RE: DonkinI don't know if the decision has been made on whether to barge or rail the coal to Sydney from Donkin. Deepening the channel would allow from larger ships to enter the harbour. There are 2 coal piers in the area already but access is limited to smaller carriers. There was engineering study completed by CBCL (local engineering firm) for the rail line but I don't know the cost details. There is some resistance to trucking the coal from the local communities but there was a 2 year deal allowing certain number of trucks for transportation. There was a new road (guessing 1 to 11/2 miles - paved) constructed from the mine to the main road this summer. It will be interesting to see what happens now with the Provincial Environmental Regulations for NSPI since they have been modified to allow NSPI more time with the mercury cap.
NSPI has said all along they couldn't burn the Donkin coal and keep within their sulphur and mercury caps but if they every put a baghouse or scrubber on the back end of LIngan Generating Station this could change. There was a new baghouse installed on the Trenton Generating Station (a coal burner) a couple of years ago and it was a big help with the emissions number when used in service with the new Mercury Capture Systems installed on all plants last year. Both the federal and provincial governments had been backing off enviromental lately so it will be interesting where everything goes over the next 2 to 3 years and in that "Donkin" could mean votes for either government, nothing would surprise me
GLTA