newspapersInterested in what others are saying about the Port of Vancouver USA? The following are stories by local and national media sources — as well as industry publications — that mention the port. But don’t stop here. Exploring our website is a great way to learn more about what’s happening on our marine terminals and in our industrial areas.

 

 

 The Oregonian – July 16, 2014
Zoning of Vancouver’s proposed oil terminal site is correct, panel finds
 VANCOUVER, Wash. — A state panel reviewing a plan to build the Northwest’s largest crude-by-rail terminal says the proposed site is properly zoned for the purpose. The state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council said Tuesday that zoning at the Port of Vancouver site allows for an oil terminal. Read more.

Progressive Railroading – July 16, 2014
Washington state port’s Subaru imports reach 1 million mark
 The Port of Vancouver USA on July 13 marked the 1 millionth Subaru vehicle to cross its docks since 1993. Read more.

Puget Sound Business Journal – July 11, 2014
$190M Vancouver crude oil terminal will be safe, backers say
 Backers of a proposed crude oil transfer terminal in Vancouver, Wash., are starting a public relations push ahead of a draft environmental impact statement, which is set to be released in a few months. Read more.

The Motley Fool – July 7, 2014
No port of call for BHP Billiton
Potash may become BHP Billiton’s “fifth pillar” over time, but the potential held by its massive Jansen project in Saskatchewan will have to be achieved without dedicated port facilities. The world’s biggest miner let lapse an exclusivity agreement it held with the Port of Vancouver to develop a terminal where the fertilizer ingredient would be loaded onto ships head for Asia. Read more.

The Daily News Online – June 25, 2014
Public Works Director Kent Cash leaving for Port of Vancouver job
After working for Cowlitz County for more than two decades, Public Works Director Kent Cash has accepted a position as chief operating officer at the Port of Vancouver. Read more.

News Talk 980 – June 25, 2014
BHP could be looking for port options for Jansen potash
BHP Billiton could be looking for a new port option to send its future Jansen mine potash to. The company has opted to allow the exclusivity agreement for Terminal 5 at the Port of Vancouver, Wash. to lapse. Read more.

The Columbian – June 25, 2014
CREDC votes to support rail safety improvement efforts
The board of the Columbia River Economic Development Council supports state and federal efforts to improve rail safety. The board’s vote last week did not state a position on any specific projects such as the proposed Tesoro-Savage oil transfer terminal at the Port of Vancouver. Read more.

The Columbian – June 17, 2014
Counts on oil trains dribble out
About 7.2 million barrels of crude oil traveled by rail through Clark County in the year between July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013, according to information newly released to The Columbian by Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency. Read more.

Vancouver Business Journal – May 30, 2014
Habitat Bank receives environmental stewardship award from Port of Vancouver
For its efforts to preserve natural habitat in Vancouver and throughout the Pacific Northwest, the Port of Vancouver USA has named Habitat Bank LLC as the recipient of its Environmental Stewardship Award. Read more.

The Columbian – May 28, 2014
Hearing on proposed oil terminal zeroes in on zoning
The state panel reviewing a proposed oil terminal in Vancouver on Wednesday asked residents to weigh in on a basic but specific topic: whether the controversial project complies with local zoning and land-use rules. Read more.

Workers World – May 26, 2014
On the picket line
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, whose members operate port terminals and shipping lines on 29 West Coast ports, began negotiations May 12 with the Pacific Maritime Association. The current contract covering nearly 20,000 dockworkers expires at midnight on June 30. Read more.

Port Strategy – May 23, 2014
Ease of Access
Port of Vancouver USA plays the distance card as it looks to bring in Pacific Rim shippers. Martin Rushmere reports Vancouver is stepping up its marketing drive in the Pacific Rim and promoting its easy access and cheaper routes than other US ports, especially those on the Gulf of Mexico. Read more.

The Columbian – May 23, 2014
Habitat Bank to receive Port of Vancouver’s stewardship award
Habitat Bank will receive the Port of Vancouver’s Environmental Stewardship Award for its efforts to preserve natural habitat in Vancouver and throughout the Northwest. Read more.

The Columbian – May 19, 2014
Proposed oil terminal focus of forum
Vancouver’s East Old Evergreen Highway Neighborhood Association, with residents living near BNSF Railway tracks, wants information about a proposal to build the Northwest’s largest oil-by-rail terminal at the Port of Vancouver. To that end, the association will convene a forum from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Vancouver Water Resources Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way in Vancouver. Read more.

The Columbian – May 19, 2014
City poised to oppose any increase in Bakken crude oil traffic
The Vancouver City Council appears poised to make a bold statement by opposing not only what would be the Northwest’s largest oil transfer terminal, but also any proposals that would result in an increase of Bakken crude oil being hauled through Clark County. Read more.

