The July 13 editorial, “Time not of the essence,” carefully detailed the need for investigating all aspects of the proposed oil trains to the Port of Vancouver. Tesoro and Savage accused the state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council of “delay of process.” We should all be very thankful. The rail lines lie dangerously close to three Columbia River dams — the John Day, The Dalles, and Bonneville dams. These dams produce electricity that powers our region and also south as far as Arizona and north to British Columbia. We finally will get an investigation by the Army Corps of Engineers as to the hazards of exploding oil tankers along the river in very close proximity to those dams.
Public testimony begins Aug. 1 and statements can be sent to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch, Attn. Steve Manlow, P.O. Box 3755, Seattle, WA, 98124, or email mws.Tesoro_savage@usace.army.mil using subject line NWS-2013-962.
Celia Louderback
Vancouver
