The False Solution in Coos Bay
A pier near the Empire Boat Ramp in Coos Bay, Oregon. Photo courtesy of Annie Merrill
The South Coast of Oregon is proposed to be the home of a new industrial container shipping port facility and rail line, and this could mean big changes for the rural coast—with impacts starting in Coos Bay, reaching Eugene and beyond.
Coos Bay is one of the largest estuaries in the state, second in size only to the Columbia River. Within this estuary is a dynamic and diverse ecosystem, fed by freshwater from the Coos and Millicoma rivers and salt water from the Pacific Ocean. These brackish conditions support productive tidal marshes, eelgrass meadows, and mudflats—which collectively sustain a diversity of marine and terrestrial fish and wildlife. Estuaries like Coos Bay are considered nursery habitats for juvenile fish and shellfish, which underpin entire marine food webs and the fisheries that rely on them.
The “bounty of the bay” cannot be overstated. The Coos River is considered one of Oregon’s top fisheries for salmon and steelhead. The bay is also home to many oyster farming operations, and fish landings in Charleston amount to around $27 million to $34 million each year. Recreational fishing is a sought-after activity for locals and tourists alike. During salmon season, boat ramp parking lots along the Coos estuary are filled to the brim, while winters are crowded with crabbers seeking the finest delicacy—Dungeness crab.
The proposed Pacific Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) is a container shipping terminal that the International Port of Coos Bay and its partner, NorthPoint Development, are aiming to build on the Coos estuary. This project is expected to import and export more than 2 million containers between Coos Bay and Asia each year, similar to the number of containers handled annually by the Port of Oakland in California. The Oregon coast has never seen a development project of this size and caliber. This estimated $2.3 billion project promises to save the rural economy by creating “thousands of jobs” in addition to being a new gateway for imports and exports on the West Coast.
Currently, the container facility is to be built on the North Spit of Coos Bay across from the community of Empire, where it will transfer 20-foot-long containers to the Coos Bay Rail Line and across the Coast Range to Eugene via rail. NorthPoint Development claims the proposed shipping project will be a “green port” and a win for the environment. The potential project has also garnered political support from Representative Val Hoyle, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as the entire coastal caucus. However, too many questions remain to consider this proposed project a “win-win” for the community, economy and environment. What are the risks? How sustainable are the jobs? How exactly is it “green”? Who will profit, and who will pay?
Many organizations are skeptical that the project will be “green.” This claim comes from the port’s vision to use electrified energy to move containers and provide electrical outlets so ships can “plug in” to prevent idling diesel generators in port. However, to date, very few container ships are equipped to do this and if the electricity to run port operations is sourced from fossil fuels, the greenhouse gas emissions aren’t exactly reduced in any meaningful way. Regardless of whether operations at the port will be electrified, the prospect of adding an additional fossil fuel-intensive shipping route across the Pacific Ocean is anything but “green.” It is estimated that just one single 20 ft container crossing the Pacific has a carbon footprint of 750 kilograms of carbon dioxide, an emission equivalent to driving over 3,330 miles in a gas-powered car. This means the PCIP project would facilitate the addition of over 1.5 million tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide to the atmosphere yearly.
The environmental impacts do not stop with emissions. One of the biggest problems is that the port will need to undertake a massive dredging project to expand the size of the federal navigation channel in the estuary twofold to accommodate ships that have a capacity to carry 13,000 containers. This alone will come at an extreme cost to the estuary ecosystem, impacting fish and wildlife. The dredging plans to widen and deepen the first eight miles of the navigation channel will take three years to remove 20 million tons of rock and sand—equal to 2 million dump truck loads—and dump it in the ocean off Sunset Bay State Park. Subsequent dredging to maintain this channel as it responds to the initial dredging will remove an additional 1.2 million tons of sediment. This dredging will also release ancient carbon from the underlying sediment and further contribute to climate change. Estuaries are one of the greatest carbon reservoirs in Oregon because estuary sediments sequester carbon 10 times faster than forests.
