With the Northwest poised to become the country’s leading coal-export region, fights are emerging on several fronts, our online news partner The Seattle Times reported Sunday.
On the table are proposals to capitalize on Asia’s thirst for cheap energy by building a half-dozen terminals in Washington and Oregon that would export coal from the Rockies, The Times said.
Physicians fret about an explosion of locomotive exhaust, while mayors grumble about the potential for long traffic-snarling trains, The Times added. Washington state fears 1,200 new barge trips on the Columbia River could spark more accidents and marine-vessel groundings. Tribes worry that spilled coal could poison aquatic food webs.
Local environmental groups have been meeting in Edmonds for several months in an effort to organize opposition to the coal-filled trains that would run along the Edmonds waterfront, citing the health and environmental impacts of coal dust.
You can read the entire Times story here.
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