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Consequences of Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest. Martin Donohoe. Plans. Powder River Basin coal, cheap, export to China and India Federal land, cheap
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Consequences of Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest Martin Donohoe
Plans • Powder River Basin coal, cheap, export to China and India • Federal land, cheap • Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and GAO looking into royalty payment evasion (companies valuing coal at low domestic prices, rather than those fetched overseas)
Health Consequences of Coal Mining • Respiratory diseases • Heart disease • Cancers • Low birth weight • Birth defects • Etc.
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
Plans • 150 million tons • 26 trains/day • 4 diesel engines/train • Barges • Up to 500 lbs. or 3% of coal dust lost per car during transit
Accidents • Almost 40 train derailments over last 2 years • Vancouver barge hits coal chute • Mississippi River Barge hit railroad bridge, leaking oil
Coal Train derailment near Baltimore, OH Coal train derailment from coal dust buildup near Baltimore, Ohio. Photo from Reuters.
Deception • Ambre Energy mislead Port of Longview (5 million tons/yr; internal documents up to 60 million tons/yr; re-applied at 45 million tons/yr) • Port of Coos Bay admonished by judge for attempting to prevent Sierra Club form obtaining public records re proposed terminal
Health Effects • Diesel particulate matter: • impaired lung development • pulmonary inflammation • increased risk of heart attacks/strokes/cancer/asthma (ER visits and hospitalizations) • increases cardiopulmonary and all-cause mortality
Health Effects • Coal Dust: • chronic bronchitis/emphysema/pulmonary fibrosis • exposure to heavy metals • Organic gardeners • 3-fold increased risk of cancer in coal terminal workers in Australia
Health Effects • Noise: • Cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, increased BP, arrhythmias) • Stroke • Cognitive impairment in children • Exacerbation of mental health disorders • Sleep disturbance (fatigue, HTN, arrhythmias, accidents and injuries)
Health and Environmental Effects • Adverse Effects on: • Native Americans • Yakima Nation tribal fishing sites • Organic gardeners • Quality of life
Frequent, Long Train Crossings • Delayed EMS and fire department response times • Effect on heart attack/stroke/trauma victims, police response to crimes • Portland Fire Department response times already poor • Houseboat fire • Increased accidents traumatic injuries, deaths
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 • 18% of Mt Bachelor mercury from Asian power plants
Consequences of Burning Coal • Air pollution: • 75,000 premature deaths/yr in U.S. • 6 million worldwide
Consequences of Burning Coal • Global warming: • 150,000 - 300,000 deaths and 5.0 - 5.5 million disability-adjusted life years lost per year (WHO, UN Environment Program) • Expected to double by 2030 • Weather extremes
Jobs • Support of unions, living wage • Short-term, unhealthy jobs • Effect on local retailers and their often low wage employees • U.S. taxpayers subsidizing Chinese and Indian jobs • Amoral logic of “someone else will sell it to them” – similar to tobacco exports
Jobs Jobs program for pulmonologists, special ed teachers, and morticians
Multnomah County Health Department Analysis • 9% of population suffers from asthma. • Coal dust may travel 1/3rd to 1 1/4 miles from train tracks. • Almost 1/3 of population lives in areas that either border or cross rail lines that could carry coal and already experience a high burden of air pollution and noise disturbance from industrial sites, roads, and trains
Multnomah County Health Department Analysis • Communities of color, children, older adults, and low income citizens most likely to be affected • Cumulative delay of up to two hours per day at each rail crossing and delays in emergency response times expected • Precautionary principle invoked, calls for HIS and EIA
Public Opposition • Have indicated concern or disapproval of coal export proposals: • 600 health professionals • 400 local businesses • 220 faith leaders
Public Opposition • Have indicated concern or disapproval of coal export proposals: • Multiple Oregon and Washington municipalities • Northwest Tribes (Lummi Nation and Yakama Nation)
Public Opposition • Over 1,000 people attended Oregon DEQ hearings in 12/12 • Impressive state capital rally 3/13 • Other events planned
Upcoming Decisions • DSL plans 4/1/13 decision on the first application for Ambre Energy project. • DEQ may issue draft air quality permit for Ambre Energy as early as 4/13.
What You Can Do • Join Power Past Coal Coalition • Volunteer • Call Governor Kitzhaber or his Citizen Representative: (503) 378-4582 • Contact DEQ and DSL
What You Can Do • Demand a full spectrum Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Health Impact Assessment (HIA) • Demand a halt to all proposals
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
Conclusions • U.S. needs an energy policy for the 21st century, using clean technologies that provide long-term, well-paying, and safe jobs
Günter Grass “The first job of a citizen is to keep your mouth open.”
African Proverb If you think you are too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in your tent
Special Thanks To • Regna Merritt, Oregon PSR • regna@oregonpsr.org • Laura Stevens, Oregon Sierra Club/Beyond Coal Campaign • Alan Lockwood, PSR • Thousands of concerned citizens who have volunteered their time and energy
Resources • Power Past Coal: http://www.powerpastcoal.org/ • Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign: http://content.sierraclub.org/coal/ • Coal’s Assault on Human Health (Physicians for Social Responsibility): http://www.psr.org/resources/coals-assault-on-human-health.html • Oregon PSR Resources: http://www.psr.org/chapters/oregon/environmental-health-/proposed-coal-exports.html and http://www.psr.org/chapters/oregon/environmental-health-/
Contact Information Public Health and Social Justice Website: http://www.publichealthandsocialjustice.org or http://www.phsj.org Martin Donohoe martindonohoe@phsj.org