Port Westward
{{#badges: CoalSwarm |Navbar-Coalexports}}
Port Westward is an industrial park located at the Port of St. Helens, which was created in 1940 in Columbia City, Oregon along the Columbia River. It is considered a deep water port. The port is located approximately 30 miles north of Portland, Oregon.[1] Port Westward is being eyed as a potential coal export terminal.[2]
Contents
Port of St. Helens potential candidate for coal export to Asia
In June 2011, The Oregonian reported that the Port of St. Helens in Columbia City, Oregon was being eyed as a potential Northwest port that would export coal to Asian countries. It was also reported that Columbia Riverkeeper, which opposes coal export, asked a judge to require St. Helens Port to release all of its coal-related documents. In a response, a lawyer for the port stated that doing so would violate a confidentiality agreement and "would result in the greatest harm to the public interest which can be imagined -- a loss of jobs in our community."[1]
Oregon Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber, wrote in a statement to The Oregonian that the terminal "should not happen in the dead of night. We must have an open, vigorous public debate before any projects move forward."[1]
In January 2012 The Oregonian reported that Kinder Morgan Energy Partners would develop a dry bulk export terminal at the Port of St. Helens' Port Westward industrial park, using rail lines and building facilities to store and load coal.
Ambre Energy also announced that their subsidiary Pacific Transloading would ship 3.5 million metric tons of coal a year with potential to ship as much as 8 million metric tons with port approval. Coal would be shipped on covered barges, received at Port Westward and directly loaded onto about 50 ocean-going ships a year. Pacific Transloading would ship 3.5 million metric tons of coal a year with potential to ship as much as 8 million metric tons with port approval the company stated.[3]
In January 2012 it was reported that the proposed coal terminal at Port Westward was forcing Rainier-area officials to examine whether they needed to expand rail lines through the heart of town to accommodate hundreds of rail cars daily.[4]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Port of St. Helens potential candidate for coal export to Asia" Scott Learn, The Oregonian, June 15, 2011.
- ↑ "Port of St. Helens" Port of St. Helens Homepage, accessed June 15, 2011.
- ↑ "Two coal companies want to export coal through the Port of St. Helens" Scott Learn, The Oregonian, January 17, 2012.
- ↑ "Oregon officials ponder potential rail expansion for coal terminal" Erik Olson, TDN.com, January 19, 2012.
Related SourceWatch articles
- Oregon and coal
- China and coal
- Powder River Basin
- Millennium Bulk Logistics Longview Terminal
- Gateway Pacific Terminal
- U.S. coal exports
- Coal exports from northwest United States ports
- Coal exports
- Coal terminals
| This article is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
