Regional railroad operator RailAmerica told Port of Grays Harbor commissioners said that it is shelving current plans to build a coal storage and export facility at the port's Terminal 3 in Hoquiam.

Mr Gary Lewis senior vice president of RailAmerica said that the company now believes there are other uses for the terminal that are more likely to generate jobs, tax revenues and business for the port and for the company.

The Daily World reported that company spokesman Mr Paul Queary said that RailAmerica was shelving the Terminal 3 coal export project because there is a third party interested in shipping something else from the terminal in a project that could progress more quickly than a coal terminal.

RailAmerica had said it was interested in possibly shipping 5 million tons of coal annually.

In recent months, projects have been proposed for a half dozen ports in Oregon and Washington to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to markets in Asia. Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and the Seattle City Council are among those expressing concern about possible environmental effects.

A group called Citizens for a Clean Harbor has opposed any use of the terminal for coal shipments.

Mr Arnie Martin of Hoquiam, one of the group's co-founders, suggested the company may have recognized the possibility of "multi-year delays" in the siting process because of potential lawsuits. Still, he was suspicious that the coal proposal might be revived later. He said that "So we're not stopping yet noting the group plans to remain active in opposing any coal export terminals in the Northwest. There's still plenty to worry about.”

Source - Associated Press

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