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Near nature, near coal?

My husband and I were heading to work in downtown Spokane on a beautiful recent spring morning when we saw a mile-long diesel train pulling 15,000-20,000 tons of lopsided coal over the city. With the prospect of Spokane becoming “ground zero” for coal export if proposed terminals along our coast and Columbia River aren’t fended off, it made me wonder how The Spokesman-Review’s editorial board could side with the fossil fuel industry with their recent opinion (“Lawsuit not needed over coal dust,” April 5).

The coal being found in and around Northwest waterways right now demonstrates how critical it is that a full, cumulative impacts analysis be conducted for all the new coal export proposals in the Northwest, especially since Spokane would see disproportionate impacts: toxic coal dust, dirty air, crossing delays for commuters and emergency responders, derailments, taxpayer burdens, and more.

Big Coal should stop breaking the law or stay out of Spokane, where quality of life is one of our top selling points.

Brooke Nicholson

Spokane

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