With the prospect of Powder River coal being carried across the Northwestern states of Washington and Oregon on its way to power the Chinese economy, citizens and officials are beginning to register their disapproval of the idea. And why not? States and localities are on the hook for dealing with the greatly expanded capacity needed, not to mention the coal dust the cars leave behind. And then there's the idea of states that are leaders in green tech, being used as conduits to power economies still more reminiscient of 1912 than 2012.
Jefferson Smith, mayoral candidate for Portland, Oregon, spoke up quickly. Here's a brief video statement representing his position on Oregon: Coal Mule...
Context after the jump...