Kudos to Gov. Inslee for rejecting the Tesoro-Savage oil terminal proposal, following the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council’s unanimous recommendation to deny the facility based on unavoidable catastrophic risks.
The extra oil trains coming through Northern Idaho have blocked my way to and from Sandpoint. But that would be bearable if they were carrying solar panels or wind turbines. By cutting the oil shipments through here by 360,000 barrels per day, we will save at least 54 millions tons of carbon pollution per year.
Inslee’s decision also helps prevents oil train derailments like the one in Mosier, Ore. Here in Sandpoint, Idaho, a derailment like that could happen and ruin Lake Pend Oreille, our homes and our schools. Any economic benefits that would have accrued to Washington are certainly outweighed by these considerations.
Thank you, Gov. Inslee, for denying the largest rail-to-marine oil terminal in North America. Please continue to set a strong example in Washington for how all states, including Idaho, can take actions that protect the public from fossil fuel trains. We will continue applauding!
