McDermott Bill: Protecting Taxpayers from Coal Transportation

Congressman Bill McDermott (D-WA) introduced a “The True Cost of Coal Act of 2012” to address growing concern about coal export from the Northwest.  McDermott’s bill would incorporate the costs of shipping coal by rail through Northwest communities, such as environmental pollution, noise, traffic congestion, and public health risks, into the cost of coal to ensure that companies, not taxpayers, bear the cost burden from negative impacts.  The bill also proposes a $10 per ton of extracted coal to help communities pay for adverse effects of transporting coal.

McDermott’s press release available here.