Direct coal liquefaction safety risks: Feedstock production and transportation

We identify major factors resulting in serious injury and loss of life during coal mining and shipment necessary to supply a hypothetical 1-quad/yr direct coal liquefaction industry with feedstock and fuel. Regional siting of direct coal liquefaction processing facilities, mine type, and coal transport mode would all govern the magnitude of deaths and injuries occurring as a consequence of commercial liquefaction. Of the five coal supply regions evaluated, the most serious occupational hazards would be generated by underground mining in the Central Appalachian Basin. The least hazardous mining regions are predicted to be the Powder River and Northern Great Plains Basins. Truck transport of coal in either the Northern or Central Appalachian basins was determined to generate the greatest risk of employee fatalities and lost workdays; barging on Appalachian or mid-western waterways is least hazardous to workers. Public risks for fatal injury accidents via rail or truck transport are comparable for all regions except the Illinois Basin, which would generate approximately half the risk of the other four regions. The risks of injury and death to workers and the public during these first segments of the fuel cycle are greater than any other risks attributable to direct liquefaction commercialization.