Repost from National Public Radio – KQED Forum [Editor: So … 120-car open coal trains might come blowing through Benicia, crossing our rickety 85-year-old Benicia-Martinez Rail Bridge on their way to the East Bay. Now maybe more Benicians will understand a little better how it feels to be an “uprail” community. – RS]
Proposed Oakland Shipping Terminal Stirs Health, Environmental Concerns Over Coal
Utah has pledged $53 million to help build a shipping facility in Oakland in hopes of getting the state’s coal overseas. Mark Hogan/Flickr
On Tuesday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed a bill that allocates $53 million of Utah’s money to help build a cargo terminal in West Oakland. Supporters of the bill argue that the project will bring in much-needed jobs and enable Utah to ship its coal to markets overseas. But environmentalists in the Bay Area oppose the project, arguing that it will contribute to pollution and health problems in a neighborhood already impacted by poor air quality. Forum gets an update on the project and how it may affect Oakland.
Host: Mina Kim
Guests:
Darwin BondGraham, reporter, East Bay Express
Jessica Yarnall Loarie, staff attorney, Sierra Club
