Environmental Groups Fighting Coal Exports to China Through Pacific Northwest Ports

Environmental groups are fighting proposals to ship coal to China from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin out of ports located in Washington and Oregon. The groups against the coal exports are concerned with contributing to burning coal in China for energy because of its dirty nature and are also concerned with the risk of accidental coal spills and coal dust in the US ports. In my home state of Washington, people are very concerned about coal spills in the Puget Sound that could occur due to a proposed export location in Bellingham, near Canada. The Puget Sound supports fragile and unique ecosystems, making it a very contentious topic. On the other hand, these projects would create much-needed jobs in the Pacific Northwest.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/us-coal-use-is-falling-but-what-if-the-coal-gets-shipped-abroad/2012/01/30/gIQAV9DoeQ_blog.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204573704577185232624361026.html

(Marielle Price)