In this age of environmental awareness, most people are familiar with the economics term "externality." This is a cost of business which should be born, but is not, by the firm engaged in the business and profiting therefrom, but instead is a burden on others for whom the business offers no benefits. Destruction of land and pollution of rivers by a mining operation are examples, as in West Virginia coal mining.

In order to (mostly) pay the full costs of their enterprise, the coal-train people would need to construct a new rail line through largely uninhabited country, and to build coal cars that are fully sealed against rain and dust leakage. They would further require new locomotives with the most modern engines and exhaust controls to reduce soot and diesel pollution. Finally, extraordinary measures would be required at the dock site to protect the inland communities, in our case principally Ferndale, from the dust of the coal-loading process.

Rough estimates only are required to determine that these costs overwhelm any revenues that would be realized by the sale of this coal. As a result, this is a hugely unprofitable business and should be rejected out of hand.

Thomas Alden

Bellingham