Washington attorney general’s office opposes Vancouver oil terminal

OLYMPIA – The Washington Attorney General’s Office has come out against a crude oil terminal being proposed in Vancouver.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson says the potential benefits of the project are “dramatically outweighed by the potential risks and costs of a spill.”

The comments came Friday as the state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council considers closing arguments for an environmental review of the Tesoro Savage Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal. The council is charged with recommending whether Gov. Jay Inslee should approve or reject the project, and Ferguson says it should recommend rejection.

Ferguson said that if the project is completed, ships loaded with crude oil to make daily trips along the Columbia River, and an additional 3,000 oil trains would run through the state each year.