Next Tuesday, Washington Environmental Council will host a free community forum about the threat that oil transport poses to the state’s economy, health, and waters. Sightline’s own Eric de Place will contribute to the conversation, discussing his research on the more than 800,000 barrels of oil per day slated to pass through our communities and ports. That’s more than either of the pipelines planned in British Columbia, and would have an output of roughly 120 million metric tons of carbon dioxide—more than the entire state’s greenhouse gas emissions from all sources.
Recent oil train explosions in Alabama and Lac-Megantic, still not fully disclosed oil spills in North Dakota, and other incidents remind us of the risks that oil exports could mean for the Northwest as more oil is transported along the Columbia River, across Puget Sound, and through the outer coast. The risks range from spills along rail, marine, and pipeline routes to oil train explosions, from increased traffic congestion and carbon emissions to degradation of wildlife habitat in the areas proposed for expansion.
Washington is ground zero when it comes to oil transport, with ten new oil export facilities proposed in the past year alone. To learn more about these proposals, the risks they pose to the state, and how you can get involved, join us next week:
