These aren’t idle questions. Clark County’s version of economic recovery has been difficult and slow. The “get rich quick” potential for petroleum jobs is awfully tempting. The bill for the Port of Vancouver’s rail improvements will be paid with increased rail traffic, and oil could provide a quick return on that investment. Our economy could certainly use the boost.
But the risks are too staggering to simply hop on the oil bandwagon. We rely on the Columbia River to move power and freight, to irrigate our farms and provide drinking water for several cities. Our area’s history revolves around shipping and trade along the river. With the volume of oil trains headed our way, there’s no question of whether there will be a major spill on the Columbia; it’s simply a question of when. Shutting down the river to clean up a spill will cripple our economy. Are we prepared for that price tag? Can we withstand that drag on our economy?
We see similar patterns unfold after every spill – finger-pointing, buck-passing and legal wrangling, while taxpayers and first responders shoulder the biggest burden for covering costs. Eventually it shows up in higher taxes, another drag on our economy that we simply cannot afford.
We might feel better if there were some truth to the rumor that oil will come from America and stay in America to help wean us off of conflict oil and lower fuel prices. A blend of ‘buy local’ sentiment and patriotism, we want to believe that we’ll be helping America. But oil executives admit that the greatest demand and refining capacity exists in India and China, and advise stockholders that the Vancouver facility will handle Canadian tar sands, which have no export restrictions. This could explain why the permit application for the site describes a facility built to export heavy sour non-pipeline grade Canadian crude.
“Sustainability” isn’t just about recycling office paper; it’s about making plans that pencil out over the long haul. Vancouver recently ranked in the top 100 U.S. cities for livability. The costs of courting an antique industry that handles dinosaur fuel are simply too high, and not the vision Vancouver and Clark County need to move us forward. In fact, they’re a big leap backward into the 19th century.
Kids like to use the phrase “selling your car for gas money” as the pinnacle of short-sightedness. And that’s precisely the bargain we’re being offered: a bit of fuel money, in exchange for the Columbia, the prime-mover engine of our economy.
A long-time Vancouver homeowner and resident, Eric LaBrant works as an independent Accounts Receivable Consultant through his company, LaBrant Receivables. He also chairs the Fruit Valley Neighborhood Association, which includes the Port of Vancouver and recently voted to oppose the Tesoro Savage Crude-By-Rail project.
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