Dirty Coal and Your Future

by Ted Nation

     Several members of Western Washington FOR are working informally with Power Past Coal, a growing coalition of organizations sharing a common interest in preventing the West Coast from becoming a high volume coal export corridor. This is in response to proposals from major coal and shipping companies to strip-mine coal inMontanaandWyoming, transport it throughWashingtonandOregon, and sell it toAsia. Under current proposals, Arch Coal, Peabody Energy and the Australian-based Ambre Energy would ship as much as 130 million tons of coal per year throughWashingtonState. There are additional shipping terminals proposed inOregon.

  Many climate scientists propose that the world totally phase out the use of coal if we are to have any chance of stabilizing global temperature. In addition, coal  poses a number of other threats to Washington citizens.  The coalition member Climate Solutions states, “Just one of these proposals would involve seven mile-long trains filled with coal disrupting communities every day, generating huge volumes of toxic coal dust and tying up rail lines and blocking traffic. Shipping 130 millions of tons of coal annually would add more than 9000 thousand miles of coal trains to Washington’s rail system every year. According to calculations by BNSF railroad, each train car can lose 500 pounds of coal dust en route.” The wide ranging health dangers of coal dust include exposure to toxic heavy metals like mercury and increased rates of asthma, especially in children. Coal dust and diesel exhaust from coal trains and cargo ships can cause serious long-term health problems like lung and heart disease.  Burning an additional 130-150 million tons of coal annually in Asia would also produce local pollution issues. Recent scientific studies show that Asia is already an increasing source of mercury and other pollutants on the West Coast.  Keep in mind that the proposals are also horrible economic policy