Statement on the Tesoro Savage oil terminal Draft Environmental Impact Statement

by Brett VandenHeuvel, Executive Director, Columbia Riverkeeper
Contact: 503.348.2436, bv@columbiariverkeeper.org

The study demonstrates one thing: Tesoro’s oil trains and shipping terminal are too dangerous. Too dangerous for Vancouver, for the Columbia, and for our climate. The combination of explosive oil trains, huge oil tanks on earthquake-prone ground, and oil supertankers on the Columbia is reckless, and takes us in the wrong direction. The study released today gives Governor Inslee ample reasons to deny dirty oil and stand up for a clean and healthy Washington.

  • The Environmental Impact Statement finds:
    Safety: Workers and neighbors “could be at risk of injury or death” in the event of an explosion. Page 4-86
  • Train traffic: “The additional four unit trains per day associated with the proposed Facility would increase [railroad crossing] gate downtime by between 15% and 26% along the [BNSF mainline along the Columbia River]. This increase in vehicle delays could constitute a major impact to emergency responders.” Page ES-41
  • Earthquakes: “EFSEC’s independent seismic analysis confirmed that liquefaction was a concern given soil conditions underlying the proposed Facility site.” Page ES-12
  • Salmon: “The increase in deep-draft vessel traffic associated with the proposed Facility could result in a moderate to major long-term effect on nearshore fish including listed salmonids and eulachon.” Page ES-32

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available here. Want to learn more about the proposed Tesoro-Savage oil terminal? The Stand Up To Oil campaign is hosting a telebriefing on Tuesday, December 1st at 11 am. For more information, email Kerry McHugh at kerry@wecprotects.org.