"Land-locked Western states have been clamoring for a way to ship their coal overseas. They’ve been running into roadblocks over the pollution and climate impact."
"The export war between Western coal-producing states that want their coal to reach new markets and Pacific Coast states that don't want the pollution or climate consequences of shipping it played out in a federal appeals court on Tuesday.
This time, the fight was over land near the Port of Oakland, California.
Lawyers for Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal LLC, which wants to build a coal terminal near the port, accused the City of Oakland of breaching a development contract by banning coal shipments after the agreement was signed. The city's attorneys contend that handling coal at the city-owned land was not part of the original plan and would expose Oakland's residents, particularly disadvantaged communities, to health-harming pollution."
Judy Fahys reports for InsideClimate News November 13, 2019.