Hmmm...we didn't know the job description of the Attorney General included environmental projects. We thought he was the state's top attorney.

Friday, AG Bob Ferguson, in what some are already saying is an over reach by his office, announced he is against a large oil train terminal project proposed near Vancouver by Tesoro.

Ferguson claims his job is to "protect" the citizens of Washington state, didn't know that included environmental projects.

Some time ago, in June, the Department of Natural Resources said the project should be denied, and the Clark County Prosecutor claims construction of the project could potentially jeopardize the safety of inmates at the nearby Jail Work Center correctional facility. Prosecutor Taylor Haviluk says the project should not be build next to the facility.

In his release, AG Ferguson said:

“Protecting the environment and public safety are top priorities of my office, and we considered the evidence presented with the care those priorities demand,” Ferguson said. “The bottom line is that the potential benefits of this project are dramatically outweighed by the potential risks and costs of a spill.”

Ferguson actually appointed his Assistant AG as 'Counsel For the Environment,'  apparently now the Attorney General's office is spending tax payer dollars representing inanimate objects.

The project, if approved, would bring around 175 permanent jobs, even after hundreds of construction jobs are finished. Tesoro said in it's statements about the project, the ripple effect would result in about 1,000 new total jobs in the area.

 

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