What non-renewable resource do Americans own in abundance? Hint: It can be liquefied for fuel, and gasified for a variety of uses. The technology is not new, but is improving and can continue to do so. Have you guessed that the resource that could be used to fuel vehicles, make plastics, etc., is coal?
I am neither pro- nor anti-coal. I am against selling, for approximately $1/ton a valuable resource. That is not a typo. The government conducts coal auctions from public lands, where about one-third of U.S. coal exists, at the behest of mining companies. The current coal companies’ plans are to buy our coal for around $1/ton, transport it through the Columbia River Gorge leaving coal, dust, diesel exhaust, and polluted water in their wake, send the coal to China, make a huge profit and leave us breathing polluted air while we sit at railroad crossings waiting for mile-long trains to pass.
Undeveloped countries sell their natural resources. Our coal should be left in the ground until such time as it is needed to replace increasingly expensive oil. The coal we have should be a bank account for the future, not sold for $1/ton for private profit.
Dianne Kocer
BRUSH PRAIRIE
