Coal trains like this starting in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana could end up passing through the Northwest en route to up to five export terminals.
credit:
Katie Campbell
The Lane County Board of Commissioners decided not to vote yet on a resolution supporting a proposed coal export terminal in Coos Bay. Still the board took public comment on the resolution from about two dozen people at their meeting this week.
The Port of Coos Bay asked commissioners to wait on a resolution because the terminal proposal is still in preliminary stages. Board Chair Sid Leiken started Wednesday’s meeting saying he did not wish to vote on supporting a project that is not yet a project. A couple of people who testified support the coal terminal because it creates jobs. But most spoke against the project. Cinthia Kokis of Eugene says she knows about coal from living in Appalachian coal country.
“We have rust colored rivers. We have flattened mountains. We have people suffering from black lung in the homes my children played in,” she said. “We have poverty. Peabody Coal did not bring wealth or health to the people of Appalachia and has left them with a terrible heritage. A few profit. But the real wealth of the mountains is lost forever.”
Many who spoke objected to the environmental impacts of having coal trains traveling through Oregon towns and the possibility of derailments.
A spokeswoman for the Port of Coos Bay says it’s likely there will be more information about progress on the proposed terminal in the next month or so.
(This was first reported for KLCC.)
(Hover over markers to hear reports on coal in communities of the Northwest. Then click “website” for more EarthFix coverage. Click here for larger map view. Note: Train routes are approximations. They illustrate potential corridors based on existing lines and publicly available information.)
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