Coalfrom the PowderRiverBasinofMontanaandWyoming tends to be low in sulfur, for example, allowing power plants to burn more withoutexceedinglocalpollutionlimits.
Union Pacific was no different but increased coal mining activity in PowderRiverBasin region situated in parts of Wyoming and Montana could reverse the slide in coal freight volumes for the company.
This crisis begins, in classic chaos-theory fashion, with a trivial event along the 100-mile railroad track that moves most coal out of the PowderRiverBasin.