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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 2012)
The doctors also have concerns about delayed response times if ambulances are held up by long coal trains at railroad crossings and warn of increased accidents, traumatic injury and death. Arkin says Union Pacifi c recently met with a group that included Beyond Toxics, political offi cials, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency and others to discuss a no-idling policy (UP will turn off a locomotive if it can) to reduce diesel emissions. But UP told the group it can’t enforce the policy on other companies using the tracks. Stevens says the impacts are economic as well. She says coal trains drive away developers along the rail lines and depreciate property values. Coal trains affect the quality of life with noisy, dirty trains chugging through town. And she argues the coal trains congest valuable resources and infrastructure that “we should be using in a way that benefi ts our economy.” Coal is also a safety issue, Stevens says. The coal dust seeps into the ballast (the rocks under the tracks) and makes it more likely a train could derail. Callery says coal dust or, as he calls it, “fugitive emissions,” was a problem 20 years ago, but now “you simply don’t see it.” Companies spray the top of the car with a polymer substance that locks in the dust, he says. Zimmer-Stucky asks, “What happens to that chemical latex when you off-load the coal? Well, it gets burned, too.” She says, “That’s not a solution.” The aquatic organisms around coal- fi red power plants and coal mines aren’t the only wet creatures affected by the coal complex. Dan Serres of Columbia Riverkeeper, which has been fi ghting the coal export terminals along the Columbia River, says the Department of State Lands in December granted the Port of Coos Bay “one of the biggest dredging permits ever issued in the state, and we don’t know what the hell it’s for.” The dredging, he says, could be for the unknown coal company’s terminal, or for the equally controversial and environmentally problematic liquefi ed natural gas terminal slated for the port. “LNG and coal, neither one of these things are good for Oregon,” Serres says. Callery says the Port of Coos Bay needs to be deepened as the industry changes and vessels get larger. He says the port will benefi t the community if it can remain competitive and develop a diversity of cargo base and not depend entirely on wood products. Neither the dredging nor the building of a new terminal will proceed without environmental impact statements and public input, according to Callery. “There are certain benchmark points in the process, where the public and everyone else has an opportunity to comment on the project,” Callery says. “There are specifi c standards that must be met to get permitted.” The dredging “is pretty gnarly in terms of the impact on the bay in Coos County,” Serres says. “I don’t think they’ve really done their homework on the impact,” he says, pointing out that dredging could harm salmon, other fi sh and oysters, which would further harm the area’s fi shing industry. Gain full bicycle access to great dining and retail! Bike Willamette Campaign Would you rather have direct bicycle access “to” businesses on south Willamette St. instead of simply a “detour” ÊÀÕÌiÊ>ÀÕ`ÊÌ iÊ>Ài>¶ÊÊÊÌ iÊ iÊ7>iÌÌiÊ >«>}°Ê Ì>VÌÊÕÃÊ>`ÊÜi½ÊÃi`Ê>ÊÌ iÊ`iÌ>Ã\ÊvJLiÜ>iÌÌi°V Full rain gear, lights and fenders! ÓÇäxÊ7>iÌÌiÊ-ÌÊUÊx{£°{n{°x{£ä 7/ Ê££qÇ]Ê->ÌÊ£äqÈ]Ê-ÕÊ£Óqx UÊ ÌÞÊEÊ ÕÌÞÊ iÊ>«ÃÊUÊv>ViL\Ê>ÀÀÛ}LÞLiÊU Stopping coal in its tracks “From my perspective, it’s all about ‘Are we doing this blindly?’” says Serres. “A year from now, will we wake up to coal trains rumbling down I-5 to Coos Bay, and people waking up going, ‘What just happened?’” Pettygrove says the coalition she is working with is bringing together people from Coos Bay and Eugene, from forest activists and Occupy Eugene and everyday people who will be affected by the trains. Part of that group is the University of Oregon’s Climate Justice League, which has made coal a focus for the year. League co-founder Zachary Stark-MacMillan says the group has worked on a draft resolution to bring before the Eugene City Council against the coal trains. The group is bringing the resolution fi rst to the Eugene Sustainability Commission for endorsement. The draft resolution points out Eugene’s historic pro- environment focus and the potentially devastating effects of the coal trains on the environment and the local community. The proposed Eugene resolution is part of an effort to garner similar resolutions from cities and counties along the proposed coal route. The goal, Stark-MacMillan, says is to “send a message to the coal companies that we will do what we can to stop them.” Pettygrove calls the fi ght against Big Coal “a very unifying issue” because of the diversity of people it affects. “It’s a chance for environmental groups with a broad range of focus to work together and make a strong statement that we don’t support coal or exporting coal to somewhere else as a solution.” She says, “People in smaller communities have the power to resist this coming through,” Pettygrove says she believes the coalition can win the battle against Big Coal: “I think that in the big picture the Port of Coos Bay is wasting their time doing this.” ew This Now tta See! o You G it’s stylish & smart! Earth Friendly 1 Place, 3 Days Only explore SHOP 250 sustainable NW Authors & Signings presented by Saturday exhibits homes gardens food 2 go arts recycle living J ANUARY 20-22 FRI 5pm-9pm SAT 10am–8pm SUN 10am–5pm Fairgrounds Eugene COUPON 1211 ALDER 686-9598 COUPONS GOOD UNTIL FEBRUARY 2 ND , 2012 11AM-MIDNIGHT SUN-THU 11AM-1AM FRI-SAT 11 AM -10PM DAILY SERVING DELICIOUS NEW YORK PIZZA BY THE SLICE AND BY THE WHOLE PIZZA PIE 2.00 OFF ANY 18” LARGE $ ® COUPON WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM FREE LARGE SODA W/ PURCHASE OF 2 SLICES FREE Admission 5180338J15 55 SILVER LN. 654-0603 COUPON COUPON NOW 2 LOCATIONS! SY'S NEW YORK PIZZA canned food donations FOOD for Lane County HOME, GARDEN & LIVING ® Seminars & Event Details: EugeneHomeShow.com EUGENE WEEKLY JANUARY 19, 2012 11
