[Vision2020] Grain Exports

[Phil Nisbet]

Tom

Facilities for the import of oil do not exist on this system and since they 
can and are most often sent by pipeline to coastal destinations where they 
can and are indeed loaded from tankers, I wonder why you would suggest off 
loading them here.

If your concern is that New Orleans is a major refining and shipping hub for 
oil, then it should be very obvious to you that diversification of its 
refineries to other coastal areas from in places like Savannah, Cherry Point 
and a huge number of other locations wold have kept us from the very nasty 
spike in gas prices we are now suffering from.

Try to remember this;

Pipelines cheaper than barges, cheaper than rail which is cheaper than 
trucks.

Since bulk goods that are not liquid have a hard time being sent places in 
pipelines, barges get used to send them to coastal areas for trans-shipment 
to export markets or rail is used to move them to the barges and onward.  It 
is in that bulk business in Grain that the Columbia system is engaged.

As for horse and buggy, the cost of such freight are not particularly 
useful, though it does supply a nice stream of fertilizer.  But frankly, 
many of the posts here on V2020 provide enough Horse sh-t that we wil never 
be in need of that paticular commodity here on the Palouse.

Phil Nisbet

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