Why Are We Hauling Pennsylvania Coal All The Way To Germany? (Week 3)

Several tons of anthracite coal fill a basement space in Pottsville, Pa.

Date, S.V.. "Why Are We Hauling Pennsylvania Coal All The Way To Germany?." It's All Politics : NPR. National Public Radio, 22 Mar 2014. Web. 22 Mar 2014. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2014/03/14/290238727/long-dead-congressmans-earmark-lives-on-in-europe>.


In this article, the peculiar issue regarding Pennsylvanian coal being sent to Germany is explored. It all started in the 1960s and 1970s, when Democrat Daniel Flood worked to find a federal government buyer for the coal mined in his district. He was successful, and found a customer in Germany, which happened to be the United States military. As a result, every year, coal is transported by rail to a port in Baltimore, and then shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to Germany. So, considering the fact that Germany is moving away from coal and towards more environmentally friendly options, why is the coal still being shipped? The contract with the United States military location in Germany is still valid, and is a $20 million deal. Plus, the United States military budget factors in only "United States coal" for the location in Germany -- so in other words, nothing is being done to stop the ridiculousness.