Seward Coal Loading Facility
Alaska's only coal export facility poses many problems to the community around it.
The Seward Coal Loading Facility,
referred to as the Seward Coal Terminal, was built in 1984 to export coal mined
in the area of Healy, Alaska by Usibelli Coal Mine.
It is the only coal terminal on the Pacific Coast of the United States and
consists of a railroad spur, coal storage, handling, and loading equipment, and
a large dock. The Alaska Railroad obtained the facility in 2003 and is working
to expand the coal storage areas in anticipation of increased coal exports from
Alaska.
The Seward Terminal has recently
been plagued with air and water pollution concerns. Seward experiences strong
north winds that can blow huge clouds of coal dust and particles. It has been
inferred
that possibly 500 tons of coal dust is released per year in Seward. The Seward Coal Terminal operates with fewer pollution controls than any other coal loading facility
in North America, and actually uses much less than it did when it began
operating. Coal dust that escapes the facility, known as “fugitive dust”, is
more than just a nuisance coating boats and buildings in black, it is a health concern. Coal dust is linked to many respiratory
ailments and this particulate matter has been linked to heart and cancer risks
as well.
The Department of Environmental
Conservation issued the Alaska Railroad two citations for air pollution in
2007, and fined the Railroad $212,900 after an incident in 2010. A multi-party lawsuit against the railroad is
also proceeding through the courts. In
addition to air pollution concerns, coal 
dust falls into the ocean from the
facility’s conveyor as it passes from land to ships. In January 2010 a lawsuit
was brought against the Alaska Railroad implementing the Clean Water Act.
Large coal stockpiles also carry the risk of spontaneous combustion causing coal fires deep within the piles. In order to avoid this, the coal must be regularly rotated to prevent the fires from spreading. "Hotspots" of smoldering coal embers can be regularly observed in the Seward stockpiles and can delay the loading of coal ships.
