July 2015, Vol. 242, No. 7
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Washington State to Review Shell Oil-By-Rail Project
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state regulators say they’ll work with Skagit County to conduct a full environmental review of a proposed oil-by-rail project at the Shell Puget Sound Refinery near Anacortes.
Royal Dutch Shell wants to build a rail spur from existing railroad tracks to handle about 60,000 bpd, or about one mile-long train. The oil would be pumped from rail cars into storage tanks.
The Department of Ecology said Tuesday that county officials sought the state’s help and Ecology agreed to co-lead the review. County officials initially concluded last summer that there weren’t significant impacts to the project. But environmental groups appealed and a county hearing examiner ruled a full review was needed.
Shell appealed that examiner’s decision but a Skagit County Superior Court judge dismissed Shell’s lawsuit last month.
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