Letter: Coal terminal will have no impact on climate

Regarding the Associated Press story, “Study: Coal terminal would boost global climate-warming gas” (TCH, April 29).

The coal shipped to Asia through the Longview terminal would produce 93 billion kilowatt hours of electricity over 20 years. This is enough electricity for 15 million people. No doubt this will increase CO2 release to the atmosphere. And what is that increase? In 30 years if the total CO2 is, for example 450 parts per million, burning this coal would cause it to be 450.05 parts per million. This change is so small it can’t even be accurately measured.

I did ask a Department of Ecology representative at the public hearing in Pasco last June if they considered this point. “We don’t look at it in that way”, the DOE person kept repeating; and indeed they don’t in the environmental impact study. Looking at it their way, it appears that the DOE will effectively require the terminal to pay an expensive “mitigating measure” carbon credit tax on all the coal passing through the terminal, even though there will be no discernible impact on the state climate.

This will eventually more than double the price of the electricity generated in a country (China) where 550 million people live on less than $2/day.

This story was originally published May 13, 2017 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Letter: Coal terminal will have no impact on climate."