A Clark County judge Friday ruled partly in favor of the Port of Vancouver in a lawsuit that claimed the port violated state environmental and open public meetings laws in approving a lease to build the largest oil-handling facility in the Northwest.
Superior Court Judge David Gregerson dismissed a claim by three environmental groups that the port violated the state Environmental Policy Act by approving a lease to build an oil terminal before an environmental impact statement was issued.
The decision means the lease — involving 42 acres and worth at least $45 million over an initial 10 years — remains intact, although the ruling could be appealed. Meanwhile, the oil-by-rail proposal by Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies, which faces strong public opposition, is moving through a yearlong environmental-impact review by a state-level permitting agency.
There are plenty of unknowns heading into the 2014 legislative session, which kicks off Monday in Olympia, but road improvements, government spending, health care and marijuana are likely to top the agenda, lawmakers from Clark County say.
They especially point to the transportation debate as one to watch during the 60-day session.
Last year, legislators couldn’t reach an agreement on a $10 billion transportation plan, which would have raised the gas tax by more than 10 cents a gallon and would have paid for a number of transportation projects across the state. That plan initially included $450 million for the Columbia River Crossing, but money for the CRC has since been stripped from the proposal.
With the CRC left out, a revised plan began circulating among lawmakers this fall. It includes only $41.4 million in projects for Clark County. Some lawmakers hoped to have a transportation package passed before this year’s regular session, but negotiations stalled.
Clark County’s economic development wish list to the state Legislature, and maybe to voters, is for money to invest in road expansions and improvements, with additional funding for infrastructure and education added for good measure.
Those points are summarized in a single-page document developed by the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Identity Clark County, and the Columbia River Economic Development Council — three of Southwest Washington’s biggest business and economic development organizations. It’s no surprise that these three groups are pushing for improved road capacity, a key ingredient in attracting more jobs and people to the county. With state funding for the Columbia River Crossing a long shot, and with the Legislature showing more interest in addressing transportation needs statewide, the business groups know that now’s the time to talk road improvements.
PORTLAND — The stories spanned decades of conflict in different areas of the globe. Gwen Davis and Dick Kim talked about their missing brothers; Ann Holland remembered her lost husband.
Colleen Stevens had a scrapbook documenting her dad’s service in two wars.
Some represented their uncles, and an 89-year-old woman was there on behalf of her son.
“Every story is different, but they’re basically the same,” Holland said. “We’re waiting for them to bring somebody home.”
They were among the participants Saturday when the Defense Department invited families of 95 missing service personnel to an event in Portland.
The session, hosted by the Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, included private briefings for some families. Thirty-five families were scheduled to contribute DNA samples that might be helpful in identifying remains.
