As oil transport disasters bomb one community after another across North America, with new derailments, spills, fires and explosions in West Virginia and Ontario, Canada, in February, the Port of Vancouver commissioners continue to stand by the “due diligence” done for the Tesoro-Savage oil terminal project. “Due diligence” is their “Duty … to act prudently in evaluating associated risks in all transactions.”
This lease is for the largest oil-by-rail terminal in the nation; it would bring miles of oil cars and an average of 360,000 barrels of dangerous Bakken crude per day along the Columbia River to/through Vancouver and into our port. Risks, they are huge and varied. The port commissioner’s “due diligence” is a mere declaration, “We did it.” Not described clearly is who they questioned, with nothing of what information was asked for, obtained or considered.
These frequent oil transport disasters cry out that our port commissioners’ “due diligence” results were dead wrong. Reams of new information has informed us about oil transport and processing. Indeed, “due diligence” done properly with what we know today would surely nail the reality that oil transport by rail cannot be safely managed, and that the many negatives associated with the oil terminal would overwhelm the small impact of the job and tax benefits claimed. Terminate the oil terminal lease port commissioners, terminate the lease.
Ronald Morrison
Vancouver
