In the first month of 2016, a pair of fledgling oil-by-rail projects abruptly collapsed in Oregon and Washington. One on the Columbia River, which had been operating since 2012, abruptly laid off more than half its workforce as it pivoted away from crude. The other, a proposal on the Pacific Coast that was still seeking … Read more
About a year-and-a-half ago, when Anna Sewell, a new lawyer for EarthJustice, moved across the country to Seattle from the heart of the Marcellus shale natural gas drilling hub in Pennsylvania, she expected to leave behind the local furor created by the huge numbers of new unconventional gas wells drilled in the area. Instead, as she … Read more
Editor’s note: This article is cross-posted with permission from Oil Check Northwest. Across the Pacific Northwest, residents are talking about the growing risks from oil train traffic in their communities. The numerous derailments and fiery disasters since oil-by-rail became the go-to form of transportation for Bakken shale oil has many speaking out about concerns for public safety … Read more
Editor’s note 1/14/16: See KING 5’s video coverage of the trial, including testimony from Eric de Place, here. Update 1/15/16: The Delta 5 have been declared not guilty on the obstruction of train charge, meaning there can be no claim of financial harm for restitution. They have been declared guilty only of trespass. The states … Read more
In the wake of a historic agreement at this month’s Paris Climate Change Conference, the United States is expected to take the significantly regressive step of lifting a 40-year ban on crude oil exports, and the Northwest will find itself directly in the path of the oil industry’s plans to dramatically increase crude oil production … Read more
One of the biggest players in oil by rail is trying to build more capacity in Washington State. Tesoro, an oil company with a checkered past, already receives loaded crude oil trains at its Anacortes refinery. Now the firm aims to build North America’s largest oil train unloading facility on the banks of the Columbia … Read more
Next week, Sightline’s Eric de Place will discuss the unprecedented influx of coal, oil, and gas export schemes in the Northwest. We at Sightline have come to call our region the Thin Green Line, due to the Northwest’s unique geographic position standing between inland US fossil fuel deposits and large Asian markets. In short, Northwest communities have … Read more
President Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline was without doubt a victory for climate protection. It also left many wondering about the significance other oil infrastructure proposals, such as the 15 rail facilities in the Northwest that could handle a million barrels of crude per day. Would new oil depots on Northwest shorelines really … Read more
As election results continue to filter in, most eyes focus on the big-ticket races—city council members, state ballot measures, and levies. Yet way down near the bottom of the ballot is one of the most important votes that we cast in the Northwest: the races for port commissioner. Historically overlooked by voters and pundits alike, … Read more
As Portland prepares to enact the strongest anti-fossil-fuels legislation anywhere in the US, it’s a good time to evaluate the role the Northwest plays in opposing the coal, oil, and gas industries. Toward that end, check out this 45-minute radio interview taped on Monday in which I explored the significance of Portland’s leadership with KBOO Radio host … Read more
