ton (usually
  non-competitively)
• U.S. price 9/ton sold to China for 80
  -123/ton
• Uncompetitive leasing and poor oversight have
  cost U.S Treasury 29 billion since 1982

army
4
Plans

• 100 million tons/yr
• 26 trains/day
• 4 diesel engines/train (100-120 cars per train)
• Barges

5
Plans

• Would double U.S. coal export capacity
• 2006 - 50 million tons/yr
• Current - 100 million tons/yr
• With proposals - 200 million tons/yr
• Through Columbia River Gorge (National Scenic
  Area)

6
(No Transcript)
7
48 mmt/yr coal
10 mmt/yr coal
15-30 mmt/yr coal
44 mmt/yr coal
8 mmt/yr coal
10 mmt/yr coal
Total 150 mmt/yr coal
8
Health Consequences of Coal Mining

• Respiratory diseases (including Black Lung
  Disease)
• Heart disease
• Cancers
• Low birth weight
• Birth defects
• Etc.
• Deception

9
DECKER MINE DECKER, MONTANA
10
Accidents

• Almost 40 train derailments over last 2 years
• 250 deaths/yr in U.S. from all rail transport
  accidents
• Barge accidents
• Risk of fires at coal terminals

11

• Coal Train derailment near Baltimore, OH

Coal train derailment from coal dust buildup near
Baltimore, Ohio (2012). Photo from Reuters.
12
Mesa, WA Coal Train Derailment(2012)
13
The same trains that would carry coal through the
Pacific NW Wisconsin, 2013
14
Coal-laden ship breaks up off coast of South
Africa (2013)
15
Westshore Coal Terminal in BC (2012)Photo from
CKNW News Talk 980.
16
Fire at Westshore Coal TerminalBritish Columbia,
2013
17
Trains

• Wear and tear on RR tracks
• RR limited by federal law from paying more than
  5 costs for improvements in at-grade crossings,
  bridges, tunnels, and overpasses
• Costs will be borne by local municipalities,
  state and federal taxpayers

18
Health Effects

• Diesel particulate matter
• impaired lung development
• pulmonary inflammation
• increased risk of heart attacks/strokes/cancer/ast
  hma

19
Health Effects

• Diesel particulate matter
• increases cardiopulmonary and all-cause mortality
• developmental neurotoxin
• Perinatal exposure increases risk for autism
  spectrum disorder, ADHD-related symptoms

20
Health Effects

• Coal Dust
• Up to 645 lbs. (3) lost per car during transit
• Surfactant decreases, but does not eliminate, risk

21
Health Effects

• Coal Dust
• Chronic bronchitis/emphysema/pulmonary fibrosis
• Exposure to heavy metals
• 3-fold increased risk of cancer in coal terminal
  workers in Australia
• Organic gardeners/farmers

22
Plumes of coal dust can often be seen from
passing coal trains. When standing near the rail
lines, I have often had to avert my face when a
loaded coal train passes to avoid being pelted
with coal particles. William VanHook, Assistant
VP, BNSF
23
Health Effects

• Noise
• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• Cognitive impairment in children
• Exacerbation of mental health disorders
• Sleep disturbances

24
Health and Environmental Effects

• Worst effects on
• Communities of color, children, older adults, and
  low income citizens
• Native Americans
• Tribal fishing sites (Native American fish
  consumption up to 10X U.S. avg. of 14 lbs/yr)
• Organic gardeners
• Quality of life for all

25
Frequent, Long Train Crossings

• Delayed EMS and fire department response times
• Increased accidents, traumatic injuries, deaths

26
Consequences of Burning Coal

• Increased ground level ozone
• Mercury and other heavy metals
• Neurotoxin
• 300,000-600,000 women of reproductive age with
  toxic levels

27
Consequences of Burning Coal

• Air pollution
• 200,000 premature deaths/yr in U.S.
• 4.1-6.8 million worldwide
• 2.1 3.3 million (outdoor air pollution)
• 2-3.5 million (indoor air pollution)
• Government program promoting coal use in Northern
  China may cut life expectancy of 500 million
  people by average 5 yrs

