Citizens for a Clean Harbor: oil tanker

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Port of Longview May Vote Soon on Crude Refinery and Terminal

Refinery Details Emerge: Port of Longview May Vote Soon

May 26, 2015 (Longview, WA) Columbia Riverkeeper

– A letter from Riverside Refining LLC to state officials shows, for the first time, a complete picture of the crude oil refinery and crude-by-rail terminal proposed at the Port of Longview. Riverside Refining would bring Bakken crude to Longview by rail, refine 30,000 barrels daily, and send tankers carrying both refined and un-refined petroleum products through the environmentally sensitive Columbia River estuary. Columbia Riverkeeper obtained the letter through a public records request.

This would be the first west coast refinery constructed in over 25 years and the largest new refinery in the continental United States since 1976.

While the Port of Longview has known about the oil refinery proposal for a year, the Port may acknowledge the project publicly for the first time today, and possibly vote to approve the project. Diane Dick, a Longview resident and President of Landowners and Citizens for a Safe Community, is upset by the Port’s secrecy and lack of foresight. “Oil trains are exploding nearly once a month and emergency responders and local governments are struggling to get proper training and response equipment,” said Dick. “The Port of Longview is ignoring this serious issue and instead choosing to do business with this dangerous industry.”

The prospect of a refinery has Longview school teacher Krista Mead worried for the kids in her classroom. “I’ve lived near an oil refinery,” said Mead. “The fumes, noise and health impacts aren’t worth it. The toxic fumes from the refinery often prevented people from being outside. I don’t want to see Longview’s children impacted like that.”

Beyond dirtying the air, there’s crude-by-rail’s poor safety record. “Oil train derailments are a serious risk; five oil trains have exploded this year alone,” said local firefighter Glen Hudson. “Oil trains supplying oil to a refinery in Longview makes those fiery images I’ve seen on the news seem even closer to home. It seems the oil companies should make sure they have provided sufficient coverage in case of accidents, such as depositing in advance into the accounts of all the local fire departments and county enough money to pay for the additional training of local responders, equipment, cleanup and repair costs anticipated for a worst case scenario. In no case should our community have to bear these expenses.”

Riverside Refining’s letter says it intends to produce biofuel, using imported international feedstocks, as well crude oil. “You don’t need an oil refinery to make biofuel,” stated Brett VandenHeuvel, Executive Director of Columbia Riverkeeper. “Adding some palm oil or ethanol to the oil doesn’t make the refinery or the oil trains any less dangerous.”

Residents are skeptical of the biofuel claim. The Columbia Pacific Bio-Refinery across the river in Clatskanie, Oregon, went bankrupt and now functions entirely as a crude oil terminal.

There is an ongoing lawsuit against the principal backers of Riverside Refining LLC for a biofuels venture in Odessa, Washington. The lawsuit alleges that some of the Riverside leaders lied on credit applications, under-capitalized their business, and lined their own pockets instead of paying more than $1.5 million in outstanding debts after their biofuels-related business in Odessa tanked.

The following documents obtained by Columbia Riverkeeper are available here:

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Supporting Documents:

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Big Oil to Flood West Coast with Tar Sands

Report highlights industry plans to flood West Coast with tar sands

Anthony Swift NRDC 4/28/15

The West Coast could soon become a destination for huge volumes of tar sands crude oil - one of the world's dirtiest fuels - setting back efforts to combat climate change and exposing communities to significant new health and environmental risks. NRDC and a coalition of twenty-nine partners organization released a report - West Coast Tar Sands Invasion - that examines the spike in oil infrastructure, climate pollution, and public health risks that will result from oil industry proposals to expand tar sands refining and export capacity on the West Coast.

