Posted on 06/15/2011 1:02:35 PM PDT by CedarDave
Legal documents indicate the Port of St. Helens is talking with a coal export terminal developer, the first sign that Oregon could be in the mix to export coal to meet ever-growing Asian demand.
Evidence of Port of St. Helens interest in coal stems from a complaint filed by Columbia Riverkeeper, which opposes coal export, asking a judge to require the port to release coal-related documents. ...
The activity has caught the attention of Gov. John Kitzhaber, a Democrat with strong backing from environmental groups. In a statement to The Oregonian Tuesday, Kitzhaber stopped short of taking a position on coal terminals, with his staff noting that no port or developer has contacted the governor's office about one.
Columbia Riverkeeper helped stall development of an Ambre Energy and Arch Coal export terminal at a private port site in Longview earlier this year. A subsidiary, Millennium Bulk Terminals, temporarily withdrew its permit application after ... an appeal by environmental groups ...
Environmental groups also plan to oppose a terminal proposed near Bellingham, Wash., by a joint venture that includes Peabody Energy, the largest coal producer in the Powder River Basin, a swath of productive coal lands in Montana and Wyoming. That terminal would export at least 24 million tons of coal a year.
Community activists in Longview and Bellingham -- including Bellingham's mayor -- say they worry about coal dust and increased train traffic. Environmental groups also ... argue that the emissions shouldn't simply be shifted to China, India and other Asian countries.
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
I thought Alaska exported coal.
Don’t know about Alaska; the portion of the article I cut says only Canada exports from the west coast.
Alaska could see record in coal exports as production grows
http://peninsulaclarion.com/news/2011-06-15/alaska-could-see-record-coal-exports-production-grows
Export markets for Alaska coal have shown strong and sustained growth in recent years as oil prices have climbed and the environmental qualities of Alaska coal, which is very low in sulfur, becomes better known to power plant operators in Pacific Rim nations.
...because, as we all well know, coal burned in China does not contribute to Global Warming™
Looks like there are three ports planing to build West Coast Lower 48 Coal export capability.
http://af.reuters.com/article/idAFN0314717320110603
Am I the only one who has a problem with the idea of EXPORTING coal? WE should be using it here (and yes, I am fully aware of the Enviro-Nuts and the legislation/Regulation of it they have brought/bought).
I’m all for exporting - but not our energy resources. Let the Asians buy GM crap. WE could build them cheaper if energy costs were not so high.
Learn something all the time on FR! Thanks!
We have been exporting coal for a long time.
http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec6_3.pdf
The US has the largest proven recoverable coal deposits in the world with over 27% of the world total.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_by_country
Coal is one commodity that can help with our trade balance and we won’t run out of it.
There are some estimates that Alaska may contain as much as 3.7 trillion tons of coal.
Most of it is North of the Arctic Circle and not worth even measuring at today’s prices and technology.
http://akcenter.org/climate-energy/coal-development-in-alaska/alaskas-coal-profile
Even a possible 5.5 trillion tons estimated in Alaska by the USGS.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-077/
Why not take advantage of the current high price of coal? The US has one of the largest coal reserves in the world (I've read estimates as high as a trillion tons). And the US currently exports about 100 million tons/yr, which is about a 1/3 of what Australia exports. And because the US economy is so much bigger than Australia, exporting some commodities won't adversely affect the currency the way it has in Australia (which has put significant pressure their manufacturers).
So, why not give the local communities the jobs? Asia gets their coal and the local communities get jobs. And terminals will be expanded.
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