Eelgrass. Photo courtesy of Annie Merrill
This dredging will also result in lost habitat, including eelgrass meadows and productive clam beds. Eelgrass, in particular, is vital to the health of the estuary. These underwater meadows are recognized as essential fish habitat by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration because they are critical nursery grounds for a variety of juvenile fish, including salmon. Losing eelgrass meadows is not only bad news for fish but also for the climate. The marine plant sequesters carbon, buffers ocean acidification, dampens storms and reduces erosion. These meadows are already declining worldwide and in Coos Bay—and this project would only increase the speed at which they are vanishing. While the port claims impacts to eelgrass meadows will be mitigated, it is estimated that 59% of other eelgrass mitigation projects across the Pacific Coast have failed to achieve “no net loss,” and none are capable of replacing the carbon storage capacity of an impacted meadow or tide flat that has accumulated carbon for thousands of years.
Beyond the local impacts, the implications of this proposed channel modification would expand elsewhere in the estuary because it is a fluid environment. The dredging will increase turbidity and reduce water quality throughout the bay, impacting filter-feeding oysters and marine plants. The expansion also has the potential to dramatically alter sediment dynamics and hydrology. In short, a larger channel means a larger volume of seawater can enter the bay at high tides, driving a shift in salinity gradients farther up-estuary. As environmental conditions in the bay shift, so too will wetland habitats, fish and wildlife. That is, if these resources don’t bump up against existing infrastructure first. While many environmental impacts can be estimated, it is hard to predict the impact this project could have on marine food webs and fisheries that depend on a healthy and intact estuarine ecosystem. This is perhaps the greatest risk and uncertainty for a coastal community that depends heavily on marine resources for their livelihoods.
The container terminal is slated to be built on the North Spit sand dunes, an area that will be entirely inundated in a Cascadia fault tsunami event. There is no high ground refuge for anyone working there, and the only escape route is across a thin, mile-long causeway. The site is also directly adjacent to vast public BLM lands and beaches and across the channel from neighborhoods. One of the neighborhoods expected to be most impacted is Empire, a community located along the Coos Estuary heading toward Charleston. Once the Coos County seat, Empire is home to working-class families, Indigenous communities, and fishermen. The Empire boat ramp is used heavily by locals and tourists throughout the year, and its shoreline is often filled with people clamming or exploring the mudflats. It’s also a favorite spot for locals and tourists alike to capture a sunset picture that’s perfect for Instagram.
Clamming in Empire, Oregon.
Photo courtesy of Ashley Audycki
The Community Coalition of Empire, a local citizens’ group, hosted a meeting in December 2024 to educate community members about the PCIP and develop questions to share with the project developers. During the meeting, a wide variety of questions were raised, including those related to potential impacts on air quality from idling container ships, water quality impacts from dredging and container ship traffic, noise and light pollution impacts, and questions on how this proposal may impact property values and viewsheds in a community already facing housing challenges. Patrick Momsen, a Community Coalition of Empire member, has been leading efforts to educate the community about the project. Information from the project developers has been anything but transparent to date, and “while the project promises to enhance intermodal transportation efficiency, there is little indication that the Port Commission will adequately address the pressing environmental challenges that the residents of Empire, as well as others in the Coos Bay area, will face,” Momsen says. “We are calling for the Port to explain how environmental and social impacts will be addressed before construction of the project begins.”
Other communities in the affected area include the Hanis Coos and Miluk Coos people, who have been the original stewards of the lands and waters of the Coos Estuary since time immemorial. It is critical to consider the impacts the proposed project would have on cultural practices and resources that sustain Indigenous ways of life. The location of what is now known as Empire was once a critical food-gathering location for the Hanis Coos and Miluk Coos. First foods found here include oysters, clams, crabs, and other bounties of the bay. The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians have been crucial in sharing the traditional history of the current Empire boat ramp location, referred to as the Hollering Place. At this site, people on the North Spit would utilize the narrow channel and “holler” across the estuary to communicate with communities in Empire.
Additionally, the Empire boat ramp location is used as a canoe launch and plays a crucial role in supporting the revival of canoe culture for Tribal members, particularly Tribal youth. The placement of the proposed container terminal is estimated to be on top of or in close proximity to the Hollering Place, which would desecrate this special place and alter this critical piece of Indigenous history. If the PCIP project succeeds, container ship traffic will surely limit canoe travel and access to culturally significant places along the Coos Estuary.
The proposed PCIP project has gained support for potential economic growth in the region after the cancellation of the 17+ year proposal for the Jordan Cove LNG export terminal on the North Spit. Many political leaders and business entrepreneurs have sought economic development opportunities in Coos Bay after a recession of timber jobs, which were once abundant in the area during the peak of the logging industry. While many blue-collar workers and developers are eager to support any project that leads to economic growth, others would prefer to move away from extractive business models and invest in long-term regenerative solutions for the community. This includes bolstering existing industries dependent on nature conservation, such as fisheries, recreation, and tourism. There are also opportunities to develop new jobs by updating and retrofitting infrastructure, building community resilience, and fostering education.
