Re: Port Of Tacoma Torpedoes Coal Export Terminal Plan -- Grassroots People Forum

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Date Posted: 15:56:55 04/22/12 Sun
Author: Jefferson Smith (Some coal train info)
Author Host/IP: c-24-22-39-125.hsd1.or.comcast.net / 24.22.39.125
Subject: Re: Port Of Tacoma Torpedoes Coal Export Terminal Plan
In reply to: Peter Gartrell 's message, "Port Of Tacoma Torpedoes Coal Export Terminal Plan" on 08:01:43 11/21/10 Sun

>Tacoma port torpedoes coal terminal plan
>
>Platts Trader 11/22/10
>
>The Port of Tacoma said late Friday
>
>it has nixed plans for a large coalexporting
>
>facility near Seattle after considering
>
>“a multitude of business and
>
>community factors.”
>
>People familiar with the facility say
>
>BNSF Railway and Union Pacific were
>
>considering a terminal with capacity
>
>to handle up to 20 million short tons a
>
>year, but port commissioners concerned
>
>with the potential outcry from environmental
>
>activists backed off the plan.
>
>Senior officials from both companies
>
>have been studying the prospect of a
>
>large terminal with a price tag between
>
>$150 million and $300 million at Port
>
>of Tacoma, Washington, for at least two
>
>years, according to two sources familiar
>
>with the plan. The companies want to
>
>cash in on Powder River Basin producers experiencing
>growing
>
>Asian demand for thermal coal, according to people
>
>familiar with the companies’ thinking.
>
>“We were recently approached by a large coal export
>
>company interested in developing a coal export
>facility at
>
>the Port of Tacoma,” Don Esterbrook, chief commercial
>officer
>
>for the port, said in a statement e-mailed to Platts.
>“As
>
>with all new business opportunities, we conducted a
>very
>
>thorough evaluation, taking into consideration a
>multitude
>
>of business and community factors. Based on our
>assessment,
>
>we have decided that we will not pursue a coal export
>
>facility at the Port of Tacoma.”
>
>The discussions at Tacoma had advanced to the point
>
>where terminal operator Kinder Morgan had drawn up
>
>rough plans for a facility handling between 15 million
>
>and 20 million st on about 100 acres, according to the
>
>two sources, both of whom requested they not be named
>
>because they are not authorized to speak to the press.
>
>Environmental studies had yet to begin, but there was
>
>room at the port for a new facility on an old sawmill
>site
>
>currently being used to stage logs. There is also
>adequate
>
>rail capacity for two coal trains a day and an
>available
>
>ship berth.
>
>Peabody Energy, the largest US producer by volume and
>
>owner of three PRB mines, also was said to be involved
>in
>
>the talks.
>
>But progress toward building the terminal, which had
>
>picked up steam in recent months, came to a halt
>earlier
>
>during an executive session on November 4 held by Port
>
>of Tacoma commissioners, according to the source
>familiar
>
>with the decision. The commission is looking to
>increase
>
>port business, the source said, but believes any sort
>of coal
>
>project would be subject to strong opposition from
>environmental
>
>activists and lengthy permitting delays.
>
>“A groundswell of political support — both locally,
>statewide
>
>and probably nationally — could bring it back to the
>
>table,” a person familiar with the commission’s
>thinking said.
>
>A spokeswoman for Governor Chris Gregoire, a Democrat,
>
>said the office was not aware of the Tacoma project.
>
>The drive for additional US export capacity along
>
>the West Coast has picked up this year as Wyoming and
>
>Montana coal producers see increased interest from
>Chinese
>
>and Korean buyers to ship thermal coal across the
>Pacific.
>
>On Tuesday, the Cowlitz County Commission in
>
>southwestern Washington will vote on a shoreline permit
>
>for Millennium Bulk Logistics, which is looking to
>
>build a 5 million-st private terminal on the Columbia
>
>River. A hearing this month before the commission drew
>
>nearly 100 people, many of whom oppose the construction
>
>of a coal terminal.
>
>The growing Asian demand for US thermal coal, combined
>
>with increasing shipments of metallurgical coal
>
>from Canadian mines, has squeezed capacity at Westshore
>
>Terminals outside Vancouver, British Columbia, the
>largest
>
>coal export point in North America. The terminal
>currently
>
>expects to ship 26.2 million st this year, 18% above
>
>its 2009 total, and the highest tonnage since setting a
>
>record in 1997.
>
>Representatives of Peabody had not returned calls
>seeking
>
>comment by press time. A Union Pacific spokesman
>
>declined to comment, citing competitive issues. Kinder
>
>Morgan also declined comment.
>
>A BNSF spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the planned
>
>port. “It is BNSF’s policy to not discuss our
>customers’ business
>
>or potential business opportunities,” Suann Lundsberg
>wrote
>
>in an e-mail. “As always, BNSF works with our
>customers on a
>
>regular basis to evaluate new opportunities.”
>
>Port managers up and down the West Coast have
>
>said they get frequent inquiries about the possibility
>of
>
>expanding coal business. The Port of Longview, also in
>
>Cowlitz County, recently purchased 300 acres and is
>
>examining the possibility of using it for a variety of
>uses,
>
>including coal.
>
>“In the last six months to a year, we kind of laugh
>about it
>
>— ‘who’s calling this week about coal?’ [There is] a
>lot of interest
>
>there from suppliers, brokers, all types of folks, so
>clearly
>
>there’s some opportunity there,” Ken O’Hallaren, the
>port’s
>
>executive director, said. “The inquiries are frequent
>and been
>
>going on for some time now. A lot of people are
>looking to get
>
>involved in the coal export business off the West
>Coast.”
>
>But at the same time, he sees the same potential for
>
>delays and opposition that have thrown the Port of
>Tacoma
>
>off plans for a large coal terminal.
>
>“The fact that there would be some permitting hurdles
>
>wouldn’t necessarily cause us to shy away from a
>development
>
>if we though it made sense for the port and the
>community,”
>
>O’Hallaren said. “But if it looked like it was going
>
>to turn into a multi-year process, then it would
>certainly
>
>give us some pause here as whether you can go forward.”
>
>— Peter T. Gartrell

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