Comment EI-19471
Received or sent (printed as 1/7/2013)
Because it is part of a larger project to export coal from the US to Asia through ports on the Pacific coast, the proposed Tongue River Valley railroad would have much more extensive impacts. I believe that a responsible EIS will take these impacts into account. The Union of Concerned Scientists, in their recent publication – Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living - support Pete’s assertion. They present data collected hourly at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii beginning in 1958 that show a continuous, nearly linear increase in atmospheric Carbon Dioxide - the Keeling Curve, Figure 3.2 on p. 34. “As part of the carbon cycle, the world’s oceans have long absorbed roughly one-third of all the carbon dioxide emitted by human activity…” (p. 42). “In fact, current measurements indicate the Earth’s oceans are already about 30% more acidic than they were before the Industrial Revolution. As the world’s oceans absorb more carbon dioxide, they become more acidic, threatening the ocean’s reefs and some of the plankton that form the base of the aquatic food chain” (p. 43). Please study the significant, negative, cumulative impact the burning of coal and all fossil fuels has on ocean acidification in our local, state, national and worldwide oceans and all other water systems. Additionally, please study the impact on our local, state, national and worldwide fisheries caused by mining, transporting, storing, shipping and burning fossil fuels – including sub-bituminous coal from the Powder River Basin, Wyoming. If a spill were to occur at any of the above stages, please study the exacerbation of the impacts listed above. Thank you.
Submitted by: Sally Stapp · Everett, Washington
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/FD-30186/comment/EI-19471 · back to the docket sheet