Vancouver Business Journal – May 16, 2014
The risks are too high to hop on the oil bandwagon
Vancouver stands at a crossroads. Oil trains are already chugging through our neighborhoods, with plans in the works for dozens more each day. Citizens aren’t exactly rallying around the vision of Vancouver as a fossil fuel gateway, but we recognize that attracting new business drives economic growth. Read more.

The Columbian – May 16, 2014
Vancouver’s draft resolution urges rejection of oil terminal
A resolution under consideration by the Vancouver City Council urges decision-makers to reject a proposal to build the Northwest’s largest oil-handling facility at the Port of Vancouver. Read more.

The Oregonian – May 14, 2014
Oil trains; paying more to hunt and fish: Opinion roundup
Oil trains are increasingly plying rails in Oregon and Washington, triggering reviews of emergency preparedness and calls for safer tanker cars. The Seattle Times, noting the public is correctly “spooked by the prospects of more and more oil trains moving through their communities,” supports a recent call by Washington’s congressional delegation for better federal safety standards. Read more.

The Columbian – May 10, 2014
Press Talk: Oil should not define who we are
If the world ran on olive oil — extra virgin — we’d be having a completely different community conversation. We’d mostly all agree that throwing a little of the sweet stuff on al dente vermicelli just after it is served is as good as it gets. Read more.

Koin 6 – May 7, 2014
Fire damages Vancouver electronics recycler
A 2-alarm fire damaged an electronics recycling business near the Port of Vancouver Wednesday afternoon. The fire began just after 2 p.m. at IMS Electronics. Smoke was pouring out of the building by the time firefighters arrived. Read more.

The Columbian – May 5, 2014
Vancouver council studies aspects of oil-shipping issue
The Vancouver City Council will vote June 16 on two resolutions: One to oppose plans for what would be the Northwest’s largest oil-handling facility at the Port of Vancouver, and one to formally intervene in the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council process. Read more.

Sustainable Business Oregon – May 2, 2014
Price tag to build controversial oil terminal in Vancouver rises above $150M
Tesoro Corp.’s top officer told analysts the cost of building an oil-logistics terminal at Washington state’s Port of Vancouver could run as high as $190 million — up from an original $110 million price tag — adding that construction also has been delayed by several months. Read more.

San Antonio Business Journal – May 2, 2014
Tesoro CEO says price tag of controversial terminal has gone up
Tesoro Corp.’s top officer told analysts the cost of building an oil-logistics terminal at Washington state’s Port of Vancouver could run as high as $190 million — up from an original $110 million price tag — adding that construction also has been delayed by several months.. Read more.

EarthFix– May 1, 2014
Wash. Port Releases New Lease Details For Oil-by-Rail Terminal
The Port of Vancouver on Wednesday released an updated version of its lease for the Northwest’s largest oil-by-rail transfer terminal, featuring fewer censored details but maintaining redactions of key issues the port considers sensitive. Read more.

Portland Business Journal – May 1, 2014
Port of Vancouver oil terminal details include termination provisions
Details of a proposed Vancouver, Washington oil transfer facility, which would manage rail shipments, indicate that builders would face tight construction guidelines if the project is approved. Read more.

The Columbian – April 30, 2014
Tankers catch fire in Lynchburg, Va., derailment
Several CSX train cars carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire Wednesday along the James River, with three black tankers ending up in the water and leaking some of their contents, in the most recent crash involving oil trains that has safety experts pushing for better oversight.. Read more.

The Oregonian – April 30, 2014
4 oil train terminal secrets the Port of Vancouver revealed (and some it didn’t)
The Port of Vancouver released on Wednesday a copy of its deal with companies proposing to build and operate the Pacific Northwest’s largest oil train terminal — this time, with fewer secrets. Read more.

The Columbian – April 17, 2014
Tours of Port of Vancouver scheduled
The Port of Vancouver will hold its first of four public tours scheduled in 2014 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 30. The free tours will showcase the West Vancouver Freight Access rail project, the largest transportation project in the port’s 100-year history, as well as the diverse range of marine cargoes handled on port docks. Read more.

The Columbian – April 14, 2014
BNSF officials tell Vancouver safety top priority
BNSF Railway officials emphasized a safety-first mentality, billions of dollars’ worth of capital investments and a pledge to spend millions training first responders in the event of an oil spill during a workshop Monday with the Vancouver City Council. Read more. Read more.

