I agree that it seems odd, inefficient and uneconomical to transload the coal from train to barge in Boardman, move it downriver to the Portland region and then transload it again to ocean going ships.

But there are other considerations here that makes this probably the most viable project in the political sense. When the whole idea of export coal trains to the Northwest first came to light a few years ago and permit applications were filed, a coalition of opposition quickly formed in the Portland region from the fish hugging environmentalists who were fighting any industry or anything on the rivers, and the NIMBYs who could not fathom being delayed for even a few minutes at a railroad crossing in their gas guzzling SUV. The claims were and still are outrageous as they tried to make everyone imagine a constant parade of coal trains spewing cancer causing coal dust (and exploding according to a recent report), causing traffic delays, crashing through houses, destroying the scenery of the Columbia River gorge and killing fish with every spill into the river. Coal trains threaten the very green weird lifestyle that Portlandiers hold sacred. There is a larger environmentalist movement demanding that any coal exports must have an acceptable environmental impact report consider the emissions of the overseas coal burning plants, of which the only acceptable option to them is not to do it at all.

For most of rural Oregon, especially east of the Cascades, there is a limited economic base of primarily ranching, farming, transportation, government employment, tourism and some light manufacturing. The rural areas for the most part have never recovered from the implosion of the timber industry, and is always on the lookout for reasonable economic development. The state of Wyoming is in a similar position. The demand for coal in the US has dropped due to the war on coal powered plants, but fortunately the development of natural gas reserves due to fracking is somewhat a reasonable alternative that is politically acceptable.

The Port of Morrow is primarily a business park in the Boardman area, though I believe woodchips, ethanol and maybe some other products can be loaded directly onto barges. There is undeveloped industrial land on the river and the Port supports the project. It would create higher than average paying jobs in the region. UP's mainline passes right through the middle of the Port, so rail access is not an issue. The area already sees coal trains to the power plant just to the southwest (but is scheduled to close in a few years due to environmental pressure). The only substantial protest I have heard is from Spokane residents who don't want coal trains running like streetcars through their city. I don't know what the routing would be from the Powder River Basin - it could be BNSF Spokane UP or maybe all UP through Wyoming, OSL and Blues.

There was also a recent proposal to build a coal export terminal at Coos Bay, but I think this idea has died out. This doesn't make as much sense because there isn't a direct rail route to the coast. Everything would have to go BNSF Portland P&W Eugene CBRL or UP Eugene CBRL. I know - recreate the Modoc so UP could bring it in through Ogden through the old SP :-)