Vancouver, Washington, poised to oppose any increase in Bakken crude oil traffic

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City poised to oppose any increase in Bakken crude oil traffic

Vancouver City Council's opposition 'like a stab in the back,' says port official

By Eric Florip and Stephanie Rice
Published: May 19, 2014, 10:49 AM
Updated: May 19, 2014, 7:54 PM

The Vancouver City Council appears poised to make a bold statement by opposing not only what would be the Northwest’s largest oil transfer terminal, but also any proposals that would result in an increase of Bakken crude oil being hauled through Clark County.

A draft resolution, discussed Monday by the council during a workshop, includes a pledge for the city to call on “municipalities, agencies and officials to deny all permits for new facilities that will result in an increase in the transportation of Bakken crude oil through Clark County until such time as there is a consensus among the industry and regulators as to the appropriate method of safely transporting Bakken crude oil.”

A public hearing will be at 7 p.m. June 2 at City Hall. The council will likely delay voting on the resolution until June 16.

Bakken crude oil, described in the resolution as more flammable than traditional heavy crude oil, would be handled at a facility proposed by Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies. The lease was signed with the Port of Vancouver. The resolution, which asks port commissioners to terminate the lease, “seems a little bit like a stab in the back,” port Commissioner Brian Wolfe said.

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1. Sharp Rise in West Coast Oil Trains, Fears Abound

Sharp Rise in West Coast Oil Trains, Fears Abound

VANCOUVER, Wash. May 26, 2014 (AP)
By GOSIA WOZNIACKA Associated Press

Residents along the scenic Columbia River are hoping to persuade regulators to reject plans for what would be the Pacific Northwest's largest crude oil train terminal — the proposed destination for at least four trains a day, each more than a mile long.

The increasing numbers of trains, each carrying tens of thousands of barrels of potentially volatile crude from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota, have raised concerns around the country after nine accidents in the past year, including one last month in Virginia.

In Vancouver, Washington, just across the Columbia from Portland, Oregon, the oil companies say their proposed terminal will create at least 80 permanent jobs and will bring an economic windfall to the region. But area residents and others in nearby communities are worried about the risks to people, wildlife, businesses and to their way of life.
....

A terminal near Clatskanie, 62 miles northwest of Portland, was permitted to move oil two years ago by Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality without a public process. This year, the state fined the facility for moving six times more crude than allowed.

A picture of a train that is either coming from or going to Clatskanie can be seen at Some of those trains are headed west, too.


This mile-long oil train rumbled through downtown Rainier {Oregon, across the river from Longview, WA} last February. Roger Werth / The Daily News

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2. Vancouver opposes oil terminal plan; now what?

Vancouver opposes oil terminal plan; now what?

Impact of council's opposition will not be known anytime soon

By Stephanie Rice, Columbian Vancouver city government reporter

Published: June 3, 2014, 8:17 PM

The Vancouver City Council officially opposes Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies' plans for the largest oil-by-rail facility in the Northwest at the Port of Vancouver. ... Gov. Jay Inslee's communications director said Tuesday he couldn't comment about how much weight Inslee may give a resolution calling on him to deny a permit for the project. ... By law, the governor can't comment on the city's resolution during the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council's adjudicative process, said David Postman. EFSEC will make a recommendation to Inslee, who has the final say.
....

The council approved two resolutions at the end of this week's meeting, which was attended by about 700 people. The first vote, to formally intervene in the EFSEC process, was what Mayor Tim Leavitt called a "no-brainer." Even port commissioners and executives from Tesoro and Savage urged the council to intervene, a legal maneuver giving the city the right to present evidence and appeal.

The second resolution was a broad policy statement opposing not only the Tesoro-Savage proposal but any proposal that would result in an increase of Bakken crude oil being hauled through Clark County. It passed 5-2. Leavitt and Councilor Bill Turlay voted no. Leavitt said the resolution went too far in singling out a project. Turlay said he would only be swayed by facts, not politics.

Of the 101 people who spoke, two-thirds urged the council to oppose the project, citing safety and environmental concerns. Other speakers told the council to let the EFSEC process play out and not be governed by fear.