The Oregonian – April 14, 2014
Six things you should know about the Pacific Northwest’s largest oil train terminal in Vancouver, Wash.
A series of fiery explosions expanded opposition and heightened scrutiny of a Tesoro Corp. and Savage Cos. oil train terminal in Vancouver, Wash., a project that promises to be a bellwether for a growing number of facilities in development along the West Coast. Read more.

The Columbian – April 13, 2014
Local view: Fruit Valley residents oppose oil plan
Vancouver’s largest neighborhood, Fruit Valley, is a longtime partner with rail, industry, and the Port of Vancouver. The businesses here contribute thousands of jobs and millions of dollars to Clark County’s economy. Read more.

The Columbian – April 6, 2014
Local view: Economic development needs certainty
If we have learned anything since the recent Great Recession, it is that companies are hesitant to invest in new ventures and markets when times are turbulent. Therefore, if we want to see more jobs and greater economic growth in the state of Washington, we need to provide the foundations necessary for any type of investment: predictability and certainty. Read more.

Vancouver Business Journal– April 4, 2014
Is Food Processing part of Port “Comprehensive Scheme”?
The leaders of a Clark County food processing company will bring their efforts to negotiate a lower lease rate out into the open on April 8, when they bring their case to the Port of Vancouver Board of Commissioners. Read more.

The Columbian- April 3, 2014
Nustar wants to handle crude oil locally
The proposed Tesoro-Savage terminal, which would be the largest oil-by-rail facility in the Northwest, has overshadowed a smaller but significant crude oil proposal for Vancouver Read more.

The Columbian- April 2, 2014
EFSEC plans broad review of oil terminal plan
The Washington state board reviewing what would be the Northwest’s largest oil-by-rail terminal will undertake a sweeping analysis of the facility’s environmental effects — from the extraction of the oil to its ultimate consumption. Read more.

The Columbian- March 31, 2014
Tesoro’s dispute in Calif. resonates in Vancouver
From the start, the proposed oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver generated heated debate over what such a facility would mean for the community. But in recent weeks, the local conversation has also been shaped by an incident hundreds of miles from Vancouver. Read more.

Chron – March 29, 2014
Iowa company uses innovative construction method
At a southern California factory, a 311-foot conveyer weighs, inspects and packages 800,000, 3-pound bags of Wonderful Halos per day, or 19 million of the mandarin oranges. The 640,000-square foot complex, the size of 11 football fields, was built two years ago by Younglove Construction for Paramount Citrus, which markets Halos to grocers nationwide. Read more.

Vancouver Business Journal – March 28, 2014
Exploring Business Case for Tesoro-Savage Oil Terminal
In a few weeks, Tesoro-Savage will publish an economic impact study, conducted by a third-party consulting company. The study will assess how the proposed energy distribution facility (commonly referred to as the oil terminal) at the Port of Vancouver will impact southwest Washington’s economy. Read more.

Vancouver Business Journal – March 26, 2014
Report to Port Commission: Very low likelihood of derailment
At the regular meeting of Port of Vancouver Commissioners Tuesday morning the commissioners heard from the Sebastian Oertel, chief operating officer of the independent rail safety organization TÜV Rheinland Rail Services, Inc. TÜV Rheinland was commissioned by the Port to evaluate the safety of its rail infrastructure, specifically the section of track leaving the BNSF mainline and entering the port’s property, some 3000 feet of track. Read more.

Vancouver Business Journal – March 26, 2014
Report to Port Commission: Very low likelihood of derailment
At the regular meeting of Port of Vancouver Commissioners Tuesday morning the commissioners heard from the Sebastian Oertel, chief operating officer of the independent rail safety organization TÜV Rheinland Rail Services, Inc. TÜV Rheinland was commissioned by the Port to evaluate the safety of its rail infrastructure, specifically the section of track leaving the BNSF mainline and entering the port’s property, some 3000 feet of track. Read more.

The Bellingham Herald – March 25, 2014
Companies: Don’t rush to judge Wash. oil terminal
Top executives from the companies behind a proposed oil-transfer terminal at the Port of Vancouver are not finding much local support. Officials from Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies are in Vancouver this week to support for a $110 million facility capable of handling as much as 380,000 barrels of oil per day. The facility would transfer oil arriving by rail from North Dakota to ships that would take it to refineries.. Read more

The Columbian – March 21, 2014
Study: low likelihood of derailment near waterfront project
A new study commissioned by the Port of Vancouver has found a very low likelihood of a train derailment on tracks that run alongside a waterfront redevelopment project whose leader says will largely be ruined if an oil-by-rail transfer terminal is built at the port. Read more.

