OLYMPIA, Washington (Legal Newsline) — In a review of a proposed crude oil terminal in Vancouver, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office cited its concerns about train derailment and first responder readiness for potential oil spills.
The Tesoro Savage Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal is currently under review.
“Protecting the environment and public safety are top priorities of my office,” Ferguson said. “The Counsel for the Environment advocates for the interests of the people of Washington. This project would require transporting oil through our communities — we must fully understand the potential dangers and how they would be mitigated.”
The attorney general’s office’s Council for the Environment (CFE) focused on two major issues. The CFE believes the analysis used to estimate the risk of oil train derailment could be off, actually underestimating the frequency that possible derailments might occur.
The CFE also believes the analysis of first responder readiness is incomplete. The CFE would like additional information on the issue. It wants the specific resource needs, training and full public costs needed for first responder readiness to be quantified.
Washington’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) – the organization managing the review – will look at feedback and make any necessary changes to its review.