Telebriefing to provide state of play on coal export and oil transport projects in the Pacific Northwest
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See a map of the proposed, operating, and defeated terminals across the Pacific Northwest.
Five proposed coal export terminals and several oil transport proposals in the Northwest have been stymied by grassroots pressure, close environmental and health review, permit denials, treaty rights, and declining market demand over the last six years.
Yet many new developments, notably the new administrations both in U.S. in Canada, the unprecedented political movement of Native American tribes and allied organizations against the Dakota Access Pipeline, are shining a spotlight on the Northwest and the status of current proposals on the table.
This briefing will walk through some of the less-noticed but major recent developments and also provide the state of play and possible news pegs for several of the coal export and oil transport proposals, including:
- Kinder Morgan’s proposed Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion in Canada, which would triple the amount of Alberta tar sands oil exported through the Salish Sea and just approved by Prime Minister Trudeau.
- Westway crude oil export terminal in Grays Harbor, in which a final decision could arrive any time and would be the first time Washington’s coast is used for a crude oil terminal.
- Millennium Bulk Terminal’s proposed coal export terminal in Longview, Washington, which would be the largest coal export terminal in North America. The public comment period for the Army Corps of Engineers review of the project wrapped up this week.
- Tesoro Savage’s proposed oil export terminal in Vancouver, Washington, which could bring up to 360,000 barrels of oil per day by rail through the Columbia River Gorge and onto tankers in the Pacific Ocean. This would be the largest oil terminal on the West Coast.
- Local municipal actions, including Portland, Oregon’s recent resolution all but banning new fossil fuel exports in the city, similar to an emergency moratorium active in Whatcom County.
- The aftermath of the oil train derailment and explosion in Mosier, Oregon in June and the Yakama Tribe’s successful effort to stop Union Pacific from doubling their tracks for oil trains nearby.
- The status of the Dept. of Interior’s federal coal leasing moratorium.
Featuring:
Rebecca Ponzio, Stand Up To Oil Campaign Director
Karen Mahon, Canadian Director of Stand.earth
Larry Thevik, Vice-President, Washington Dungeness Crab Fishermen’s Association
Jim Appleton, Fire Chief of Mosier, Oregon
Lauren Goldberg, Attorney, Columbia Riverkeeper
Beth Kaeding of Bozeman, MT, past chair of Northern Plains Resource Council