Columbia River pilot Anne McIntyre could find herself navigating bulk carriers laden with coal if coal export terminals are built along the river.
Katie Campbell
Editor’s Note: Should coal from Wyoming and Montana be transported through the Pacific Northwest and shipped to Asia? In our multimedia project, “Voices of Coal,” we bring you nine diverse perspectives from people across the region with a stake in that debate. Today's installment: The Columbia river pilot.
River pilot Anne McIntyre boards vessels that are longer than skyscrapers are tall and navigates them with precision through the Columbia River’s narrow channels.
If coal export terminals are built along the river, McIntyre could find herself navigating bulk carriers laden with coal.
Pilots’ main purpose once was to move cargo and protect ships, she says. Since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, their priority has been protecting the environment.
McIntyre has never seen a collision or spill in her 16 years. The way she sees it, the risk of a coal spill is just about nil. If a ship were to run aground, the coal would be in hatches above the water line.
Coal By The Numbers
- In 1999, Columbia River Pilots boarded 2,066 ships.
- Last year that number was down to 1,475 ships.
- If approved, the Morrow Pacific and Millennium coal export projects together would add between 400 and 745 ships to annual river traffic.
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