Protect the Northwest from Crude Oil-By-Rail: Tell the Army Corps and EFSEC to Deny Permits for Tesoro Savage

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) and Washington’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) are taking public comment on potential permits and associated environmental review for Tesoro Savage’s oil-by-rail terminal in Vancouver, Washington. Tesoro Savage cannot build its terminal without permits from the Army Corps and EFSEC. Comment Deadline: August 1, 2015.

The Tesoro Savage project would:

  • Build the largest crude oil-by-rail to marine vessel facility in the United States
  • Receive and transload to marine vessels (i.e., barges and ships referred to as oil tankers) an average of 360,000 barrels of crude oil every day by rail (over 4 billion gallons of crude oil each year)
  • Require at least four mile-and-a-half long unit trains (100+ cars each) per day
  • Greatly increase intense industrialization on the Columbia River and the Vancouver shoreline
  • Greatly increase oil tanker traffic on the Columbia River
  • Increase air pollution, including hydrogen sulfide gas emissions, a colorless, flammable and extremely hazardous gas
  • Significantly increase the risk of oil spills from trains and oil tankers

This factsheet explains how you can help convince the Army Corps and EFSEC to deny these critical permits based on the project’s significant negative environmental, public health, and safety effects.

Start now by submitting comments to the Corps and EFSEC on Tesoro Savage!