NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS |
February 6, 2015 | PAGE 7
$500 million project at the Port of Portland
Propane terminal owner commits to build with union labor
Union construction workers
are speaking out in support of a
proposed propane export termi-
nal at the Port of Portland.
Pembina Pipeline Co. of Cal-
gary, Alberta, Canada, has an
agreement with the Port to lease
60 acres near Terminal 6 on the
Columbia River. The company
has signed a letter of understand-
ing with the Columbia Pacific
Building and Construction
Trades Council (CPBCTC) to
build the $500 million facility
with a union workforce. The
project is expected to generate
between 600 to 800 construction
jobs over two years.
Pembina says once com-
pleted, the terminal will support
35 to 40 permanent jobs. That
employment is valued at ap-
proximately $7.2 million in
wages and benefits annually.
Additionally, an estimated $3.3
million in annual tax revenues
would go to the City of Port-
land, as well as $2.4 million to
Multnomah County and $3.1
million to Portland Public
Schools annually.
The Oregon AFL-CIO is at-
tempting to meet with Pembina River.]
Pembina needs 2,500 feet of
to secure a neutrality agreement
for organizing the full-time piping to load the propane from
workers once the terminal is op- the holding tanks to the dock
erating.
and onto ships headed to Asia.
“It is one of the largest single Approximately 40 feet of that
private capital investments in
pipe must cross over the envi-
the city’s history.
ronmental
There are no tax-
zone.
payer dollars be-
A pro-
“After saying ‘no’ to coal
ing used what-
posal
cur-
and ‘not now’ to crude
soever,” said
rently before
by rail, we are confident
Willy Myers, ex-
the Plan-
that we are saying ‘yes’
ecutive secretary
ning and
to the right partner at
of the CPBCTC.
Sustainabil-
Myers was a-
ity Commis-
the right time.”
mong more than
sion would
— Port of Portland
two dozen union
amend the
Executive Director
leaders and mem-
environmen-
Bill Wyatt
bers to attend a
tal zone to
Jan. 13 public
allow
hearing of the
pipelines for
Portland Planning and Sustain- propane only.
ability Commission. The com-
A second public hearing is
mission is considering a pro- scheduled for March 17. The
posal to change the zoning code, commission will then take its
which prohibits the piping of recommendation to Portland
hazardous materials across an City Council, which has final
environmental overlay zone on say on the zoning change.
the Columbia River. [Zoning
Pembina also needs to secure
codes allow for such pipelines at local, state and federal permits
Port facilities on the Willamette before breaking ground.
Environmentalists vowed to
use the zoning change process
to stop the project. Also oppos-
ing the project is the Interna-
tional Longshore and Ware-
house Union. Local 8 President
Mike Stanton testified before
the Planning and Sustainability
Commission on Jan. 13, saying
the terminal will squeeze out rail
capacity for other cargoes.
Port of Portland executive di-
rector Bill Wyatt says the Port
has been “extremely discerning”
when considering recent energy
sector cargo opportunities.
“After saying ‘no’ to coal and
‘not now’ to crude by rail, we
are confident that we are saying
‘yes’ to the right partner at the
right time,” he said.
Wyatt said propane has an ex-
cellent track record as a clean
and safe alternative fuel, “and I
am impressed by the level of ex-
perience, expertise and commit-
ment to safety that Pembina
brings to the table.
“We already handle exports
of potash and wheat from
Canada, and we’re excited to
serve as the gateway for this
new cargo type from our neigh-
bors to the north,” Wyatt said.
Portland Mayor Charlie
Hales welcomed the announce-
ment of a half-billion-dollar in-
vestment in Portland and the
jobs it will create.
“The city is committed to
growing our economy on the
land we already have, and hold-
ing industry to very high envi-
ronmental and public safety
standards. This proposal meets
these goals,” he said.
Pembina’s overall plan is to
build a rail yard with propane
unloading equipment; eight
transloading holding tanks to re-
ceive propane; refrigeration
equipment; two large, refriger-
ated propane storage tanks capa-
ble of holding up to 800,000
barrels (approximately 33.6 mil-
lion gallons); facility piping
connecting the equipment; a
control center, warehouse and
maintenance facilities.
It wants to break ground by
mid-2016 and have the terminal
up and running by early 2018.
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