Coal news and updates

Without coal as a possible commodity for export, the planned bulk terminal near the Port of Oakland could be in jeopardy, a project official said Monday.

The terminal project, which represents a small portion of a massive redevelopment of the former Oakland Army Base, has become a flash point in the local debate over health risks and climate change ever since plans to transport coal through the terminal surfaced last year.

Jerry Bridges, CEO of terminal operator Terminal Logistics Solutions, said the company has not yet signed contracts with any company to ship coal through the facility located on West Oakland's Outer Harbor. But the Utah Legislature voted in March to invest $53 million of taxpayer money in the Oakland facility.

On Monday, supporters of the proposal urged city leaders to allow the ore to pass through West Oakland, citing the need for well-paying jobs to benefit area residents. Opponents of the plan say dust from train cars loaded with coal will further burden residents, who already suffer disproportionately from asthma and other respiratory problems caused by truck and auto emissions. Opponents also say that the export of the fossil fuel will exacerbate global warming.

On June 27, the Oakland City Council is expected to vote on a possible ban on coal, a first for the council since plans to transport the commodity first emerged. The council in 2014 approved a resolution banning the transport of coal and certain petroleum products in the city, but that resolution wasn't in place when the council signed a 2013 contract with developer Phil Tagami to redevelop the former base.

Source: Eastbaytimes