Consequences of Coal Exports Through the Pacific Northwest

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Consequences of Coal Exports Through the Pacific
Northwest

• Martin Donohoe

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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)

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Health Consequences of Coal Mining

• Respiratory diseases
• Heart disease
• Cancers
• Low birth weight
• Birth defects
• Etc.

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DECKER MINE DECKER, MONTANA
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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
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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

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Accidents

• Almost 40 train derailments over last 2 years
• Vancouver barge hits coal chute
• Mississippi River Barge hit railroad bridge,
  leaking oil

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• Coal Train derailment near Baltimore, OH

Coal train derailment from coal dust buildup near
Baltimore, Ohio. Photo from Reuters.
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Mesa, WA Coal Train Derailment(July 2, 2012)
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Westshore Coal Terminal in BCPhoto from CKNW
News Talk 980.
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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

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Coal Dust
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Health Effects

• Diesel particulate matter
• impaired lung development
• pulmonary inflammation
• increased risk of heart attacks/strokes/cancer/ast
  hma (ER visits and hospitalizations)
• increases cardiopulmonary and all-cause mortality

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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

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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)

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Health and Environmental Effects

• Adverse Effects on
• Native Americans
• Yakima Nation tribal fishing sites
• Organic gardeners
• Quality of life

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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

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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

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Consequences of Burning Coal

• Air pollution
• 75,000 premature deaths/yr in U.S.
• 6 million worldwide

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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

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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

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Jobs

• Jobs program for pulmonologists, special ed
  teachers, and morticians

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Public Opposition

• Have indicated concern or disapproval of coal
  export proposals
• 600 health professionals
• 400 local businesses
• 220 faith leaders

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Public Opposition

• Have indicated concern or disapproval of coal
  export proposals
• 30 municipalities (including Portland, Milwaukie,
  Eugene, Multnomah County, and Metro Regional
  Government)
• Northwest Tribes (Lummi Nation and Yakama Nation)

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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

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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

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Public Opposition

• Over 1,000 people attended Oregon DEQ hearings in
  12/12
• Impressive state capital rally 3/13
• Other events planned

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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.

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What You Can Do

• Join Power Past Coal Coalition
• Volunteer
• Call Governor Kitzhaber or his Citizen
  Representative [phone]
• Contact DEQ and DSL

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What You Can Do

• Demand a full spectrum Environmental Impact
  Statement (EIS) and Health Impact Assessment
  (HIA)
• Demand a halt to all proposals

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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

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Conclusions

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

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Special Thanks To

• Regna Merritt, Oregon PSR
• regna_at_oregonpsr.org
• Laura Stevens, Oregon Sierra Club/Beyond Coal
  Campaign
• Alan Lockwood, PSR
• Thousands of concerned citizens who have
  volunteered their time and energy

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Resources

• Power Past Coal http//www.powerpastcoal.org/
• Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign
  http//content.sierraclub.org/coal/
• Coals Assault on Human Health (Physicians for
  Social Responsibility) http//www.psr.org/resourc
  es/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/envir
  onmental-health-/

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Contact Information

• Public Health and Social Justice Website
• http//www.publichealthandsocialjustice.org
• or
• http//www.phsj.org
• Martin Donohoe
• martindonohoe_at_phsj.org