Wednesday, July 24, 2013

A Chance To See If Washington State Is Pro-Jobs

KATU is reporting:
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Port of Vancouver commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a lease for a Columbia River terminal that would take in crude oil by train from North Dakota and ship it to West Coast refineries.

About 60 people were at the port's office for the vote, which followed Monday night's public hearing, The Columbian reported.

The project will be reviewed by the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, which will make a recommendation to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee for a final decision.

Port managers recommended approval of the deal with Tesoro Corp. and Savage Cos. for the economic benefits. Neighborhood and environmental groups oppose it because of safety and ecological risks.

Oil trains from the Bakken shale formation in North Dakota would run through the Columbia River Gorge and Vancouver.
My two cents worth: it was a no-brainer for the Port of Vancouver to approve it. At best, it's probably 50-50 whether the state will go along with it. But not to worry; the oil companies have plenty of alternatives. This is an opportunity for the state of Washington to let folks know whether they want the jobs, revenue, etc., or if they like the state the way it is.

[See first comment below: I mistakenly thought this port was in Oregon for some reason; I've been to Portland many times, and still don't know the geography. Thank you to the reader for catching this.]

2 comments:

  1. Small geography lesson- The Port of Vancouver is in Vancouver WA. Since many work on one side of the river, and work on the other side, this will impact both Oregon and Washington.

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    1. Thank you. That explains my confusion. And my ignorance. I will correct the post.

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