Governor Jay Inslee will have a major decision to make on the proposal by Tesoro-Savage to build the largest oil-by-rail terminal in the country. The terminal is a terrible idea for Vancouver, putting at risk the waterfront development project that would provide hundreds of jobs, attract high quality companies and provide substantial property taxes for Vancouver and revenue for local businesses, while translating into far more construction and long-term jobs than a highly automated oil terminal.
There is also the issue of oil train derailments. The spill and resulting fire in Mosier, Ore., caused evacuation of the town, closure of the water treatment plant and could have resulted in the destruction of the entire town and beyond if the wind had been blowing at its usual speed. There is a lot of talk about preparing Washington for oil spills. There is only one way Washington can adequately prepare — deny any new terminals or refineries.
Inslee should stand with the people of Washington who value its natural beauty and clean environment, not with fossil fuel industries who continue to trash the environment, endanger the people who live in it and place our planet in further jeopardy of irreparable climate change.
