In a statement, County Planning Director Dale Pernula said they will, “request additional information be provided by the applicant. That information will be reviewed with the entire record to determine if all issues have been adequately addressed and whether the threshold determination needs to be modified.”
What was left unsaid was just what additional information is being sought.
Pernula's statement said, “There are comments in support of this proposal as well as comments requesting additional environmental review.”
The Planning Department said they had received over 300 public comments on the Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (MDNS) issued on April 24, pursuant to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) for the proposed Shell crude-by-rail unloading facility.
Meanwhile, as required by County Code, a public hearing on the proposal will be scheduled as part of the standard shoreline permit application process. That hearing would not likely occur before this summer. The Planning Department will continue to accept public comments concerning the proposal up to the date of the public hearing, as well as during the hearing.
In a separate action, the Northwest Clean Air Agency is seeking public review and comment of a draft construction permit for the Shell Puget Sound Refinery’s proposed rail unloading platform.
The proposed rail facility would have the capacity to unload 14 railcars per day to receive a heavy petroleum “feedstock.” This material would allow some refinery units to operate more effectively with other crude oils the refinery is processing. This feedstock material is not Bakken crude.
This public comment period and hearing do not pertain to an application from Shell for delivery of light, mid-continent crude oil, which could include Bakken crude. NWCAA is considering that draft permit separately and will announce the public comment period for that draft permit soon.
The emissions from this project were not included in the draft air operating permit for which NWCAA had a public hearing April 30, 2014, because the construction permit has not been approved. If NWCAA approves this rail project, the construction permit will be incorporated in the next revision of the air operating permit.
The Clean Air Agency’s public hearing is set for June 11, at 9am at the Burlington Public Library.