Fun fact: the reason that China needs all that coal is because they open a new coal-burning power plant EVERY WEEK.

Think about that while you're at the store worrying about the carbon footprint of paper or plastic.

Considering the US Reduced carbon emissions last year while China increased theirs, this is a wise move.

Time to build more wind farms and pump water up an incline or split it for fuel cells, China.

@1 your major impact is how far you live from work and how you get there, actually.

@1: Well, Seattle also approved a huge freeway project so, sure, fuck personal responsibility! Your concern for the environment? Laughable! Might as well start shitting in Green Lake while you're at it.

Agree with Fnarf. Canada is exporting shitloads of coal out of Vancouver, don't fool yourself into thinking this has any significance. It's like driving a Prius.

@1, but the important thing is how we feeeeeeeeeeeel!

@4, I'm not saying it's not cool to make your own neighborhood clean and pretty. I don't want the trains either. But I don't have any illusions about the realities of "preventing climate change". Not shitting in Green Lake is nice for Green Lake but it doesn't affect the world either way (especially when the guy down the block is pouring gallons of fertilizer and weed killer into the lake via runoff -- see that algae bloom?).

So that's where all my weed killer's been going.

That said, @4, you are correct, but 520 doesn't really increase the carbon impact if the center 2 lanes become light rail, provided that is green power, it's only the 99 Tunnel From Carbon And Debt Hell that actually jacks up carbon impact - in the OPERATION of that monster Highway To Hell.

China is going to get the coal from somebody. Considering how we need all the leverage we can get with China, why not ship them the coal?

@10, because we don't want to feeeeeeel baaaaaaaaaad about helping them not have to dig so many more of their own mines and then making them give us all that money. Plus we think if we refuse we'll keep it more expensive for them to get coal and that will super discourage them using it. No, really.

It is estimated 9 full trains going to Cherry Point, and 9 empty trains returning. That means 18 coal trains, half full, half empty.

There is still plenty of coal dust on the returing trains, they don't intend to wash them clean for the return trip. This is called "carryback coal"

The coal dust won't likely be all that visible, or "dusty" but each train car (not each train, each train car) sheds between 300-600 lbs of weight between Wyoming and here. So coal dust is being shed.

Possibly of greater health concern is the Diesel Particulate matter that the Trains will be pumping out hauling the coal. That has been linked to heart disease, lung disease, and cancer to begin a long list.

In rural areas there will be more delays of emergency vehicles at train crossings, costing lives.

And the noise of the trains rumbling through nearly every hour on top of the existing traffic will keep people awake at night. This may at first seem trivial, but studies show people think they "get used to it" but actually don't. Here we are pouring money into education but then keeping kids from getting a good nights rest and being able to learn once they get to school.

The tax payers will pay more to improve rail crossings than they will ever get in taxes (By federal law the Railroads cannot be forced to pay for these improvements) and smallere Washington communities will lose more jobs because of the disruption the increased rail traffic will create than will ever be made by those shipping the coal out.

Then the coal will be picked up by single hulled Cape Class Cargo Vessels. The ships with some of the worst safety record on the seas. 400 or more of these will be cruising past the San Juan Islands each year. A maritime disaster waiting to happen.

The project is being built on a Herring Spawing Ground, which threatens major King Salmon Runs, which in turn feed the Orcas. Ever see tourist literature from Washington State that does not feature Orcas?

Never mind Global Warming, this is just bad for the health and economy of our state.

and to add insult to injury .. where do you think some of China’s air pollution ends up? Yep, right back here.

@12, that's the big point on a local level: the environmental impact. This has proven a pretty damn good test for how we're doing on keeping industry from ramrodding stuff through on the one hand, and also how orgs, agencies and electeds are doing at sharing resources vs. turf battling. It's a great story. Some great terrific reporting by Bob Simmons, formerly of KING-TV news, showed up on Crosscut awhile back. He did a great job parsing the political currents. Of course, looked at another way, it's a shame only someone as good as Simmons is able to piece together a picture for us.

One X factor we aren't considering is the rapid growth of alternative and renewable energies in China. They may be on coal right now but that's largely a function of having so many middle class cities growing up and not having the ability to catch up with them.

In time, certainly when their population levels off somewhat, they'll suddenly throw us for a loop with a drop in their need for dirty energy. Building a bubble around sending coal to China when we know it's a temporary thing and that they are about the last developing country that will ever need coal is a big mistake. Don't fall for it.

Cheap coal to China = cheaper power for them = cheaper manufacturing = more offshoring of US jobs.

You fail to mention that these coal transportation projects are being carried out by superlib Obama supporter Warren Buffet.

Good luck digesting that contradiction, Democrats.

Opposing? Does that mean they're stopping the trains or just saying it's now on the official list of things-we-don't-like?

Is there any evidence backing up the effects of coal train dust on public health?

As @5 said - either way, the coal is being burned. It's our choice to build a port for it, but this is not the place where the war on coal is going to be won. Either stop mining it or get China to find another source of energy. The train/port nonsense is not going to make any difference.

Great - Amtrak reliability will get even worse, since freight trains take precedent over passenger trains.