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.

PASCO, Washington — A railroad spokesman says about 30 cars of a 125-car coal train bound from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin to British Columbia have derailed along a route to the Columbia River Gorge in Mesa, Wash., blocking a main rail line.
…
[Gus Melonas of BNSF Railway Co.] says the majority of the derailed cars ended up on their sides and an undetermined amount of coal spilled. Melonas says no environmental threat was reported.

Wait. “No environmental threat was reported”? Let’s fix that. I want to report an environmental threat right now. Alert: Thirty rail cars filled with coal overturned and spilled their contents! Coal contains mercury, arsenic, and other toxic compounds that pose a serious threat to wildlife and human health. Mix in a couple gusts of wind and there’s your environmental threat right there.

Coal trains (like this one in Waterloo, Indiana in 2010) derail more often than you would think, and the consequences can be grim. (photo: Ray Steup)

When you consider that at least 19 coal trains have derailed since 2010 (expand the “Coal Dust” tab at this link for more info) it becomes pretty clear that this is a bad idea. And that’s before you consider all the other bad news that goes along with Big Coal’s projects: climate change, ocean acidification, impacts to endangered salmon and orcas…the list goes on.

The railroads and coal companies would love to sweep incidents like this under the rug, but it’s a lot harder than lifting up the corner of the landscape and getting out the broom. So next time you hear things like “no environmental threat,” you might want to ask who’s doing the reporting.

Help us stop Big Coal’s march through crucial ecosystems like the Columbia River and Puget Sound. Speak up now to protect Orcas and other wildlife in the Pacific Northwest!