The Nov. 29 letter “Energized to open dialogue” by Jared Larrabee, general manager of Vancouver Energy, lacked facts by omission.
Stabilization of Bakken crude would make it safer to ship and store, according to Matt Rose, BNSF Railway executive chairman, and others concur. Installation of an advanced Harmful Emissions Removal System would reduce 95 percent of those emissions. In both instances, Tesoro-Savage claims both issues are too costly for their oil terminal. It appears that safety and long-term health for residents of Clark County are profit-margin based.
Larrabee spoke of Tesoro’s commitment to safety. A refinery fire in Anacortes, with seven deaths, resulted in a fine of $2.38 million for willful violations from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, the largest in the agency’s history. Last spring, at the Tesoro Golden Eagle refinery in California, two workers received sulfuric acid burns. They had not been issued Cal/OSHA specialized protective gear. In an unprecedented situation, Tesoro refused to allow OSHA inspectors entry to that refinery for a second inspection.
One would think that if they’re the stellar image of safety, Tesoro-Savage, their legal name, would not change for their aka, Vancouver Energy, a name that has no safety record. Or maybe that is just the point.
