The Washington Building and Construction Trades Council (WBCTC), which represents more than 70,000 members in communities across the state, announced its official endorsement of the proposed Vancouver Energy terminal at the Port of Vancouver. Additionally, the council is supporting efforts to seek timely regulatory approval of the oil export facility so that construction can begin.
At its annual convention last month in Marysville, the WBCTC adopted a resolution outlining reasons for its support of the $210 million energy infrastructure project, calling it “an opportunity for the creation of good, family-wage jobs during both the initial construction and longer term maintenance and operations of the facility and structures.”
If approved, the project is expected generate approximately 320 full-time jobs during construction and an estimated 176 on-site operations jobs at full build-out. Vancouver Energy, the Columbia Pacific Building and Trades Council, the International Union of Operating Engineers and the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters have all entered into a Letter of Understanding for a Project Labor Agreement for the construction of the facility.
“Our members work throughout the Northwest on the infrastructure projects that are the foundational bedrock of much of Washington’s economic success,” said Lee Newgent, executive secretary of the WBCTC, in a press release. “The Northwest needs the new investments and infrastructure that will come with projects like Vancouver Energy. No other projects on the horizon hold the promise of such a scale and provide benefits over such a long lasting time frame.”
The WBCTC resolution also cited “Vancouver Energy’s commitment to the safe operation and transportation by hiring the most skilled workforce for construction, the safety trained and skilled operations team, and by allowing only the newer safer model of rail cars for bringing in crude oil.”
At full operation the Vancouver Energy terminal would receive up to 360,000 barrels of North American crude oil a day via rail car, which would be transferred to West Coast refineries.
The project is currently being evaluated by the state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC), which will produce a draft Environmental Impact Statement for public review. EFSEC will submit a recommendation on the project to Washington Governor Jay Inslee, who has the final say on whether the terminal will be approved.
