Cowlitz County Coal Export Terminal

Copyright: 2018
Published By: Health Impact Project

Millennium Bulk Terminals is proposing to construct and operate a coal export terminal on a 190-acre site along the Columbia River in Cowlitz County, Washington. The terminal would receive rail shipments of coal from the Powder River and the Uinta basins, which would then be transported by ship on the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean to overseas markets. Beginning in 2028, an expected 44 million metric tons of coal would transit the site each year, with anticipated stockpiles housed across 75 acres.

An interdisciplinary team considered the health and safety implications related to the potential transportation, storage, and handling of coal as described in the proposal. The HIA focused on neighborhoods near the proposed terminal, as well as communities and community facilities along the BNSF rail line in Cowlitz County.

Analysis was performed on 15 questions developed by the public Steering Committee. These questions reflect a wide range of topical concerns, and are categorized into the following thematic areas:

Air quality
Economic health and prosperity
Taxes and municipal budgets
Contingency planning for closures
Climate change and community health concerns
Traffic delays, and noise and vibration impacts
Recreation and fisheries
Drinking water quality
Local food and crops
Baseline health and health equity

This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health. The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health was originally developed by the Health Impact Project, formerly a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The creation of this resource was supported by a grant from the Health Impact Project. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pew Charitable Trusts, or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.