FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Business Owners to Share Concerns of Local Economy, Health, Safety, and Climate Change
WHAT: The second of three public hearings on the proposed Tesoro Savage oil terminal in Vancouver along the Columbia River is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, from 5-11pm in Ridgefield, Washington. Vancouver business owners, including Vancouver 101, a group of 101 businesses opposed to the Tesoro Savage oil terminal, will attend the hearing and provide testimony on how the proposed oil terminal will harm their livelihoods and negatively impact the local economy.
Last week at the first hearing, more than 1,000 people attended, with the overwhelming majority opposed to the proposal. It is believed to be the largest turnout for a public hearing in Clark County’s history.
WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, 5:00-11:00PM (members of the Vancouver business community will be available at 4:30pm for media requests before the hearing and many will testify).
WHERE: Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds, located at 17402 NE Delfel Road Ridgefield, WA 98642.
WHY: At 360,000 barrels per day, Tesoro Savage’s Vancouver project would ship almost half as much crude oil as the entire Keystone XL Pipeline; it is the largest proposal of its kind in North America. Oil trains carry crude oil through communities across the West and oil tankers transport oil down the Columbia River, threatening the air, water, community health, and climate. It is part of a rash of such proposals across the Washington coast – the NuStar proposal, also in Vancouver, and two proposed terminals in Grays Harbor, Washington.
The Tesoro Savage proposal is opposed by the Vancouver City Council, Vancouver Firefighters Union IAFF Local 452, ILWU Local 4, Columbia Waterfront LLC, the City of Portland, the Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission, the sportfishing community, the environmental community, and people from all walks of life across the Northwest. Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be taken until January 22.
MORE INFORMATION: This hearing is the second of three opportunities for the public to weigh in on this project. The third hearing will be held on: Thursday, January 14, 2016, 5:00-11:00PM (rally at 4:30pm), at Centerplace Regional Event Center located at 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, WA 99216.
STAND UP TO OIL is a growing coalition of groups opposed to new oil terminals and an increase in oil transport through the Northwest, while working to improve safety measures for oil currently traveling through the region.
