Another Domino: Longview Projects Rejected!

Longview Says Oil Refinery & Propane Terminal is Dirty & Dangerous

Press release via Columbia Riverkeeper

Port of Longview Rejects Proposed Columbia River Oil Refinery and Propane Export Terminal

^{Port of Longview, image courtesy of The Daily News.}

Feb. 23, 2016 (Longview, WA) – The Port of Longview commissioners voted unanimously to end negotiations with Waterside Energy, the backers of a controversial oil refinery and propane export terminal. Waterside proposed the first west coast oil refinery in 25 years and the first ever on the Columbia River.

Local educators, first responders, and conservation groups praised the Port’s decision. “I’ve taught in schools near oil refineries—the smell was hard to live with but the rate of childhood cancer was devastating. Today, the port commission did the right thing for Longview’s children,” said Krista Mead, elementary school teacher at Columbia Valley Garden Elementary School.

Waterside proposed serving the refinery and the propane terminal with trains. “If there was a large oil train incident, we would have to call in help from outside areas to respond to the current level of flammable materials traveling through our service area,” said Glen Hudson, a volunteer with the Cowlitz 2 fire department. “The port commission rejected a project that we are unprepared to respond to. Statistics from 2016 already reveal that we are facing a higher volume of emergency response calls—our resources are already being stretched too thin. If the fire department expanded to meet the risk that Waterside poses, taxpayers would bear the burden.”

The Port’s decision marks the latest in a string of defeats for fossil fuel projects on the Columbia River. In addition to Waterside, the Port of Longview previously rejected a propane export terminal by Haven Energy. The City of Portland rejected a propane terminal proposed by Pembina.

“Our region values clean water and healthy communities,” said Brett VandenHeuvel, Executive Director of Columbia Riverkeeper. “Dirty fossil fuel projects fly in the face of these values. The Port of Longview heard loud and clear from its constituents: an oil refinery and propane terminal are dirty and dangerous.”

“This community presented a compelling argument against the Waterside oil refinery and propane terminal,” stated Kelso resident Linda Horst. “By voting ‘no’, our port commissioners demonstrated a sincere desire to work not only for the community, but with the community. I thank them for the resounding ‘no’ vote.”

Oil refinery opponents flagged the checkered history of Waterside Energy. In 2014, Waterside Energy’s backers abandoned their biodiesel facility in Odessa, Washington, firing all employees and leaving over $1.6 million in unpaid bills. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted an emergency cleanup at the site after discovering dangerous, leaking chemicals. Today’s vote ends two years of negotiations –largely behind closed doors – to build the first oil refinery on the Columbia.

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The Thin Green Line Is Stopping Coal and Oil in Their Tracks

The Thin Green Line Is Stopping Coal and Oil in Their Tracks

Northwest communities have won key battles. Can they win the war?

 

Eric de Place (@Eric_deP) and Deric Gruen (@DericGruen) on August 13, 2015

SightLine Institute

 

This post is part of the research project: Northwest Coal & Oil Exports

“Everybody outside the Northwest thinks that’s where energy projects go to die.”

“Everybody outside the Northwest thinks that’s where energy projects go to die.” That’s the reputation our region has earned as an increasing number of proposed coal and oil export projects have encountered ferocious opposition. It’s what the backer of a proposed oil refinery in Longview, Washington, told reporters earlier this year after his company’s stealth proposal was outed by environmental groups.

The Cascadia region has proven to be extraordinarily challenging for those who would turn it into a major carbon energy export hub—so much so that Sightline has taken to calling it the Thin Green Line.

Since 2012, a staggering number of schemes have proposed to move large volumes of carbon-intense fuels through Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia to Asian markets. A recent Sightline analysis shows that proposed and newly permitted energy projects in the region would amount to the carbon equivalent of more than five Keystone XL Pipelines.

But in big ways and small—from Coos Bay, Oregon, to Prince Rupert, British Columbia—the Thin Green Line has held fast. Big energy projects have faced delays, uncertainty, mounting costs…and then failure. A review of these projects makes clear just how successful the region has been in denying permission to dirty energy companies as it stays true to its heritage as a center of clean energy, sustainability, and forward thinking.

continued below...   

