Letter: Query erupts from new explosion

There’s been another horrific train explosion transporting Bakken oil in North Dakota, reported in a Dec. 31 story “Oil train derails, explodes in N.D. Officials urge residents of community to evacuate.”

Did our Port of Vancouver unilaterally approve Tesoro-Savage building their oil export terminal on the Columbia River (despite omitting major constituents) because the pre-eminent decision benefited taxes to the port, city of Vancouver, Washington state?

Did the port do complete due diligence regarding safety? If so why haven’t the Teamsters unions supported the Tesoro-Savage terminal?

Was derailments and explosions due to archaic oil tanker (DOT-111s) hazards evaluated?

Did the port require railroad inspection/infrastructure updates or environmental review to railroad tracks in Washington as the rail tracks have deteriorated? Did the port circumvent this since it’s not required by federal law?

Nationally train transport increased from 9,500 carloads of crude in 2008 to more than 200,000 carloads in 2012.

Explosions of railroad tankers carrying highly flammable Bakken fracked shale oil to export terminals will continue, and our port commissioners’ attitude appears to be “I don’t give a damn, Scarlett.” The port’s shameless logic that “if we don’t get Tesoro-Savage’s export terminal contract, someone else will” is spurious, self-aggrandizing and shortsighted as any consideration by a suicide-bomber.

One-by-one, starting in 2014, vote each of those high-paid carpetbaggers out office.

Sharon Dienstbier Conser

Vancouver