More than 750 concerned citizens packed the Oct. 30 hearing on oil transportation safety, reported in the Oct. 31 story “Hundreds turn out for Olympia oil trains hearing.” Voices of opposition dominated input on the Draft Marine and Rail Oil Transportation study, which will make recommendations to Gov. Jay Inslee on oil transportation through Washington by March 2015.
It was clear that the Washington State Department of Ecology did our region a disservice by failing to hold at least one hearing closer to so many who would be impacted by the proposed increases in oil and coal train traffic.
Steve Eldred of the Vancouver Fire Department delivered comments submitted by the city of Vancouver. It is reassuring that our city council and staff continue to raise significant safety concerns on our behalf.
Speakers from both Washington and Oregon spoke to the significant negative impacts of increasing the movement of oil and coal by rail through our communities, with Don Orange, a Vancouver small-business owner, capturing the spirit of the assembled crowd with this assertion: “Do we want to be the toilet for big oil? Hell no!”