Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Tesoro Comments needed by April 15

Our friends in Anacortes need comments on this proposed terminal. Please see below for talking points and where to submit. I am confident of you, dear reader, to be able to send an effective comment on this. Our experiences with the REG/Imperium will serve us well in this task.
Thank you for all you do!


TESORO’S PROPOSED XYLENE PLANT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS)
SCOPING COMMENT OPPORTUNITY

Online Open House: http://TesoroAnacortesEIS.PublicMeeting.info
Scoping Comment Period
          Thursday March 17, 2016 – Friday, April 15, 2016

Scoping Meeting & Open House
          Thursday, March 314-8 pm
          Anacortes High School, 1600 20th St
          Gym (Open House) and Brodniak Hall (Scoping Meeting)

Submitting Public Comments by Friday April 15, 2016

          ONLINE:               http://TesoroAnacortesEIS.PublicMeeting.info 
          VOICE MAIL:        1-877-685-7356 (toll free) 5 minute time limit for messages
          E-MAIL:                comment@TesoroAnacortesEIS.com

          HAND DELIVERED: Skagit County Planning & Development Services
                                      1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, WA
                                      Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:30 pm

          MAIL:                    Tesoro CPUP EIS
                                      PO Box 21069
                                      Seattle, WA 98111
                                      Must be postmarked by April 15, 2016
          

          FAX:                     (360) 416-1340

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
          For more detailed information about the likely significant adverse impact
s created by
          
Tesoro’s Xylene Plant, please review Evergreen Islands’ Comment Letter, August 2015
Tesoro’s proposed Xylene Plant (about $400 million) will produce up to 15,000 barrels per day of mixed xylene.  The mixed xylene will mainly be exported to Asia and will be used to make polyester fibers and films for clothing, food packaging and beverage containers.

Shipping xylene to Asia will also mean an increase in tanker traffic, up to five extra tankers a month entering and exiting Fidalgo Bay


THE XYLENE PROJECT WILL CREATE
A MARINE EXPORT TERMINAL!
POTENTIAL FOR CRUDE OIL EXPORT FROM MARCH POINT (TRANSSHIPMENT)
Concurrent with the Xylene Plant proposal, Tesoro is proposing to construct and operate a crude oil transshipment terminal in Vancouver, Wa. Tesoro’s proposed Vancouver crude oil terminal would be capable of receiving an average of 360,000 barrels of crude oil per day by train, storing it onsite, and loading it onto marine vessels.  An average of 28 trains per week would arrive at the proposed Vancouver Facility. 

Tesoro’s crude-by-rail goal for March Point is 6 unit trains per week, and Shell’s goal is 7 trains per week – potentially a total of 13 crude oil unit trains per week to the March Point refineries.  Since Tesoro already has a crude oil rail terminal on March Point, the new marine oil terminal affords Tesoro the option to ‘transship’ export crude oil by oil tanker.  Note: Congress lifted the 1975 Crude Oil Export ban late last year.

Consequently, the Scope of the EIS for Tesoro’s Xylene Plant should have practically the same scope as the EIS for Tesoro’s proposed crude oil terminal in Vancouver.  The Draft Environment Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Tesoro’s proposed Vancouver project can be reviewed 
here, which includes a bunch of scoping issues that should be included in the EIS for the Xylene Plant
Project Application Materials
“Tesoro Anacortes Refinery: Clean Products Upgrade Project, Project Description,” Skagit Planning & Development website. http://skagitcounty.net/Departments/PlanningAndPermit/tesoroclean.htm

SEPA Determination of Significance – March 17, 2016
Determination Of Significance and Request for Comments on Scope of Environmental Impact Statement
http://skagitcounty.net/PlanningAndPermit/Documents/Tesoro/Tesoro CPU DS and Request for Scoping Comments.pdf
Shoreline Substantial Development Application – June 22, 2015
http://skagitcounty.net/PlanningAndPermit/Documents/Tesoro/CPUP SSDP App (Jun-2015).pdf
Notice of Development Application - July 9, 2015
http://skagitcounty.net/PlanningAndPermit/Documents/Tesoro/NODA.pdf
SEPA Checklist – June 22, 2015
http://skagitcounty.net/PlanningAndPermit/Documents/Tesoro/CPUP_SEPA_Jun_2015.pdf
Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application – June 22, 2015
http://skagitcounty.net/PlanningAndPermit/Documents/Tesoro/CPUP_JARPA_6-22-15.pdf
Site Plans and Diagrams – June 22, 2015
http://skagitcounty.net/PlanningAndPermit/Documents/Tesoro/CPUP_SitePlan_Dwgs (2015-05-22).pdf
Department of Army, jurisdictional determination – June 1, 2015
http://skagitcounty.net/PlanningAndPermit/Documents/Tesoro/4_JD_Letter_USACE_1June2015.pdf
Washington Department of Ecology, Wetland Findings for Tesoro Clean product Upgrade – July 2, 2015
http://skagitcounty.net/PlanningAndPermit/Documents/Tesoro/4_JD_Letter_USACE_1June2015.pdf
Tesoro Clean Products Upgrade Project Cultural Resources Technical Memorandum – May 22, 2015
http://skagitcounty.net/PlanningAndPermit/Documents/Tesoro/4_JD_Letter_USACE_1June2015.pdf
Overview drawings
http://skagitcounty.net/PlanningAndPermit/Documents/Tesoro/CPUP_Overview_Dwgs (2015-05-22).pdf