Port of Vancouver’s oil deal is legal—environmentally, at least

Jacob Nierenberg

Jacob Nierenberg Jun 20, 2025

Jan 12, 2018

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                <h1>Port of Vancouver’s oil deal is legal—environmentally, at least</h1>
                <h2><p>Last year a Clark County Superior Court judge ruled that the Port of Vancouver was not in violation of state environmental laws when it authorized an oil transfer terminal to Vancouver Energy. On Tuesday, The Columbian reported that an appeals court upheld the ruling, despite the opposition’s claims that</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/jacob-nierenberg-crosscut-com/">Jacob Nierenberg</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jan 12, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>Last year a Clark County Superior Court judge ruled that the Port of Vancouver was not in violation of state environmental laws when it authorized an oil transfer terminal to Vancouver Energy. On Tuesday, <em><a href="http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/aug/25/oil-terminal-ruling-favors-port/?ref=avalancheghost.one">The Columbian reported</a></em> that an appeals court upheld the ruling, despite the opposition’s claims that the lease agreement for the terminal was done before the potential environmental impact was investigated. However, a separate, unresolved case charges the Port of Vancouver with running afoul of the Open Public Meetings Act in trying to approve the deal. Governor Jay Inslee will have the final say on whether the lease is approved, although the state Supreme Court may appeal his decision.</p>
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Last year a Clark County Superior Court judge ruled that the Port of Vancouver was not in violation of state environmental laws when it authorized an oil transfer terminal to Vancouver Energy. On Tuesday, The Columbian reported that an appeals court upheld the ruling, despite the opposition’s claims that the lease agreement for the terminal was done before the potential environmental impact was investigated. However, a separate, unresolved case charges the Port of Vancouver with running afoul of the Open Public Meetings Act in trying to approve the deal. Governor Jay Inslee will have the final say on whether the lease is approved, although the state Supreme Court may appeal his decision.

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By Jacob Nierenberg

Jacob Nierenberg is an editorial intern at Crosscut. He has lived in Washington for nearly all of his life, and still proudly identifies with the Pacific Northwest despite his relocation to Stanford U