Another week, another report surfaces making the case against the increase in coal volumes exported through our region. The latest: "The True Cost of Coal,"  issued by the National Wildlife Federation and the Association of Northwest Steelheaders. It calls for an extensive review of the impacts that the half-dozen planned facilities would bring to Washington, citing degraded water quality as a main concern, because of increased coal dust, mercury and carbon emissions.

"There are still too many unanswered questions regarding the potential impact of coal dust on the Columbia River watershed and the health of the river's salmon and steelhead runs, many of which are federally-listed under the Endangered Species Act," said Russell Bassett, executive director of the Association of Northwest Steelheaders. "At the very least the Army Corps of Engineers should conduct a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to study the potential impacts fugitive coal dust would have on the Columbia River and the fisheries that supports billions of dollars in Oregon's and Washington's economies."

Couple of highlights from this report:

-It asks state and federal permitting agencies to do a better job of engaging local tribes in that process.

-There have been at least 30 coal train derailments in the U.S. since 2010 alone, raising the specter of massive coal contamination into rivers. A spate of them has occurred in recent weeks.

-There are a series of recommendations for policymakers in the report that would urge further study of the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of the projects including the induced rail traffic, mining activities and climate implications.

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