The Billings Gazette is reporting:
The last partner has dropped out of a proposal to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to Asia through Oregon's Port of Coos Bay, port officials announced Monday.
Metropolitan Stevedore Company of Wilmington, Calif., known as Metro Ports, did not renew the exclusive negotiating agreement that expired Sunday, the port said. Two other partners dropped out earlier.
Port CEO David Koch said the port was continuing to develop new shipping facilities, but did not say if that would include coal.
Environmentalists have mounted a campaign to stop the proposed shipments, arguing that burning coal in Asia contributes to global warming and that huge trains filled with coal would be bad for the health of communities along the route. They have argued that demand for coal in Asia is dropping as concerns rise over its contributions to climate change.Can you imagine all the economic benefit this project would have brought to the region?
A 2012 feasibility study for the Coos Bay project estimated that construction of a bulk marine terminal would cost $250 million, and upgrades to the Coos Bay Rail Link between Coos Bay and Eugene would cost $182 million. It estimated that coal exports through Coos Bay could go from 3 million tons annually in the first year to 10 million metric tons in the fifth year.
Mitsui & Co., the U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese trading company, and Korean Electric Power Corp., the potential buyer of the coal, dropped out earlier.
Bruce, take another look at the Billings Gazette. New story. Sierra Club, et al, suing railroads on basis coal and coal dust coming off of their trains is violating the Clean Water Act.
ReplyDeleteAs you've often said, "you can't make this up". Though let me try... To remedy this faux enviro disaster Sierra Club agrees to have each train car shrink wrapped in plastic. Not until later do they realize it required tens of thousands of barrels of oil to produce that plastic wrap. Further, upon reaching the ports the used wrap is burned releasing microscopic coal residue into the atmosphere. Subsequently the Sierra Club sues itself, the railroads, and anyone else standing nearby on their next round of frivolous lawsuits... and the beat goes on.
Thank you.
Delete1. I saw that article. I debated posting it. When I get busy, I prioritize; that article, if it gets posted, will be posted later, when I have more time.
2. You have hit the nail on the head; that's why I call activist environmentalists "faux environmentalists." Instead of working with industry to solve problems, they use the courtroom to slow things down.
3. It will be a nuisance suite. They will have to provide air samples (which will be impossible to come by) and water samples (almost as hard) and even if there is coal in the water (which there won't be) they would have to prove it came from BNSF trains.
4. I think they need to find a judge who sees this as a frivolous lawsuit and tells the plaintiffs that he will try the case without a jury, and if he rules for BNSF, the plaintiffs will pay all court costs and legals fees for both sides.
Thank you for taking time to comment. I may or may not post the story.
I'm traveling and I catch wi-fi as catch-can. You would be surprised to hear how far I walked today. Smile.