IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF CONCERNS IN COAL TRANSPORTATION NOW THROUGH 2000

This review presents the results of analysis used to identify and prioritize perceived potential problems that may hinder the development of coal transportation in the United States during the balance of the century. One objective of this effort is to discriminate serious concerns affecting the overall adequacy of coal transportation systems from issues of lesser significance. The concerns with the highest priority are anticipated to impact coal transportation in the early 1980s. These concerns relate to public acceptance, logistic problems with frozen coal, the impact of slurry pipelines, and sludge transportation. Problems with the potential of impact in the balance of the century include the effects of rate rgulations on railroad incentives to haul coal, the safety and environmental impact of advanced slurry systems and congestion on inland waterways. A second objective of the analysis is to recommend specific actions that may mitigate the consequences of potential problems. The recommendations discussed in this paper include the need for new research, developments and demonstrations, risk assessments and other evaluations to fill possible gaps in the coverage of current programs that address aspects of the above concerns. Reasons are discussed for considering some familiar issues to be of lower importance than the above concerns, including railroad capital requirements, equipment availability, abandonment policy and sabotage, eminent domain for slurry pipelines competition for barges at harvest time and potential impacts of the Clean Air Act amendments.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Symposium on Critical Issues in Coal Transportation systems, Washington, DC, 14 June 1978.
• Corporate Authors:

  Batelle Memorial Institute/Pacific Northwest Labs

  Battelle Boulevard, P.O. Box 999
  Richland, WA  United States  99352

  Department of Energy

  1000 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20585
• Authors:
  • DeSteese, J G
  • Franklin, A L
• Publication Date: 1978

Media Info

• Pagination: 16 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abandonment; Bulk cargo; Bulk cargo handling; Capital investments; Car supply (Railroads); Coal; Coal industry; Coal pipelines; Competition; Environmental impacts; Financial capital; Forecasting; Freezing; Freight traffic; Industrial engineering; Inland waterways; Logistics; Policy; Port congestion; Regulations; Slurry pipelines; Traffic congestion; Traffic forecasting; Transportation modes; Vessel traffic control; Waterways
• Uncontrolled Terms: Waterway congestion
• Old TRIS Terms: Bulk coal; Government regulations
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Environment; Freight Transportation; Law; Marine Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Policy; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00198130
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: CONF-7806123-1
• Contract Numbers: EY-76-C-06-1830
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 15 1980 12:00AM