As the report details, in coming decades the amount of tar sands crude moving into and through the North American West Coast could increase by more than 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in coming decades if industry proposals for pipelines, tankers and rail facilities move forward. According to analysis by Borealis Centre Environment and Trade Research, nearly half of that tar sands - or 800,000 bpd - could be destined for refineries capable of processing heavy crude in California and Washington. This proposed tar sands invasion is a part of a massive expansion plan by the oil industry to triple production in Alberta, which will require the industry to access the United States' Gulf Coast, West Coast, and East Coast refinery markets (an invasion that Keystone XL continues to be a critical part). The tar sands invasion has major ramifications for the entire West Coast. It requires a strong response from decision makers who must recognize the critical links between proposed tar sands infrastructure and strong climate policies, reduced oil consumption and expanding clean transportation solutions.

The report finds that tar sands industry proposals would result in the following:

A greater than tenfold increase the amount of tar sands moving into and through the North American west coast by more than 1.7 million bpd
Increase the region's carbon pollution by up to 26 million metric tons - the equivalent of adding 5.5 million cars to the road
Create 1,500 miles of new pipelines in British Columbia
Increase Canadian crude by rail from approximately 10,000 bpd to up to 400,000 bpd
Increase tanker and barge traffic twenty-five fold, from 80 to over 2,000 vessels along the Pacific west coast, on the Salish Sea, and down the Columbia River
Increase tar sands at West Coast refineries by eight-fold, from 100,000 bpd to 800,000 bpd by 2040
Create a dozen new rail terminals that would significantly increase the region's crude-by-rail traffic
Place hundreds of communities, critical waterways and other environmentally-sensitive areas at risk of a tar sands oil spill
Put fenceline communities and millions of West Coast residents at greater risk than ever to increased toxic air pollution, derailments, explosions and other accidents that harm public health along with air and water quality

If it proceeds, this invasion will put public safety at risk and harm water resources, air quality, and the climate. A tar sands spill from train, pipeline, or tanker could devastate local economies, pristine wilderness, harm human health, and lead to an especially costly and challenging cleanup..... more here

Rail lines that cater to ag escape oil train tax

Don Jenkins Capital Press 4/27/15

Oil train bill won't increase taxes on railroad companies that haul farm products.

OLYMPIA — In the nick of time, regional railroads, many of which primarily haul agricultural products, escaped a tax increase.

Shortly before adjourning Friday, the Washington House and Senate agreed on a bill to address an influx of rail cars hauling potentially explosive crude oil from Bakken fields to West Coast refineries.
BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad will pay higher taxes to beef up rail inspections, but short-line railroads that don’t carry crude will be exempted.

“It was a really significant victory for short-line railroads,” said lobbyist Patrick Boss, who represented a coalition of regional rail companies. “That bill was about oil trains. I think the Legislature did the right thing.”

Short-line railroads were included in House Bill 1449 until it was amended just before the Senate approved it 46-0. The House agreed with that and other changes and passed the measure 95-1 a short time later. The bill is ready to be signed by Gov. Jay Inslee, who praised it in a press release.

Passing the bill was the Legislature’s last major action before ending the 2015 regular session. Lawmakers will convene in a special session Wednesday to negotiate 2015-17 operating, capital and transportation budgets..... more here

In compromise, Washington state oil safety legislation focuses on crude-by-rail

By Samantha Wohlfeil The Bellingham Herald April 27, 2015

Derailed oil train’s crew told investigators they had seconds to escape

By Curtis Tate McClatchy April 27, 2015 The Tribune

The engineer and conductor on a BNSF oil train that derailed in North Dakota in December 2013 had seconds to escape their locomotive before it was engulfed by fire, according to interview transcripts made available Monday by federal accident investigators.

The interviews, conducted in January 2014 by the National Transportation Safety Board, show the occupational risks railroad workers face, especially with trains carrying hazardous materials. The train’s engineer is suing BNSF, and says the wreck left him with post-traumatic stress disorder.

They also show that emergency responders did not initially understand the severity of the situation they faced when two trains derailed near Casselton, N.D., on Dec. 30, 2013. One of them was carrying grain, and the other, crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken region..... more here

Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/04/27/3606607_derailed-oil-trains-crew-told.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2015/04/27/4263941_in-compromise-washington-state.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

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