Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Vancouver Oil Terminal Released

• Oil trains in Vancouver?

The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) of Washington today released its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for a oil storage and shipping facility that’s been proposed at the Port of Vancouver, just across the Columbia River from West Hayden Island, and the council identified a lot of hazards.

The proposed Tersoro Savage Vancouver Energy Distribution Facility would receive an average of 360,000 barrels of crude oil by rail per day—meaning the maximum amount of crude oil going through the facility would be 131.4 million barrels per year—for temporary storage and shipment to refineries.

Those millions of gallons of oil would come primarily from mid-continent North American locations, including the Bakken formation that covers parts of North Dakota; Montana; and Saskatchewan, Canada; as well as other North American formations, such as the Niobrara in Wyoming and Colorado and the Uinta in northeast Utah.

The EFSEC identified a multitude of hazards that could result if the project goes forward, including train derailment and explosions, liquefaction and the resulting storage tank failure in a strong earthquake, oil spills during shipping and pumping operations, and destruction of fish and wildlife habitat due to increased maritime tracking.

Vancouver City Council passed a non-binding resolution opposing what would be the largest oil-by-rail shipping facility in the Northwest. They’re joined by the Vancouver Firefighters Union IAFF Local 452, which says it doesn’t have the equipment to effectively respond to an emergency at the facility.

Earlier in November, Portland City Council passed a resolution introduced by Commissioner Amanda Fritz that declares the city’s opposition to all oil-by-rail projects in Portland and Vancouver.

Now that the draft EIS has been released, the public has 45 days to submit verbal or written comments. After the 45 days is over the EFSEC will submit its recommendation on whether or not the project should move forward to Gov. Jay Inslee. If the EFSEC approves the project the council will issue a Site Certification Agreement (SCA). Within 60 days of receipt of EFSEC’s recommendation, the governor may approve the Facility, reject the Facility, or direct EFSEC to reconsider its SCA.