HB 1449 Oil Bill Passes House, Support SB 5087 in Senate NOW!

Oil Bill Passes House – what’s next?

Late last Thursday, the House passed the Oil Transportation Safety Now bill (HB 1449) with bipartisan support – a 60-38 vote.

This would not have happened without you. Thank you for all the emails, calls, letters, and in person visits – they made the difference. We are now one step closer to updating our laws to protect our communities and waterways. Will you take a minute to thank your Representatives if they voted in support?

But we’re not over the finish line yet.

Next, the Oil Transportation Safety Now bill moves to the Senate. To make progress there, it needs to be heard in their Energy, Environment & Telecommunications Committee.

Will you help make that happen? Email your Senator and tell them that a bill to protect our waterways and communities has received bipartisan support and deserves a hearing.

In the past few weeks, the threat that we face from oil trains and tankers has been more and more apparent – with derailments in Illinois, West Virginia, and Ontario. While this bill won’t prevent all accidents, it’s an essential first step forwards making us safer.

Tell the Senate it deserves a hearing.

Thank you!

Click here to support HB 1449/SB5087 
it's a good idea to add the SB5087 detail to the Subject line of the email to your Senator.

Other news:

Port of Longview commissioners reject Haven Energy lease on 3-0 vote

Port of Longview commissioners unanimously rejected the proposed Haven Energy propane export terminal Tuesday morning, voicing concerns about the safety and the true economic impact of the $300 million project.

Bay Area lawsuits question EIS report and air quality impacts

Rodeo: Phillips 66 project faces additional lawsuits

By Tom Lochner, 03/06/2015      The Contra Costa Times

 

RODEO — A second organization has sued to block a propane and butane recovery project at a Rodeo refinery, and a third announced it would do so as well Thursday.

Rodeo Citizens Association filed suit Thursday in Contra Costa Superior Court, Martinez against Contra Costa County and the Phillips 66 Co., contending Phillips wants to transport heavy and dirty tar sands crude by rail from outside the state to a sister refinery in San Luis Obispo County and pipe the semi-refined oil to Rodeo. The association further contends that a county-approved Environmental Impact Report fails to note that the project would increase air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

On Wednesday, Communities for a Better Environment sued the county and Phillips 66, contending the project is part of a grander plan to process heavy, dirty tar sands crude that would come to California by rail.....    more here

Lawsuit filed TODAY to Stop Tar Sands in the Bay Area!

By  Yana, March 4, 2015       Communities For a Better Environment

 

This morning CBE sued Phillips 66 and Contra Costa County based on the County’s omission of critical crude quality information and its failure to mitigate the significant environmental, public health and safety impacts from Phillips 66’s Propane Fuel Recovery Project before approving the project and issuing permits.

Read more in CBE’s press release [here] ; and see  filings [here].

Unit Trains of Bakken Propane Want Access to Longview Port

Port of Longview commissioners, left to right, Darold Dietz, Bob Bagaason and Lou Johnson, at Haven Energy hearing at Cowlitz County Expo Center

 

2/21/15

Hi folks,

I attended a meeting Thursday, February 19, on a proposal to use 100 car unit trains from the Bakken to ship propane and butane to the Port of Longview for foreign export. 

I've pasted my report below.

Dan Leahy

PROPOSED PROPANE TERMINAL AT PORT OF LONGVIEW

It's an all too familiar scene here in Washington State as yet another fracked product from North Dakota wants access to our public ports. This time it's a special meeting at the Cowlitz County Expo Center in Longview, Washington on Thursday evening, February 19^th.

The hall is filled with 250 to 300 people, the majority of whom are anxious to express opposition to a psychic, economic and physical threat to their community's security and work life. In front are the seated and typically silent public officials, this time three Commissioners from the Port of Longview. The meeting's chair, Commissioner Bob Bagaason, readies his gavel to discipline any public impertinence then gives the floor to yet another corporate front man who, without hearing any gavel, takes up more time that he is allotted.