Olympian editorial: Port has valid concerns about oil trains

 Rail shipments of crude oil from North Dakota in black tank cars are adding to the volume of rail traffic on Washington's rail network sit at the train yard on Thursday, June 20, 2013. Lui Kit Wong/Staff photographer

Today the Olympian newspaper published an editorial supporting the Port of Olympia's right to be concerned about crude-by-rail:

Port has valid concerns about oil trains

The Olympian  editorial October 23, 2014


The Washington Public Ports Association publicly spanked the Olympia Port Commission for urging the Port of Grays Harbor to reconsider its plan to build three new oil-by-rail terminals in Hoquiam.

The WPPA apparently objects to one port raising concerns about another port’s business.

But the Port of Olympia has a right to be concerned. In fact, all South Sound residents should worry about the environmental and economic impacts of building terminals that could bring dangerous oil tanker trains moving 175,000 barrels of highly flammable Bakken crude oil per day through Thurston County.

There are many valid reasons for Thurston County jurisdictions and residents to be concerned about increased train traffic carrying hazardous cargoes.... read more here

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Tuesday the Daily World wrote its own article with a much less positive tone:

Censured Port of Olympia commissioners bite back

Fallout continues to spread from a resolution passed by the Port of Olympia criticizing the Port of Grays Harbor and the City of Hoquiam over three proposed oil terminals.