While potential impacts to water, both its quality and as wildlife habitat, are the most obvious impacts of coal exporting terminal construction and operation, other impacts are possible. These potential impacts include those on air quality that are associated with transportation of coal by railway from the Powder River basin to the West Coast, as well as with combustion of coal in importing countries. Furthermore, climate change-linked events such as increased sea level, potentially associated with coal combustion, are environmental impacts of coal exporting terminals that some have suggested should be considered. Finally, impacts on railway, barge and vehicular traffic while not environmental in nature, are likely to be associated with coal exporting terminals.

Water

Potential impacts on water quality are among those associated with coal exporting terminal construction and operation. In addition, altered water quality due to increased barge traffic, as would occur with the Port of Morrow/Port of St. Helen’s project, is also possible. Changes in water quality could, in turn, affect aquatic habitat. Estimates of 12 and 16 endangered species being impacted by the Gateway Pacific Terminal and Port of Morrow/Port of St. Helen’s projects, respectively, have been made.

Mitigation of such impacts is possible. The Clean Water Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, both enforced via regulations promulgated and permits issued by the Army Corps of Engineers, are intended to preserve water quality and biological diversity. The Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis is also likely to assume a role in mitigation of impacts of coal exporting terminals on water, given that it regulates water carrier traffic.

Coal will be transported from the Powder River basin of Montana and Wyoming to proposed West Coast coal exporting terminals by railway. Possible impacts on air quality include coal dust evolving from uncovered coal trains, as well as emissions resulting from diesel fuel combustion by coal train locomotives. Locomotive emissions include criteria air pollutants and air toxics such as benzene and could be significant. Total nitrogen oxides, for example, would be nearly 100,000 tons on an annual basis if proposed coal exporting capacities of West Coast terminals were fully used.

In addition to emissions in the U.S., it has been suggested that emissions from the combustion of coal in importing countries should also be considered. This proposition chiefly concerns carbon dioxide, emission of which may be associated with climate change-related effects such as increased sea level. Such an effect would impact West Coast communities. This notion has led, in turn, to the suggestion that a cumulative impacts scope for an environmental impact statement be utilized by the Army Corps of Engineers.

While not environmental in nature, other potential impacts of coal exporting terminals are on railway, barge and vehicular traffic. Impacts on railway traffic are of perhaps greatest concern. Western railway transportation of import/export intermodal container cargo and export grain cargo is currently significant and could be affected by increased transportation of coal by railway. Key potential bottlenecks include Billings, Montana and Spokane, Washington, as identified in a recent report by the Western Organization of Resource Councils. Click here for report. Increased railway traffic would, in turn, impact vehicular traffic and could have serious consequences for emergency vehicles. Water traffic would also increase as a result of the Port of Morrow/Port of St. Helen’s project; indeed, a nearly-50% increase in barge traffic is projected at the Bonneville Dam. This increased barge traffic could impact barging of other commodities such as grain, as well as recreational activities on the water.