At the Port of Vancouver Commission meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2016, Mosier leaders Mayor Arlene Burns, City Council President Emily Reed, and Fire Chief Jim Appleton attended and gave public comment against oil-by-rail in light of the recent oil train derailment and fire in their town.
During new business, Commissioner Eric LaBrant made a motion to terminate Tesoro Savage lease. Commissioner Brian Wolfe and LaBrant deliberated, with no second. From there, they moved on to financial business. Dan Serres, Conservation Director, Columbia Riverkeeper, attended the meeting, said:
"Two Port commissioners turned a deaf ear to the heartfelt testimony of Mosier's mayor, city councilor and fire chief. They appear willing to gamble with other people's lives. Only Commissioner LaBrant got it right when he agreed with Mosier's fire chief: the trains can't be made safe and the first, obvious step to protecting our region and River is denying the Tesoro Savage terminal. Communities like Mosier and Vancouver will rely on Governor Inslee to do the sensible thing - the obvious decision - by denying the nation's largest crude by rail terminal."
