Oregon Beyond Coal Campaign
Coal Exports in the Northwest - An Overview
In recent years, Oregon and Washington have made major strides to end our reliance on coal, setting dates to get our last coal plants off of coal.
If they have their way, dirty and dangerous coal would jeapordize families as it passes through communities in Oregon and Washington by rail, barge, or ship through the Columbia River Gorge, Portland and many other communities.
photo by Paul K. Anderson
Northwest rail routes
Recent News
On February 15th, 2012, the Sierra Club filed an appeal under the Oregon Public Records Act requesting information from the Port of Coos Bay about development plans that could pave the way for the export of dirty coal. The appeal to the Coos County District Attorney addresses the Port’s constructive denial of the Sierra Club’s public records request, as the Port has demanded nearly $20,000 to access 2,500 pages of public information.
Read the appeal here, or here for Sierra Club legal updates on coal exports in Oregon.
Coal Makes Us Sick
Mining, transporting, and burning coal fouls our air, pollutes our water, sickens our children and destroys the environment.
A Risky Proposition
With current proposals, 20 or more trains, each 1.5 miles long, would chug through our communities daily. Coal trains have a high risk for derailing and crashing. When coal dust blows off of trains, it cakes on tracks, causing horrific train derailments in communities. Trains also threaten public safety when they intersect with roads. Long trains rolling through road-crossings add precious minutes to response times for emergency services - such as paramedics, fire trucks and police - risking people's lives in neighborhoods, like Vancouver and Portland.
Economic Future: Our Choice
Instead of choosing to max-out our rail lines to export dirty coal and decrease our property values from noise, traffic disruption and pollution, we can choose to fill our rail lines with U.S. made goods, high-speed passenger rail and our farm produce. We can choose to develop our communities and create jobs by investing in clean energy, importing and exporting value-added goods, and maintaining clean air and water.
More info on Coal Export here or see this document for FAQ
Coal Exports Threatens the Northwest
Video produced by Balance Media and Columbia Riverkeeper
What we can learn from previous communities:
The Lamberts Point Coal Terminal in Norfolk, Virginia
Westshore coal export terminal at Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver, BC
Seward Coal Loading Facility in Seward, AL
http://www.adn.com/2009/11/10/1007256/coal-dust-an-ugly-problem-in-scenic.html
Proposed Coal Export Terminal at Alcoa Site in Longview, WA
http://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/news/201106/coal-terminal-opponents-tell-commissioners-fire-red-flag
Proposed Coal Export Terminal in Cherry Point, WA
http://climatesolutions.org/press-room/press-releases/cherry-point-coal-export-facility-would-impact-health-community-and-waterfront-business
Press Releases
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