Some Coal Dust with your Plutonium?

cnett · Since 23 Aug 2010 115 Posts PDX Stoked

I’m sure all of you have heard about Big Coal’s attempt to export Montana and Wyoming coal to China out of Longview and Bellingham, WA, and now St. Helens and Coos Bay, OR. The train tracks along the Columbia River Gorge would be used as their express-way.

If these coal terminals are approved, at least 18 more trains per day will be sent down the Columbia Gorge on the BNSF rails. These trains are almost 2 miles long with 175 cars, and can URL lose up to 500lbs of coal dust per car, per trip. Its bad enough we have to deal with plutonium in the water, but that’s a whole lot of coal dust that we'll be eating.

Today, the OnEarth NRDC magazine published this huge cover story on this topic called URL Coal on a Roll, and it seems like Hood River might be the epicenter for the local battle against Big Coal with Columbia River Keepers leading the charge. This is definitely worth the read. The Hood River piece comes in the last half.

I bet the kiting community along with the other water sports could be a key player in all of this. Do I see a "Kiting Against Coal" event next year!?

C Johnson · Since 17 Apr 2009 854 Posts Seattle Opinionated

our country is so screwed....we need to export. BAD!

howbout attacking this problem from the opposite end. for instance: make the coal cars so that they don't lose coal anymore. the coal companies would like this too since there product wouldn't be falling on the ground. everybody wins.

18 more trains per day is annoying for sure. maybe they need to put up some sound barrier walls around the tracks in urban areas too? or even better build a tunnel.

Bill C · Since 15 Sep 2005 203 Posts Portland Stoked

I hope it is approved.

cnett · Since 23 Aug 2010 115 Posts PDX Stoked

beech · Since 21 Aug 2010 485 Posts Longview, WA Obsessed

Blazeheliski · Since 30 Mar 2011 659 Posts Mosier Addicted

So we import energy from countries that seek to do us harm (middle east) which gives them money to cause us problems. And now we are going to export energy to a communist country that already owns us ( borrower is slave to the lender) and is building up their military. They just launched their first aircraft carrier. Eventually - they wont even need to buy it from us - they will just come take it and whatever else they want......................

cnett · Since 23 Aug 2010 115 Posts PDX Stoked

I posted this since it impacts the Columbia River and the Gorge, a place we love to kite. We could get into all the politics of it all, but that was not my intention.

My intention was bring to light that this coal dust and increased train traffic will impact the air quality in the Gorge, the water quality of the Columbia River, and the health of communities who live along the coal transportation route. Where's your backyard?

We should care about our public resources that allow us the freedom to do things we love to do-- like kiteboarding on the river.

Let's keep some scope on this.

C Johnson · Since 17 Apr 2009 854 Posts Seattle Opinionated

shouldn't all that wind in the gorge do a good job of keeping air quality good?

maybe if there was stagnation problems the concern for coal dust drifting/lingering around in the air would be more significant? just a guess...

the reason why we have to export coal and buy oil from terrorists is because we have regulated our selves to the point of not being able to use this high energy potential natural resources in our backyard so we have to sell it to honey badger countries like china that don't give a shit about air quality.

mystery curd · Since 14 Jun 2010 98 Posts Floating

Energy corps wont stop until the last mountain is flat and every ocean is dead, fish are gone, every river black, all the land r adio @ctive and on and on. Regulations on energy companies are the only reason we still have these things intact. If you want a regulation free paradise, move on over to Linfen, China or Norilsk, Russia and see how long you and your children live. Every single day you kite or windsurf the Columbia, you should thank the "environmentalist" and regulations that have come before you. What a lovely position to be in where you get to simultaneously benefit from the regulations and environmentalists work and then denigrate and stand against them. Kudos.
I'm also unaware of this vast swath of "knee jerk" environmentalists "reactions" on any large scale that have steered this country down a path we should regret. Quite the contrary. Witness meltdowns, oil spills, mountain top removal and on and on. We cannot undo those catastrophes! But you can always tear down a rain forest "later". The evidence suggests to the contrary and that is that money gets what it wants. And the "best route to take" with business is almost always debatable depending on your point of view. From a business perspective, a good route is to externalize the costs of doing business as much as possible, that is -to pass along as many costs of doing business to the community at large as they can get away with. And, subsequently internalize the profit, that is -to extract the money for a small group of people. So, the community at large may not benefit at all from "a good route to take".
Also, enjoy kiting the river. We can disagree and still be friends. I know, because we all have that one crazy teabagger uncle who's pissed at all the wrong people and listens to corporate right wing radio, and yet we can still eat Christmas dinner together!
Ha ha.

undertow · Since 15 Feb 2008 371 Posts BeaversBurg Obsessed

Don't you know that its, not cool to care about the environment, it ruins the fragile toughguy image.....

pollywog · Since 07 Aug 2009 291 Posts Obsessed

cnett · Since 23 Aug 2010 115 Posts PDX Stoked

C Johnson · Since 17 Apr 2009 854 Posts Seattle Opinionated

I happen to care about the environment quite a bit.

I just encourage people to look at the bigger picture rather then what is effecting them right now. if you stop something here you start something possibly much worse somewhere else. The net result is likely something more expensive or more destructive or both.

If the problem is diesel fumes then maybe trains need to have better emissions control. if the problem is coal dust blowing out of containers. maybe they need to seal that shit up better? These aren't difficult problems to solve.

don't just knee jerk the problem into an out of sight out of mind place. look at the big picture and figure out a way to solve the problem rather then just preventing it from appearing in your back yard.

increased traffic on those tracks is going to be a fact of life. We should take pride in it as more trains is a good indication of a thriving economy. its too bad they are loud as shit and prevent us from poaching spots like lyle but, well maybe those problems can be address too. sound barriers and foot bridges can do wonders.

BOOM!

C Johnson · Since 17 Apr 2009 854 Posts Seattle Opinionated

I'm pretty sure my river nose will be commonly mistaken for black lung if this goes into effect. lol

hopefully if they lose they don't just decide to truck the coal down I-84. shit has a way of rolling down hill. Be careful what you wish for. If you stop one method the alternative may not be as great as the original.

actually that brings up a good point....ever notice the number of trucks on I-84? there's tons of them. think of how much diesel exhaust those pump out. wouldn't it be nice if that stuff was being transported via train as well?

Maybe they can transport the coal on a barge?

jesus, I'm full of ideas. lets here some from you guys. criticism won't solve anything. lets get a brain storm going on here.