County decision in Washington state stalls Shell’s Bakken rail plans

A Skagit County Hearing Examiner in Mount Vernon, Wash., halted Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s plans to move Bakken crude oil by rail to the company’s Anacortes refinery in northwest Washington pending an environmental and public health risk review, which could take a year or more.

The ruling came days after oil train derailments caused fires in northern Ontario and Mount Carbon, W.Va. In Washington, oil trains for other companies already pass through the downtowns of Burlington and Mount Vernon.

But recent derailments elsewhere has raised public concern about moving crude oil by rail, particularly Bakken crude oil since a July 2013 derailment and explosion in Quebec killed 47 people.

“Catastrophes have occurred elsewhere. No one doubts that such a thing could occur here,” Hearing Examiner Wick Dufford said in a Feb. 23 order.

Shell said it respected the decision and was “determined to stay the course.” The company has been involved in obtaining necessary permits for 2 years already.