Coal Exports Devastate Oldest Colombian City

"Colombia is reaping an enormous windfall from export of its high-quality coal, and millions of tons of it are being shipped annually.

Coal is second only to oil among Colombia's exports, ranking ahead of coffee. The boom has been fueled by a doubling in coal prices over the last three years, part of the global surge in commodity prices propelled by increased demand from China and India.

The mining industry now overshadows tourism here in Colombia's first city, founded in 1525. Santa Marta's deep-water port has made it a leading embarkation point for coal mined in La Guajira and Cesar states, and the dust and residue from thousands of loads of coal passing through or near here daily on trucks and trains have smudged the city's image and cooled visitors' ardor."

"But in Santa Marta, officials and residents complain that the only dividend they're getting is an unwanted one: the fine layer of coal dust spread over much of the town each morning after La Loca, or the Crazy One, blows. That's what locals call the gusts that scatter the black dust through much of the city -- from the poor barrio of San Martin to the wealthy beach enclave of Bella Vista -- hurting tourism, fishing and possibly the health of residents."