Oil train meeing in Seattle 9/16

[eridani]

Just recently, Seattle residents awoke to alarming news about an oil train derailment at BNSF’s Interbay rail yard. Fortunately, a few oil cars just tipped over. However, the incident could have been a lot different if the rail cars exploded and is a stark reminder that these accidents do happen putting thousands of Seattle residents who live within half mile of the blast zone of the rail road tracks in danger. photo by Carlo Voli Seattle’s Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee is hosting a special community meeting to address oil train spills and explosions.Join WEC staff at this community event.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 16, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
WHERE: Bertha Knight Landes Room, City Hall, 601 5th Ave – SeattleWHAT: Spotlight on Sustainability!
CO-SPONSORS: WEC, Sierra Club, Central Co-op, and 350.org Seattle. Topics for this special meeting on sustainability include:
Ø Seattle’s emergency response plans in the event of an oil train spill or explosion.

Ø Why Seattle is ending the use of neonicotinoid-based pesticides to help protect honeybees and other pollinators.

Ø Updates on Seattle’s Food Action Plan and King County’s Local Food Initiative—both are efforts to promote access to healthy foods and support local growers. There is also an opportunity to share your perspective about these important issues, so come out on September 16. For questions, contact Hiba Khalii in Councilmember Mike O’Brien’s office [e-mail] or [phone]. Cheers,Rein

[eridani]

1. More heatings in October

ore oil trains in our communities? It's time to speak up!



In October, we have a unique chance to engage state leaders about the impacts of oil (and coal) transport in our communities and waterways.

Save the date and RSVP today!

WHEN: October 28, 6:00-8:00 pm
WHERE: Spokane, venue location to be determined
RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/Govtransport-Spokane

WHEN: October 30, 6:00-8:00 pm
WHERE: Olympia, venue location to be determined
RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/Govtransport-Lacey

NOTE: Bus transportation and car pools are being arranged for Whatcom/Skagit County, East King County, Seattle, Grays Harbor, and Vancouver/Longview. Car pools for all areas are also being organized. Details are in the RSVP links above.

About the study and hearings

Governor Inslee is doing a study to assess the risks of oil transportation in Washington, and is giving the public a chance to comment. This is a critical opportunity to voice your concerns about the combined impact of oil and coal trains on our communities.

Help ensure that the study addresses the whole picture, such as risks and threats to rail communities, terminal communities, our economy, public safety, and our waterways like the Puget Sound, Grays Harbor, the Columbia River, and the Spokane River.

Your participation can inform how the state will respond to this very important issue. Don't miss this incredibly important opportunity to speak up.

Join us, and please RSVP!

Cheers,
Rein

Rein Attemann
Puget Sound Advocacy Manager

[eridani]

2. More info from Climate Solutions

Coal trains, now oil trains! Northwest communities are facing an onslaught of new coal export and oil-by-rail proposals and Governor Inslee wants to hear from you! Join us to tell decision makers how increasing fossil fuel transport would impact our communities and waterways.

Public hearings are scheduled in Spokane (Oct 28) and Olympia (Oct 30). Please attend one of these, and stand up for the health and safety of our communities.

Spokane: http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5168/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=71932

Olympia: http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5168/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=71894

If oil and coal companies are permitted to build proposed new facilities, they would turn our beloved Northwest into a fossil fuel corridor--with mile-long trains, hazardous coal dust and explosive fuel. Increased train traffic of any heavy fossil fuel brings increased risk of derailments or worse: these trains pose serious risks to our communities.

This month, Governor Inslee is giving the public an important chance to weigh in on these risks. We know oil trains pose serious risks to our health and safety, and that those risks are compounded by coal trains. This is a critical opportunity to voice your concerns about the combined impact of oil and coal trains in our state.

Please RSVP for one of these important hearings:

SPOKANE Oct 28: Rally starts at 5pm, Doubletree Hotel. RSVP and carpool info here OLYMPIA Oct 30, Rally starts at 5pm, Red Lion inn, RSVP and carpool info here By speaking out, you will help ensure that the Governor's study addresses the whole picture, including risks and threats to railway communities, terminal communities, our economy, public safety, and our waterways like the Puget Sound, Grays Harbor, the Columbia River, and the Spokane River—and of course, the threat that dirty fossil fuel dependence poses to our climate.

Don't miss this incredibly important opportunity to speak up. Join us!

Thank you for all you do for our climate and our environment,

Alex Epstein,
Interim Field Director,
Climate Solutions

[eridani]

3. Oil train hearing in Anacortes 10/16

What are they up to now?

Shell Puget Sound Refinery at Anacortes wants to construct a crude oil unloading system with the capacity to unload up to 102 railcars per day. This proposed project is called the Crude-by-Rail East Gate (CREG). The Northwest Clean Air Agency is now accepting public comments on a draft construction permit for the CREG. This permit focuses on emissions from operation of the would-be new rail terminal, and evaluates how the addition of this terminal and the different types of crude oil could affect emissions at the refinery.

Why we Safe Shippers care:

• North Dakota Bakken crude is gushing forth and the oil industry is looking for a market.

• There is currently a ban on export of crude oil from the US, however this ban is in threat of being lifted.

• Even though Shell's permit application is for receiving crude for refining, the option of loading crude onto vessels as cargo must be addressed.

• If the export of crude is approved, then it could mean more tankers carrying more crude oil right past our front door.

