UTU: “Strangling coal kills jobs”

No commodity hauled by rail even approaches coal’s more than 45% of all tons originated; and coal also represents 25% of rail freight carloads. United Transportation Union Alternate National Legislative Director John Risch says coal is so important to UTU-member job security—responsible for some one of every five freight railroad jobs—that he puts coal in the Christmas stockings of his children.Citing the linkage of American coal, railroad prosperity, and railroad jobs, Risch earlier this week told the Environmental Protection Agency, which is considering new regulations on coal, to be “very careful how you regulate coal because of its tremendous economic impact.“In addition to coal's railroad-job creating importance,” said Risch, “coal provides almost 60% of America's energy—energy that might otherwise have to be imported from nations not friendly to the United States and our way of life.“Much of our nation’s rail infrastructure has been upgraded and maintained from coal revenue,” Risch told the EPA panel, “benefitting shippers of other commodities as well as Amtrak intercity trains that travel over freight railroad track.”Additionally, Risch told the EPA, if opponents of coal succeed in pricing coal out of the market through extensive and expensive new regulations on coal burning, emissions and ash disposal:* Tens of thousands of rail jobs will be lost.* Thousands of miles of the intercity rail network will be abandoned or downgraded.* Hundreds of communities will be adversely impacted.* Shippers of other commodities will lose rail access.* Untold numbers of more heavy and dangerous big trucks will be added to the already overburdened and deteriorating U.S. highway system.