Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest

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Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest

• Martin Donohoe

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Plans

• Powder River Basin coal ? China and India
• Federal land
• Americans own most of Powder River Basin (40 of
  Americas coal supply)

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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
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Plans

• 100 million tons/yr
• 20 trains/day
• 4 diesel engines/train (100-120 cars per train)
• 12 barges/wk

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Plans

• Would dramatically increase U.S. coal export
  capacity
• 2006 - 50 million tons/yr
• Current - 127 million tons/yr
• With active proposals - 100 million tons/yr
• Through Columbia River Gorge (National Scenic
  Area)

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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
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Health Consequences of Coal Mining

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

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Health Consequences of Coal Mining

• Depleted aquifers, decreased land for ranchers
  for grazing, dust pneumonia in cattle and horses
• Deception

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DECKER MINE DECKER, MONTANA
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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
• State oversight of rail safety and local
  fire/disaster preparedness weak

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• Coal Train derailment near Baltimore, OH

Coal train derailment from coal dust buildup near
Baltimore, Ohio (2012). Photo from Reuters.
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Mesa, WA Coal Train Derailment(2012)
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The same trains that would carry coal through the
Pacific NW Wisconsin, 2013
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Barges

• Risks coal and fuel spillage, collision,
  grounding, congestion, emissions, habitat
  disruption, and fish mortality from wake and
  propellers
• Estimated 24 barge accidents/yr on Columbia,
  one/yr involving spill of coal or fuel

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Barges

• Columbia Gorge tourist spending 746 million/yr,
  of which 233 represents labor income to people
  who live and work in the Gorge
• 1.5-4.5 billion salmon habitat placed at risk
• Annual economic value of negative externalities
  produced by Morrow Pacific barges
• pollution 17.8 million
• Greenhouse gasses 22.8 million

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Coal-laden ship breaks up off coast of South
Africa (2013)
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Westshore Coal Terminal in BC (2012)Photo from
CKNW News Talk 980.
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Fire at Westshore Coal TerminalBritish Columbia,
2013
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Accidents(Preventable)

• Sago and Upper Big Branch (West VA) mine
  explosions/cave-ins
• Elk River (WVa) coal terminal leak/contamination
• Others

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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

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Health Effects

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

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Health Effects

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

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Health Effects

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

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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

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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
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Health Effects

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

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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

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Frequent, Long Train Crossings

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Jobs and Property Values

• Effect on local retailers and their often low
  wage employees
• Rail capacity limited, Montana farm exports may
  suffer
• 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

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Jobs

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

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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)

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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 and promised to
  close 2,000 small coal mines by 2015

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Desperation

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

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The Latest

• Many 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

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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

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What is Being Done

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

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What You Can Do

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

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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

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Conclusions

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

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Günter Grass

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

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African Proverb

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

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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

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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

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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-/

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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

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Contact Information

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