Tag Archives: Oil

Final EIS & Permit: Westway Oil Terminal (Grays Harbor)

Comments accepted through:  November 19, 2016.

The final EIS for the proposed Westway crude oil shipping terminal at Grays Harbor has been issued and now the City of Hoquiam has a decision to make: to grant or deny the permit for the project.  There is one last opportunity for written public comments that screen-shot-2016-11-10-at-3-08-30-pmwill end on November 19, 2016.

Westway has applied to the City of Hoquiam for a shoreline development permit.  To act on this permit application, the City must take into account the findings of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that evaluates the broad range of impacts of oil trains going to Hoquiam of 100+ year old tracks and more oil tankers navigating the Harbor.  The FEIS clearly found that impacts to tribal treaty rights, access to fishing, and the risk of a devastating derailment or marine oil spill cannot be mitigated.   

For more information, visit: Washington Dept of Ecology Grays Harbor Terminal Expansion, or Stand up to Oil   www.standuptooil.org or contact Tammy Domike, Citizens for a Clean Harbor, cleangraysharbor@gmail.com.

Oil by Rail – Shell Unloading Facility at Anacortes

Permit Application Cancelled – Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Rail Spur

Screen Shot 2016-06-23 at 5.49.30 PMShell cancelled their permit request after the draft EIS was released in October.  The history and current status can be found on Washington Department of Ecology  website.  They may reapply, if plans change which would result in the EIS  process being started over.

WDOE Study of Oil Transport

State awards contract to address environmental concerns

Consultant selected for oil transportation study

Washington Department of Ecology – NEWS   June 27, 2014

OLYMPIA – Work continues on a study to analyze the impacts of marine and rail oil transportation in Washington state with a contract signed between the Department of Ecology and Environmental Research Consulting (ERC) of New York.

Ecology was tasked with conducting the study in the 2014 Legislative session through a budget proviso and is working in consultation with the Department of Transportation, Utilities and Transportation Commission, Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division, the Federal Railroad Administration, and tribal governments.

ERC has been awarded a $250,000 contract to work closely with Ecology’s technical team and diverse statewide stakeholders to produce a complete report that looks at the current and anticipated transportation and safety pictures for marine and rail. The report will also identify any gaps in the oil spill prevention, preparedness and response system.

“We received a number of bids from excellent organizations,” said Scott Ferguson, project manager for Ecology. “ERC was selected for their years of experience providing environmental and oil spill analysis, reputation as a leader in the environmental field, and their in-depth knowledge of the issues we need to delve into to produce an informative, thorough study.”

The oil transportation study and report from ERC will:

*      Inform recommendations for public health, safety and environmental concerns.

*      Contain a statement of safety benefits vs. the cost of implementation.

*      Offer recommendations for funding programs.

*       Provide a risk communication strategy.

Gov. Inslee has issued a directive requesting initial findings and recommendations from the study by Oct. 1. The final report is due March 1, 2015.   “It’s our job to provide the best information possible to inform the governor and the Legislature,” said Ferguson. “To do that we’ll need everyone’s input and will be seeking community and citizen input each step of the way.”

More information about oil transportation in our state is available on Ecology’s website. People can also sign up to receive the Oil Movement newsletter for periodic updates.

Contacts:

Lisa Copeland, communications, 360-407-6990, @EcySW

Scott Ferguson, project manager, 360-407-7465