One example of sustainable economic growth that balances nature conservation rather than exploitation is showcased at the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. The first estuary reserve in the nation, it is a living laboratory critical for scientists conducting research on estuarine ecology, climate change, and restoration practices. For over 50 years, the South Slough Reserve has fostered community education and outdoor recreation programs that include mushroom hunting, bird watching, kayaking, hiking, crabbing, clamming, and more. A NOAA economic study determined that the reserve attracted 10,000 visitors for recreational-related activities in just one year (2019), resulting in those visitors contributing $850,000 to the local economy. This is the kind of holistic investment that maintains productive ecosystems and supports community well-being.
The North Spit. Photo courtesy of Ashley Audycki
The PCIP project proposal is a false solution for economic growth peddled with bold promises to solve decades of social and economic challenges that have been imposed on the rural coastal community by extractive industries in the first place. The global container shipping industry is one of the most volatile, making the PCIP a risky investment. Shipping routes change regularly, and market conditions, geopolitics, and labor negotiations influence the number of containers exported and where they are landed. There is no local control of any of these external factors, leaving Coos Bay at the mercy of outside influences.
Even with no clear development plan shared with the public, the PCIP project has already received $40 million in state lottery bond funds, $25 million in federal funds for the terminal design, $29 million in federal funds for rail line planning, and was recently granted $3.9 million in federal funds for designing a highway overpass at the Highway 38 grade crossing in Reedsport. Funding of this magnitude could be used to invest in critical infrastructure in the region, such as developing the Charleston Marina community, creating housing, and improving public transportation, education opportunities, and community programs. Instead, it is being allocated to develop a shiny new port, and locals are asking if this project will ultimately create more setbacks for community development by straining local resources and dominating community conversation. Others are concerned that the region has limited capacity to house incoming workers during project development due to significant housing shortages. The project could also play out as a “boom and bust,” leaving a lack of sustained jobs and resources once the port is operating and likely automated.
Few project details have been provided about the Coos Bay Rail Line modifications needed to implement the PCIP. However, rural communities along the rail route, such as Reedsport, Florence, and Mapleton, are also expected to be impacted. To meet the estimated influx of containers quoted by the project developers, the railroad infrastructure will need to be transformed. This includes widening tunnels throughout the rail line route across the coastal range to Eugene. Communities such as Reedsport could suffer blockages to critical services and increased traffic from mile-long-plus trains on the rail line route straight through the city’s downtown region. Even more concerning is the lack of information regarding the materials these containers will transport. Without significant maintenance and strict standards for operations, the railroad could become a safety hazard with an increased risk of derailment. There are also growing concerns regarding potential pollution and safety impacts on Eugene residents, particularly residents in the Trainsong neighborhood, who have already been subjected to decades of industrial pollution from rail yard activities.
Right now, advocates in Coos Bay are waiting for the scoping process to begin on the Port of Coos Bay’s application to the Army Corps of Engineers for the channel modification (dredging) component of the project. At this time, project proponents are saying that the permitting and scoping process for the full PCIP project, including the rail line upgrades and container terminal facility, will take three years if the developers are granted a fast-track designation for permitting by the federal government. Thanks to the National Environmental Protection Act, citizens will have the opportunity to comment at various stages in the permitting process. If you are interested in getting involved, speaking out, and advocating for more sustainable investments in Oregon’s coastal and rural communities, please reach out to the federal delegation currently supporting and funding the project: Senators Wyden and Merkley and Representative Val Hoyle. These legislators need to hear from their constituents that the PCIP poses significant risks to community members and ecosystems from Coos Bay to Eugene. The rural communities of Oregon deserve fruitful investments in critical infrastructure and community programs rather than being subjected to industrial pipe dreams. This proposed PCIP is far-reaching and affects everyone who lives in Southern Oregon or recreates on the South Coast. Your voice is critical to protecting what makes the area so unique.
To receive updates on this project and learn how you can help solve the problem in Coos Bay, sign up for the Oregon Shores newsletter at oregonshores.org and Rogue Climate updates at rogueclimate.org.
Photo courtesy of Annie Merrill