28
Consequences of Burning Coal

• Global warming
• 400,000 deaths and 5.0 - 5.5 million
  disability-adjusted life years lost per year
  (WHO, UN Environment Program)
• Expected to double by 2030
• Every 140 million tons of additional Powder River
  Basin coal exported will cause a net rise of
  200-240 million tons of CO2 when burned in Asia

29
True Cost of Coal

• U.S. 502 billion in fossil fuel subsidies in
  2012
• Subsidies for polluting energy sources greater
  than 12 times subsidies for renewables (excluding
  military costs)
• Public health costs 2X electricity rates
• When subsidies and externalities taken into
  account, renewables look great

30
Jobs

• Progressives (who oppose coal exports)
  traditionally support unions, green energy jobs,
  living wage, health insurance for all, etc.
• Coal exports - Short-term, unhealthy jobs

31
Jobs and Property Values

• Effect on local retailers and their often low
  wage employees
• Seattle study predicts rail crossing congestion
  could cost up to 455,000/yr in lost revenue plus
  an additional 475 million in diminished real
  estate values
• Negative effects on tourism

32
(No Transcript)
33
(No Transcript)
34
Jobs

• Jobs program for pulmonologists, special ed
  teachers, and morticians

35
Recent Developments Show Coals Future is Bleak

• Coal export prices down 40 over summer, 2013
  (80-90/ton)
• Investors abandoning coal
• World Bank and U.S. sharply restricting funding
  of (overseas) coal plants (2013)

36
Recent Developments Show Coals Future is Bleak

• Chinese demand expected to drop with development
  of nuclear and renewables
• Air pollution situation grim
• Has banned new coal plant production near
  Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou

37
Desperation

• Supporters using amoral logic of someone else
  will sell it to them similar to tobacco
  exports

38
The Latest

• 11 new coal terminals planned for Gulf of Mexico
  (if Pacific NW plans do not work out)
• 60 additional trains per week, could move 700,000
  barrels oil/day (proposed Keystone Pipeline
  830,000 barrels/day)
• Last Oregon coal plant (Boardman) to close in 2020

39
The Latest

• Plans to use railways and terminals to transport
  Canadian Tar Sands and North Dakota Bakken Oil
  Field fracked oil through Pacific NW for export
• Pipelines on wheels
• 2008 9500 carloads thru Pacific NW 2012 over
  200,000 the future more

40
What is Being Done

• Protests
• Lawsuits
• Local measures passing
• Pressure on governments/officials

41
What You Can Do

• Join Power Past Coal Coalition
• Volunteer
• Demand a halt to all proposals

42
Conclusions

• Coal is a dying 19th Century technology with
  Dickensian effects on human health and the
  environment
• The consequences of coal transport through the
  Pacific Northwest and its subsequent burning in
  Asian power plants is bad for the Northwest, the
  United States, and the world

43
Conclusions

• U.S. needs an energy policy for the 21st century,
  using clean technologies that provide long-term,
  well-paying, and safe jobs

44
Günter Grass

• The first job of a citizen is to keep your mouth
  open.

45
African Proverb

• If you think you are too small to have an
  impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in your
  tent

46
Special Thanks To

• Regna Merritt, Margie Kircher, Andy Harris, Susan
  Katz, and others at Oregon PSR
• regna_at_oregonpsr.org
• Laura Stevens and others, Oregon Sierra
  Club/Beyond Coal Campaign
• Alan Lockwood, National PSR
• Thousands of concerned citizens who have
  volunteered their time and energy

47
Resources

• Power Past Coal http//www.powerpastcoal.org/
• Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign
  http//content.sierraclub.org/coal/
• Coals Assault on Human Health (Physicians for
  Social Responsibility) http//www.psr.org/resourc
  es/coals-assault-on-human-health.html

48
Resources

• Oregon PSR Resources http//www.psr.org/chapters/
  oregon/environmental-health-/proposed-coal-exports
  .html and http//www.psr.org/chapters/oregon/envir
  onmental-health-/

49
Resources

• Full cost accounting for the life cycle of coal
  (Ann NY Acad Sci 2011121973-98. Available at
  http//solar.gwu.edu/index_files/Resources_files/e
  pstein_full20cost20of20coal.pdf

50
Contact Information

• Public Health and Social Justice Website
• http//www.publichealthandsocialjustice.org
• or
• http//www.phsj.org
• Martin Donohoe
• martindonohoe_at_phsj.org