Although a proposed crude-oil facility at the Port of Vancouver remains extremely preliminary — don’t expect any such plant to open there for at least a couple of years — port officials already have established two commendable policies. First, they properly envision the plan as an excellent way to create local jobs while diversifying the port’s cargo mix in ways that will help guard against fluctuations in the economy. Second, they are appropriately concerned about possible environmental risks that could impact the port, the community and the Columbia River Gorge.
We like both approaches. If the risks are as low at Tesoro Corporation and Savage Companies are saying, this could be a major boost to the local economy. But we won’t know for sure until after public hearings and rigorous permitting processes are completed.
Tesoro has proposed spending up to $100 million on a port facility. Crude oil would be shipped here by rail from the Bakken oil formation in North Dakota. The oil would be stored here and shipped to refineries in Washington, California and Alaska. No oil would be shipped overseas. Tesoro already operates facilities in Washington, and company officials are familiar with permitting procedures in the state.
Port Commissioner Brian Wolfe on Wednesday said he is “about 60-40 in favor of the plan so far, but I have serious environmental concerns, especially with increasing petroleum rail shipments through the Columbia River Gorge.” Wolfe pointed out that petroleum products already are shipped through the Gorge, and Tesoro has been a Port of Vancouver tenant for more than a quarter of a century, with smaller gasoline and diesel operations. “But I’m waiting to see what we learn during this new application process,” he said.