Vancouver Business Journal – March 20, 2014
Excursion company bringing riverboat, regional office to Vancouver
The American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC), a Memphis-based excursion/tour company, announced Thursday that its 223-guest riverboat, the American Empress, will make Vancouver her home port. Additionally, the company will open a Pacific Northwest office at the Port of Vancouver. Read more.

The Columbian – March 18, 2014
Groups raise new challenge to Tesoro-Savage oil project
Environmental groups are leveling a new challenge against a proposal to build the Northwest’s largest oil-by-rail transfer terminal at the Port of Vancouver, arguing that a 1977 federal law prohibits the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from issuing a permit for the proposal’s dock reconstruction project. Read more.

The Columbian – March 10, 2014
Longshoreman wants court records sealed
A former longshore worker accused of sabotaging operations at a Vancouver grain export terminal during a labor dispute in December 2012 is seeking to seal a variety of court records in a related civil lawsuit against him. Read more.

The Columbian – March 6, 2014
In Our View: Speak up, Vancouver
Spokane has been heard. Bellingham has weighed in. Seattle is speaking up. Even the state House of Representatives has taken steps to help maintain some local control over the cavalcade of oil trains that are queued up to rumble through the state. Read more.

The Columbian – March 4, 2014
Port of Vancouver asked to cancel Tesoro-Savage lease
Opponents of a planned oil-by-rail terminal at the Port of Vancouver urged the port Tuesday to cancel its lease with Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies. They leveled several arguments against the project, including that it undermines commercial/residential redevelopment of Vancouver’s waterfront, won’t help America achieve energy independence, and puts people in harm’s way. Read more.

The Columbian – March 2, 2014
Local View: Oil trains, waterfront redevelopment can coexist
Oil trains are already traveling through our community and will continue to do so, regardless of whether or not Tesoro-Savage’s proposed oil terminal is approved. What’s in question is whether or not any of those trains stop at the Port of Vancouver. Currently, about 75 trains move through our community daily. Of those, an average of 1.5 unit trains enters the port. Read more. 

The Columbian – February 23, 2014
Lockout: One Year Later
It’s no anniversary to celebrate. Nevertheless, Thursday will mark a year since United Grain Corp. at the Port of Vancouver locked out up to 44 union dockworkers after a simmering contract dispute came to a boil. The fallout was extensive. Some of the impacts have ended or are quieter. Others, including legal proceedings, continue to ripple. Read more. 

 The Columbian – February 21, 2014
In Our View: Vancouver Lake Lessons
Vancouver Lake has been variously described over the years as a “gem,” or a “treasure,” or a “jewel” of Vancouver. As a home for swimming and rowing and other recreational activities, the 2,300-acre lake is one of Southwest Washington’s iconic landscapes.And yet, it is time to consider letting it go. Read more. 

The Columbian – February 20, 2014
Port of Vancouver joins Greater Portland partnership as investor
The Port of Vancouver has joined Greater Portland Inc. as an investor, the regional economic development partnership said Tuesday. Todd Coleman, the port’s chief executive officer, will serve on the Greater Portland Inc. board of directors. Read more. 

The Columbian – February 17, 2014
Oil terminal slick slope for Vancouver council
City leaders express skepticism, stop short of voicing outright opposition
When Port of Vancouver commissioners approved a lease last year for what would be the Northwest’s largest oil-handling facility, they knew Gov. Jay Inslee would decide the project’s fate. Read more. 

The Columbian – February 12, 2014
Group reflects on Vancouver Lake
After 10 years, partnership formed to address lake’s problems weighs what future will hold
If there’s one thing a decade of studying the ailing health of Vancouver Lake has revealed, it’s this: Fixing it won’t come easy. “There’s no silver bullet,” said Patty Boyden, environmental services director at the Port of Vancouver. Read more.

The Columbian – February 12, 2014
What’s up with that? Oil trains already passing through Vancouver?
Two days ago, I was walking in the Officers Row area, and I was fairly startled to see parked along the railroad tracks a long string of black tanker cars with no visible markings or identifications. Read more.

The Columbian – February 11, 2-14
Fruit Valley residents, Savage rep talk oil plan
Community meeting sees civil, serious discussion about proposal for port
Energy companies and environmental groups are drawing battle lines over the increase in oil-by-rail operations and proposals in the Northwest, including a plan by Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies to handle as much as 380,000 barrels of crude per day at the Port of Vancouver. Read more.

The Columbian – February 10, 2014
Vancouver City Council eyes bigger role in oil terminal permit bid
Councilors want formal part in state’s process
The Vancouver City Council will take a more prominent role in the state-level permitting process of a proposal for an $110 million oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver. Read more.  

