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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">From what I gather, there are three issues with the coal dust:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1)</span> <span style="font-size: small;">The loss of product.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2)</span> <span style="font-size: small;">The air pollution of coal dust.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">3)</span> <span style="font-size: small;">The damage to track.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Item #3 is the greatest concern for the railroad companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Item #1 seems to be the least concern to all parties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Item #2 is likely to be a major concern of the regulators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">What seems to be presently on the front burner is item #3, and the debate between the railroads and the shippers about who should pay for the loss incurred by track damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to have been largely resolved that the shippers must bear this cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also, from what I gather, the preferred remedy for coal dust is not covering the hoppers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, the preferred remedy is either top coating with a binder; or vibrating the top layer to settle the fines, so they will be out of the wind during the train ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whatever method of dust control is selected, there will be a huge reward for the providers of the solution, and so the competition for the solution must be fierce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this will not be just an accord between the industry and the solution providers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bigger player will be the regulators boosted by the environmentalists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And because the would-be solution providers know this, they will pitch their solution to the regulators first and foremost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The industry may or may not like the solution, but if the regulators like it, they will simply force the industry to accept it.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">So competing solution providers must know how to ring the chimes of the regulators, and since this issue has “green” written all over it, the chimes are clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of those chimes is water conservation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are entering a new era where water is owned by the collective, and not by the person living above the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, with the rising regulation of water use, it is no wonder that the makers of coal car covers are trumpeting the advantage of covers needing no water, whereas the liquid binder topcoat on the coal loads does require the use of water. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">The cover makers know that the regulators who will ultimately force the decision can easily be persuaded to go further than just banning dust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The regulators will also dictate to the industry exactly how and how not to eliminate the dust. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I would bet on expensive, complicated covers as being the adopted solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would also bet on the dust regulations going all the way back to the mining operation itself and the dust generated in that process, including loading and unloading the train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p>
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