Oil Trains In The Northwest

Washington State To Issue Report On Vancouver Oil Terminal

By Conrad Wilson (OPB)
Vancouver, Washington Nov. 23, 2015 11 p.m.
The loop track at the Port of Vancouver where crude oil would be offloaded from trains and then transferred onto ocean-going vessels on the Columbia River.

The loop track at the Port of Vancouver where crude oil would be offloaded from trains and then transferred onto ocean-going vessels on the Columbia River.

Conrad Wilson / OPB

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Washington state is scheduled to release a detailed environmental assessment Tuesday of the proposed oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver.

The report by the state's Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council considers the oil-by-rail project's possible impacts to air, land and water. It will examine possible impacts the project could have, like pollution, noise, earthquake hazards, and risks for fish and wildlife.

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The public will have until January to comment on the proposal.

The Vancouver Energy Project is a joint venture backed by Tesoro Corporation, an oil company, and Savage Industries, a logistics firm. If built, the energy project would be the largest oil terminal in the country.

It would serve as a transfer point for Bakken Crude between North Dakota and West Coast oil refineries.

Some 360,000 barrels of oil would arrive daily by train and offload at the terminal, which would be located on the banks of the Columbia River. From there, the oil would be transferred onto ships.

Supporters of the project say it’s good for the region’s economy.

Those who oppose the terminal say they’re worried about more than safety and environmental risks. They say they also don’t want Vancouver, Washington, to be known as an oil town.

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