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Consequences of Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest

Consequences of Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest. Martin Donohoe. Plans. Powder River Basin coal, cheap, export to China and India (to supplement national uses and European exports) Federal land, cheap

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Consequences of Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest

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  1. Consequences of Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest Martin Donohoe

  2. Plans • Powder River Basin coal, cheap, export to China and India (to supplement national uses and European exports) • Federal land, cheap • Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Interior Department, and GAO looking into royalty payment evasion (companies valuing coal at low domestic prices, rather than those fetched overseas)

  3. Plans • 150 million tons • 26 trains/day • 4 diesel engines/train (100-120 cars per train); barges • Would double U.S. coal export capacity • Through Columbia River Gorge (National Scenic Area) • Up to 645 lbs. or 3% of coal dust lost per car during transit (BNSF estimate)

  4. 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

  5. Health Consequences of Coal Mining • Respiratory diseases • Heart disease • Cancers • Low birth weight • Birth defects • Etc.

  6. May, 2013 • Kinder Morgan abandons plan to build coal export terminal on Columbia River at St Helens • Ambre Energy to renegotiate deal to take over Decker Mine in Montana • Ambre having financial problems

  7. DECKER MINE: DECKER, MONTANA

  8. Accidents • Almost 40 train derailments over last 2 years • Vancouver barge hits coal chute • Mississippi River Barge hit railroad bridge, leaking oil • Runaway train disaster in Quebec • Risk of fires at coal terminals • Water intensifies blaze; special equipment and firefighter training required

  9. Coal Train derailment near Baltimore, OH Coal train derailment from coal dust buildup near Baltimore, Ohio. Photo from Reuters.

  10. Mesa, WA Coal Train Derailment(July 2, 2012)

  11. Westshore Coal Terminal in BCPhoto from CKNW News Talk 980.

  12. Train Crossings • RR limited by federal law from paying more than 5% costs for improvements in at-grade crossings, bridges, tunnels, overpasses to increase safety and decrease delay times • Costs will be borne by local municipalities, state and federal taxpayers

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. Coal Dust

  17. Coal Dust Escape645 lbs without surfactant97 lbs with surfactantBNSF Study

  18. 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)

  19. Health and Environmental Effects • Adverse Effects on: • Native Americans • Yakima Nation tribal fishing sites • Organic gardeners • Quality of life

  20. 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

  21. 25

  22. 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

  23. Consequences of Burning Coal • Air pollution: • 75,000 premature deaths/yr in U.S. • 6 million worldwide • Government program promoting coal use in Northern China may cut life expectancy of 500 million people by average 5 yrs

  24. Consequences of Burning Coal • Global warming: • 400,000 deaths and 5.0 - 5.5 million disability-adjusted life years lost per year (Climate Vulnerability Monitor, WHO, UN Environment Program) • Expected to double by 2030 • Weather extremes

  25. True Cost of Coal • Subsidies for polluting energy sources greater than 12 times subsidies for renewables (excluding military costs) • U.S. = $502 billion in fossil fuel subsidies in 2012 • Much internalized as industry profits • The public health costs of coal alone are more than double the U.S. average retail electricity rate • When subsidies and externalities taken into account, renewables look great

  26. 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

  27. Jobs Jobs program for pulmonologists, special ed teachers, and morticians

  28. 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

  29. 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

  30. Public Opposition • Have indicated concern or disapproval of coal export proposals: • 600 health professionals • 400 local businesses • 220 faith leaders

  31. Public Opposition • Have indicated concern or disapproval of coal export proposals: • Multiple Oregon and Washington municipalities • Northwest Tribes (Lummi Nation and Yakama Nation)

  32. Public Opposition • Over 1,000 people attended Oregon DEQ hearings in 12/12 • Impressive state capital rally 3/13 • Hearing and rally re Port of Morrow Project (7/13) • Other events planned

  33. The Latest • 4/1/13: Environmental groups announce intent to sue Burlington Santa Fe Railway and several coal companies for violations of federal Clean Water Act • 6/13: Army Corps of Engineers (federal permitting agency)decides NOT to consider local or global health and environmental effects of coal burning

  34. 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 • 11 terminals planned • 70 additional trains per week, could move 700,000 barrels oil/day (proposed Keystone Pipeline = 830,000 barrels/day)

  35. What You Can Do • Join Power Past Coal Coalition • Volunteer • Call Governor Kitzhaber or his Citizen Representative: (503) 378-4582 • Contact DEQ and DSL

  36. What You Can Do • Continue to demand a full spectrum Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Health Impact Assessment (HIA) • Demand a halt to all proposals

  37. 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

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

  39. Günter Grass “The first job of a citizen is to keep your mouth open.”

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

  41. Special Thanks To • Regna Merritt, Oregon PSR • regna@oregonpsr.org • Laura Stevens, Oregon Sierra Club/Beyond Coal Campaign • Andy Harris and Susan Katz, Oregon PSR • Alan Lockwood, PSR • Thousands of concerned citizens who have volunteered their time and energy

  42. 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-/

  43. Contact Information Public Health and Social Justice Website: http://www.publichealthandsocialjustice.org or http://www.phsj.org Martin Donohoe martindonohoe@phsj.org

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