Alaska Coal
Find out more about coal issues in Alaska.
Under the Tundra, Forests and Waterways of Alaska
Picture the things that make Alaska great and you'll probably think of the abundant wildlife, healthy ecosystems, and wild places of our state. Its unlikely that you'll think of dirty coal - but under the tundra, forests, and waterways of Alaska is roughly half of the United States' total coal reserves, which translates to nearly 1/8 of the coal on Earth. To see a profile of Alaska's coal reserves, click here.
Alaska has a history of periodic coal mining activity in various parts of the state, but the only significant mining over the past 40 years has been conducted by the single operating company in Alaska, Usibelli Coal Mine, a local company operating near Denali National Park in the town of Healy. Half of Usibelli's production is consumed by Interior Alaska coal fired power plants. The other half is exported to Chile and Korea via 360 miles of transport on the Alaska Railroad to a ship loading facility in Seward, Alaska. Interest in exports has been on the rise, and 1.1 to 1.5 million tons of coal are expected to ship out of Seward's pollution plagued facility this year. Even with current volatility in the energy market, local utilities, growing foreign markets, and outside investors are increasing the pressure to develop Alaska's vast coal reserves.
ACE is working to protect the Alaska you love by keeping coal in the ground. See below for current information on the projects we are working on and how you can get involved.
CHUITNA COAL PROJECTS - Will Alaska trade its sustainable salmon fisheries for a short term supply of coal to send to China? This project would set a dangerous precedent of mining directly through a vibrant salmon stream. ACE believes There Oughta Be a Law against mining through a salmon stream.
MATANUSKA VALLEY COAL PROJECTS - Find out more about these projects in the Matanuska Valley.
SEWARD COAL LOADING FACILITY (SCLF) - Seward is home to Alaska's only coal terminal. The SCLF has been plagued with both air and water pollution concerns. Learn more about this issue.
COAL DUST - Dust from coal and other industry pollution affects our health and our communities. Find out what Alaska is doing to address this issue.
The Lasting Impacts of Coal
Coal combustion threatens our global environment and the diversity of life as we know it. Coal-fired power plants are the source of 20% of global greenhouse emissions, and among fossil fuels coal is the worst! Coal produces much more CO2, particulates, acid rain pollutants, and heavy metal emissions than either gas or oil. Coal surface strip mining completely destroys extensive areas of habitat through heavy blasting and removal of earth to access coal seams buried hundreds of feet beneath the ground. The long-term, permanent impacts of coal are substantial. For all these reasons ACE recognizes that coal development is one of the greatest current threats to the Alaska that we love, and we invite you to join us in protecting our environment from coal.
Further Reading
Visit the tremendous resources provided by Ground Truth Trekking:
Coal Terminology: Resources and Reserves
Quantifying Coal: How Much is There?
