Increased rail traffic risks outweigh benefits
Our community of Sandpoint was founded on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille thanks, in part, to the railroads. The railroads hauled white pine back east, brought many of our early settlers here, and kept them supplied and connected with the rest of America .
Railroads are part of our heritage that we honor. Now as the railroads gear up to haul unprecedented amounts of coal and oil to the West Coast, we have concerns that not all the human and environmental impacts are being considered.
That’s why the Sandpoint City Council passed resolutions calling for a review of the local impacts from proposed coal export terminals in Washington and Oregon and calling federal attention to safety issues related to the transport of highly volatile Bakken crude oil through our community from North Dakota.
Our concerns were underscored by a recent report from the Western Organization of Resource Councils, a Montana-based organization. The report found if the three proposed coal export terminals are constructed, coal train traffic could increase by 45 to 60 trains per day on the rail line between Sandpoint and Spokane within 10 years of the terminals being built.
In addition, proposals to build oil terminals in western Washington and Oregon could result in 11 full and 11 empty oil trains passing through our town every day.
Altogether, these coal and oil train proposals could more than double our current rail traffic. No matter what these trains carry, they will have a significant impact at our train crossings — hours of delays each day and slowed responses for our emergency vehicles.
These trains also carry risky commodities. Oil trains are prone to fire and explosions when they derail, not to mention the potential contamination of our precious lakes, rivers and the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. BNSF is purchasing 5,000 new, next-generation oil tank cars which will, in effect, set an example for others to purchase enhanced rail cars as well. We hope all companies and shippers will follow this lead by BNSF. Meanwhile, coal trains leave a trail of coal dust in their wake, which is not healthy for our lungs, our fish or our drinking water.
I commend the Washington State Department of Ecology for taking a broad look at the impacts of the coal export terminals, including those communities all along the rail line. Unfortunately, the federal agency in charge of reviewing the proposals, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has decided only to look at the ports themselves - not the communities along the way.
North Idaho in general, and Sandpoint in particular, bear substantial risks from expanded coal and oil export, and no benefits.
Although each train takes 240 to 500 trucks off the highway, we will shoulder the costs of emergency preparedness, crossing improvements, the health impacts and economic loss created by increased coal and oil transport. This massive increase of coal and oil traffic will be felt from the mines to the ports and everywhere in between. Therefore, the responsible agencies should look at the big picture and not ignore Idaho.
• Carrie Logan is the mayor of Sandpoint