• We would like to stop this from happening for many reasons: from the possibility of crude oil spills on our island shorelines, to ocean acidification resulting from yet more CO2 emissions into our planet's atmosphere.

This is our opportunity to say NO to a crude oil rail facility that has the potential of becoming a crude oil tanker export facility.

Suggested comments:

Given that the permit application (OAC 1179) does not address the adverse impacts to air quality (and subsequent adverse impacts to water quality) from the loading of crude oil as cargo onto vessels, ask the Northwest Clean Air Agency to expressly prohibit the transfer of any crude received at the CREG to vessels and/or to storage tanks and then to vessels.

Please submit comments by October 16, 2014
Mail: Ms. Toby Mahar, P.E., Northwest Clean Air Agency, 1600 S. 2nd St., Mount Vernon WA 98273
E-mail: [e-mail]
In person: Public hearing on October 16 at 6:00pm. Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes.

************
More information:

APPLICATION: Shell Puget Sound Refinery Crude-by-Rail East Gate Notice of Construction
http://www.nwcleanair.org/publicNotices/documents/OAC1179ShellCregApplication_000.pdf

DRAFT PERMIT: NWCAA Issues Order of Approval to Construct

http://www.nwcleanair.org/publicNotices/documents/OAC1179ShellCREG_000.pdf

PRESS RELEASE: NWCAA draft permit focuses on potential air releases from proposed Shell crude-oil rail terminal
http://www.nwcleanair.org/documents/9-16-14CrudeRailNRFinal.pdf

PUBLIC NOTICE: Northwest Clean Air Agency Seeks Comments

http://www.nwcleanair.org/publicNotices/documents/OAC1179ShellCREGPublicNotice_000.pdf

To read what our friends on the mainland are saying about this project:

http://www.evergreenislands.org
Let's protect our islands. Thank you for helping to draw the line.

San Juan Islanders for Safe Shipping

http://islandersforsafeshipping.org

San Juan Islanders for Safe Shipping is a member of San Juans Alliance

San Juans Alliance is a consortium of Lopez NO COALition, Orcas NO COALition, San Juan Islanders for Safe Shipping & FRIENDS of the San Juans. We are a diverse group of San Juan Islands’ citizens who call these islands home. We are united in our concern about the likely adverse impacts to our economy and our environment from the transport of fossil fuels through the Salish Sea.

[eridani]

4. Public hearing on Governor's Marine and Rail Oil Transportation Study: Olympia 10/30

http://www.thepierceprogressive.org/actionalertgovernorsreportoiltransportation


Friday, October 17, 2014 - 20:20

What: Public hearing on Governor's recently released Marine and Rail Oil Transportation Study
When: October 30, 5:00 p.m.
Where: The Red Lion Inn, 2300 Evergreen Park Dr SW, Olympia

Following the legislature's failure last session to pass a bill to improve safeguards on the booming transport of oil by rail and water in Washington State, the Department of Ecology was given the task of investigating the safety of existing shipments. Their preliminary report was released October 1 and includes identified gaps in risk mitigation as well as recommendations.

Several groups are trying to get a good showing at the event to voice our concerns about a serious increase in crude oil transport and export in Washington.

As of now it appears that there will be an hour's presentation by DOE on the report followed by 2 minute testimonies from the public. Here is the address where comments can be submitted for those who cannot attend the hearing or wish to testify in writing.

[eridani]

5. A note from Involved Democracy on this event

Stand Up and Speak Out for Your Health and Safety!

Northwest communities are facing an onslaught of coal export and oil-by-rail proposals. If oil and coal companies are permitted to build their proposed facilities, they would turn our beloved region into a fossil fuel corridor.

With their hazardous coal dust and explosive fuel, these trains pose serious risks to our communities. These mile-long trains are an accident waiting to happen. Derailments happen frequently and all too often cause disastrous loss of life and property.

IT'S TIME TO SPEAK UP and demand protection for our families and our children’s future!

Save the date:

WHEN: October 30, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
WHERE: Red Lion Hotel - 2300 Evergreen Park Dr SW - Olympia, WA
RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/Govtransport-Lacey

In June, Governor Inslee funded a Department of Ecology study to assess the risks of oil transportation in Washington. The completed report is here:www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/OilMovement/2014MRstudy.html. The recommendations are totally inadequate, with no mention of limiting oil trains on our railways nor stopping new oil terminal expansions. October 30, the public has a chance to comment. This is a critical opportunity to voice our concerns about the combined impact of oil and coal trains on our communities. We need to fill the aisles and tell our elected officials to stand up to big oil!


Help ensure that the study addresses the whole picture, such as risks and threats to rail communities, terminal communities, our economy, public safety, and our waterways like the Puget Sound, Grays Harbor, the Columbia River, and the Spokane River. Your participation can inform how the state will respond to this very important issue. Don't miss this incredibly important opportunity to speak up. Join us!

Schedule for hearing:
5:00 pm doors open
5:15 pm pre-hearing rally, outside the Red Lion
6:00-9:00 pm public comment

NOTE: Bus transportation is being arranged for Whatcom/Skagit County, East King County, Seattle, Grays Harbor, and Vancouver/Longview. Car pools for all areas are also being organized. Details are in the RSVP link above.

Thank you for all you do for the environment,

Involved Democracy
http://www.involveddemocracy.org/