(The following story by Peter Gartrell appeared on the News-Record website on May 29.)
GILLETTE, Wyo. — The past week’s drenching rain took its toll not just on would-be Memorial Day revelers but the local coal industry, as well.
The amount of coal shipped out of the Powder River Basin took a hit in recent days as mine pit flooding, common during heavy periods of rain, slowed operations up and down the southern Powder River Basin.
BNSF Railway lost 66 trainloads of coal in the past five days due to flooding, according to a service advisory posted on the company’s Web site Wednesday morning.
The lost loads equated to about 1 1/4 day’s shipping for the railroad, according a local BNSF supervisor, speaking on condition of anonymity due to company policy on talking to the press.
Spring rain and snow, while never something the railroad looks forward to, comes at a relatively innocuous time. Known as shoulder months, the spring is a period of lower overall energy — and by extension, coal — demand falls between winter and summer when heating and air-conditioning increase electricity use.
Basinwide train load-outs for BNSF were running at about 45 to 50 train loads a day over the past week compared to 65 to 75 that can occur during busy summer months, the local supervisor said, characterizing recent months as a “soft spot.” The rain’s impact “could have been worse,” he added.
Either way, the hiccup caused by the rain is not expected to last long, with drier weather forecast in coming days.
“It is expected they’ll recover by week’s end,” said Gus Melonas, a Seattle-based BNSF spokesman.
A call seeking comment from a Union Pacific spokesman in Omaha, Neb., was not immediately returned.
The two railroads, which jointly operate 103 miles of track between Caballo mine and Shawnee Junction north of Douglas, combined to haul more than 400 million tons to nearly 40 states in 2007.