September 15, 2014 [KGW] - The Vancouver, Washington, City Council has approved an emergency six-month moratorium on new or expanded facilities that would accept crude oil.
The Columbian reports that the moratorium approved Thursday night won’t affect the oil transfer terminal proposed by Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies that’s currently under review by the state.
The moratorium was straightforward but a last-minute filing has complicated the issue.
The newspaper reports that Thursday’s special council meeting, announced Wednesday, was meant to head off plans by NuStar Energy L.P. of San Antonio to apply to start storing crude oil at its two bulk tank terminals in Vancouver (Fruit Valley, Harbourside).
However, Assistant City Attorney Brent Boger says NuStar filed a preliminary application with the city on Wednesday afternoon.
Boger says he doesn’t know whether a pre-application qualifies the project as vested, and therefore exempt from the moratorium. He says that without a moratorium, NuStar would be allowed to store crude oil under current city zoning.