The Columbian – February 9, 2014
In Our View: Oil Terminal Still Bad Idea
New information from various sources does not clear concerns on development
New developments have enlightened the debate over a proposed oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver, but they don’t alter the conclusion that the terminal would be bad for the city. Read more.

The Columbian – February 8, 2014
Developer: Oil terminal would derail waterfront project Port of Vancouver, terminal developers insist two can coexist
For months, developer Barry Cain has told anyone who would listen that his plan for a $1.3 billion Vancouver waterfront development was threatened by a proposed oil terminal about 2 miles downriver at the Port of Vancouver. Read more.

The Columbian – February 6, 2014
Tesoro acquiring safer rail cars for Vancouver terminal
Tesoro Corp. said Thursday it has begun replacing older cars in its oil rail car fleet with safer, post-October 2011 cars. The company said it is committed to have its full fleet replaced by the middle of this year, before construction of its proposed oil-by-rail terminal at the Port of Vancouver. Read more.

The Columbian – January 28, 2014
Port of Vancouver prepares to take eminent domain action
The Port of Vancouver on Tuesday signaled it’s ready to use eminent domain to settle how much it should pay Pacific Coast Shredding — a port tenant — for acquiring a piece of the company’s property to build a key segment of its $275 million freight-rail expansion project. Read more.

The Columbian – January 27, 2014
Bills take aim at safety of oil transport
A shifting U.S. energy landscape has state lawmakers in Olympia taking a renewed look at the transport of oil through Washington railways and waterways. For at least two bills that have emerged early in the 2014 legislative session, the conversation is being driven in part by a proposed oil-by-rail terminal at the Port of Vancouver. Read more.

Vancouver Business Journal – January 24, 2014
Port approves interlocal agreement with WSUV for executive training
Commissioners at the Port of Vancouver USA have approved an interlocal agreement with Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV) to provide executive training to leaders within the port. The training sessions will be broken into six modules and include 10 to 15 members of the port’s management team. Read more.

The Columbian – January 23, 2014
Port, BHP working on potash facility lease
The Port of Vancouver still wants potash. More than three years after the world’s biggest mining company, BHP Billiton, selected the port as its preferred site for a facility to export potash — a crop nutrient — the two parties remain in negotiations over the terms of a long-term lease. Read more.

The Columbian – January 23, 2014
Infrastructure spending creates new opportunities
Is the recession over? Or not? You’re sure to find experts to support either case. Regardless, we can learn from the past in order to create tremendous opportunities for the future. Just prior to the recession, one thing was clear to those who depend on transportation to get their commodities to market: Our transportation systems are grossly inadequate. Read more.

 The Columbian – January 23, 2014
Prosperity for Clark County? Experts disagree
The Clark County’s economy is growing, but is that growth just shrug-worthy, or is it cause for celebration? Two very different answers to that question emerged Thursday morning at The Columbian’s 2014 Economic Forecast Breakfast at the Hilton Vancouver Washington. Read more.

The Columbian – January 14, 2014
Port of Vancouver hires firms to lobby state, federal lawmakers
If the Port of Vancouver fails to win favorable state and federal legislation or funding this year, it won’t be for lack of trying. The port’s Board of Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved two separate contracts totaling $185,000 to hire lobbyists to make the port’s priorities known to lawmakers at the state and federal levels. Read more.

The Columbian – January 12, 2014
In Our View: Just Say No to Oil Terminal
Tesoro-Savage proposal bad for safety, economic development, quality of life
In the end, it’s no contest: The drawbacks to building an oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver greatly outweigh the benefits of such a plan, and state officials eventually should reject the proposal. Read more.

Vancouver Business Journal – January 10, 2014
Judge sides with port in environmental policy suit
A ruling on Friday from the Clark County Superior Court will allow the proposed oil export terminal at the Port of Vancouver to move forward in its environmental review process. Judge David E. Gregerson today ruled that the port did not violate the state’s Environmental Policy Act when it approved a 42-acre lease for the Tesoro-Savage project, as alleged by a number of environmental organizations. Read more.

The Columbian – January 7, 2014
Vancouver waterfront developer slams oil terminal plan
Barry Cain is no friend of the proposal to build the Northwest’s largest oil-handling facility at the Port of Vancouver. Now the real estate developer charged with remaking Vancouver’s waterfront has expanded on his earlier public misgivings about the project’s environmental risks and its impacts on downtown development, raising a multitude of new worries. Read more.

The Columbian – January 7, 2014
Port of Vancouver director defends oil terminal proposal
The Port of Vancouver put safeguards into a lease it signed for a controversial oil-by-rail project, including a safety and operations plan it must approve before the crude-handling facility launches, Todd Coleman, the port’s executive director, said Tuesday evening. Read more.