In last week’s accident a Norfolk Southern coal train jumped off the track and then back on again, but not before enough coal spilled to cause three railroad crossings to be shut down, at least one road closure, and damage to the rails that required it to be shut down for several days. Both trains were carrying heavy loads from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin coalfields.

Coal trains have been involved in at least 5 wrecks this summer, causing damage and heartbreak around the country. (Photo: Ray Steup)

But even though the magnitude of damage from each one differs, they all lead to problems for the communities in which they happen.We also know that more derailments will occur if plans proceed to export more coal to Asia through the Pacific Northwest.

Is Coal a Coal Train’s Worst Enemy?

Coal, as it turns out, is pretty bad for trains, not just people and wildlife: Not only is the dispersal of toxic coal dust one of the biggest dangers of a derailment, coal dust can help cause accidents as well.

According to a statement on the website of BNSF (a major rail company), “Coal dust poses a serious threat to the stability of the track structure and…to the operational integrity of our lines in the Powder River Basin.”

After a multiyear investigation, BNSF found that coal dust buildup can prevent water from draining out of the tracks, leading to flooding, warping and sometimes derailment.

Click image above for a map of recent coal train derailments. (Peter LaFontaine/NWF)

According to railroad officials involved in the Illinois tragedy, “extreme heat created kinks in the rails and caused the derailment.”

The federal government just issued a safety advisory warning about the same thing, specifically referencing four coal train derailments this summer (and I learned a new term: “sun kinks” happen when a track expands and buckles in high heat).  And because burning coal is a major contributor to climate change, some of the blame for warped rails goes here, too. Ironic, don’t you think? This reminds me of the expression, “if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”

The coal companies don’t want to admit it, but it comes down to basic math: Extracting and transporting more coal means more train derailments, more coal dust on the tracks and in our communities, more hazardous coal waste at mining sites, more polluted rivers from blasting and runoff, more altered landscapes and more unhealthy people.

We need to find a better way to keep our lights on.

Please stay tuned for an upcoming NWF report that will delve into the issues around plans to export Powder River Basin coal to Asia. This will include dangers stemming from the massive increase in the number of trains that will be needed to bring the coal from the mines to port.

Train tracks already run along the Columbia. Tracks like these would carry the coal laden trains along the river. Photo: Bryn Fluharty

Having lived in both Washington and Oregon I have many fond memories of the Columbia River. As a child I spent many a vacation paddling along its banks with my brother and scrambling along high cliffs which the river has carved out over a millennia. Recently, I have marveled at its beauty while crossing into Oregon and hiking and climbing through the scrub-land at its banks. I now fear that a new threat from the coal industry will compromise this area and spoil it for future generations.

A Growing Threat

This new threat comes from Arch Coal and Peabody Energy, who want to ship millions of tons of dirty coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and bring it to terminals in Washington and Oregon. Open bed trains full of coal and up to a mile-and-a-half long would wind their way along the Columbia each day on their way to ports along the Oregon and Washington Coast. These trains would leave trails of coal dust in their wake. This dust would settle over our lands and into our lungs causing health problems for local communities and the environment.

Port of Morrow

A serine evening on the Columbia in the Tri Cities, just upstream from the Port of Morrow. Photo: Bryn Fluharty

The coal dust and diesel pollution from the trains are the main concerns. Coal dust from the trains settles on the water, soil and vegetation, harming species like endangered salmon. The salmon runs that are dependent upon the Columbia River are already endangered by habitat loss and would be further stressed from this pollution. Coal dust can have significant impacts on human health as well: lung damage, aggravation of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma, pneumoconiosis, bronchitis and emphysema are all possible results of breathing coal dust.

The Port of Morrow is only the first of the at least six proposed projects, all of which would have similar impacts to our region. If implemented these projects would scar this area, compromising the water and the air of an area that is part of our regional heritage.

Moving Forward

We must take a stand against coal and tell our decision makers that they must stop these projects and promote a healthy environment and healthy communities. If you live in Oregon please contact Governor Kitzhaber and tell him that you do not want dirty coal brought through your communities or you can Take Action through the National Wildlife Federation. You can also learn more about these projects and their possible impacts by attending the rally in Portland – May 7th, 12pm in Pioneer Square, featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr.