T-5-aerial_D295-16Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal – A joint venture between the port’s longtime tenant Tesoro and the logistics company Savage to bring North American crude oil by rail to the port where it will then be loaded onto marine vessels and shipped to U.S. West Coast refineries in Alaska, Washington and California

 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE VANCOUVER ENERGY WEBSITE

PORT OF VANCOUVER PROCESS
Over the past several months, the Port of Vancouver has carefully worked through the process of leasing property to Tesoro-Savage for a crude oil handling facility. The port’s Board of Commissioners approved a 10-year lease on October 22, 2013. The board’s action followed five workshops over a ten-week period during which port commissioners collected information from local and regional experts on a wide variety of issues related to the transport and storage of crude oil. The workshops were open to the public, and community members were invited to share their thoughts, concerns and questions at the close of each meeting. Click on the links below to learn more, including the ability to view taped coverage of the workshops and the July 23 and October 22 commission meetings.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW/PUBLIC INPUT
The board’s approval of the lease, which is conditioned on Tesoro-Savage acquiring all necessary permits and the development of a port-approved safety plan, was just the first step in an ongoing process. The project is now moving through a rigorous environmental review under the jurisdiction of the Washington State Energy Facility Siting Evaluation Council (EFSEC). Tesoro-Savage submitted their application in August 2013; and the review process is expected to take approximately 14 months to complete and includes multiple opportunities for public involvement. View the EFSEC flow chart for more information on the process. Federal permitting will proceed through a separate concurrent process.

Multilayer Review Required for Tesoro-Savage Crude Oil Termial

We all intuitively know how important it is to protect our air quality. It’s one of the most critical components in making sure we safeguard our community as we grow. Fortunately, our state has developed a complex and robust regulatory framework to ensure the protection of this vital resource – the air we breathe.

The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) is the regulating agency in Washington state with overall permitting authority for the proposed crude oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver USA. The EFSEC process is thorough and will include a rigorous and comprehensive multilayer review of the emissions from the proposed terminal that allow opportunities for public input. Read more…

 

EFSEC Scoping Process
To begin this process, EFSEC held a public information meeting on October 28 and a scoping meeting on October 29, 2013, both in Vancouver, Wash. During the scoping meeting, agencies, affected Tribes, and members of the public were invited to comment on the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed project. Interested persons or organizations also commented in writing on alternatives, mitigation measures, probable significant adverse impacts, and licenses or other approvals that may be required. The extended scoping comment period for the proposed project was from October 3 to December 18, 2013. Please view the Determination of Significance Scoping Notice and minutes from the October 28 and October 29 meetings for more information.

In addition to extending the scoping comment period (the original scoping comment period was from October 3 to November 18, 2013), EFSEC also held an additional public scoping comment meeting on December 11, 2013, in Spokane, Wash.  Please view the Notice of Extension and Notice of Additional Public Scoping Comment Meeting for more information.

Following the release of a Scoping Report in February 2014, EFSEC held a public meeting on April 2, 2013, in Vancouver, Wash. during which the Council reported that it had received 31,074 comments during the EIS scoping comment period. Review the Scoping Comments and the Scope of Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal for more information. The DEIS will inform the public and decision makers about the impacts of the proposed project. It will identify the potential environmental impacts and discuss possible mitigation measures were appropriate.

For more complete information on the EFSEC process, please click on the link below.

PROJECT OVERVIEW
Approximately 42 acres of port property will be leased by Tesoro-Savage to accommodate a rail unloading facility, storage tanks, and a vessel loading area. It is important to note that this is a transload facility only. No crude oil will be refined on port property. The estimated capital investment by Tesoro-Savage is $100 million, and revenue to the port over the 10-year lease period is expected to exceed $45 million. The port plans to reinvest these dollars in publicly owned infrastructure that will create more jobs and economic benefit for the community. Specifically, the facility will create between 80 and 120 direct, permanent jobs and 250 temporary construction jobs. For more information on the project, click on the links below to download copies of the port’s information sheet, Tesoro-Savage’s April 22 press release — or visit the Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal website.

SAFETY
Fundamental to the port’s consideration of a lease with Tesoro-Savage was, and continues to be, the issue of safety. The port’s expectation is that the Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal will be state-of-the-industry when it comes to health and safety, and that Tesoro-Savage will go above and beyond in its efforts to safeguard our community and the environment. Click on the links below to view a variety of port communications on the topic.

Letter from Todd Coleman to the Fruit Valley Neighborhood
“We know that safety and protection of the environment are above all else, and that the transport of oil can raise questions. Residents of Fruit valley are our closest neighbors, and we welcome your questions and want to make sure that our line of communication is open, and that you have the information you need. We want this facility to be the safest and cleanest we can make it – period.” Read more…

Study shows very low risk of derailment on new rail entrance (VIDEO)
On March 25, 2013, representatives from a world-renowned rail safety organization told port commissioners that based on extensive analysis of the port’s rail infrastructure and the port’s willingness to invest in additional safety enhancements, there is a very low potential for derailment of trains as they enter the Port of Vancouver USA. Read more…

CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions or need more information, please visit the contact page on the Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal website or contact the port at info@portvanusa.com. Thank you, and please revisit this post periodically for updated and additional information.

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